Problems at Oregon nursing board may lead to legislation
By SARAH SKIDMORE
Associated Press
Tuesday, April 15, 2008 11:41 AM PDT
PORTLAND — The Oregon State Board of Nursing thought the worst was over.
Two years ago, an investigation by the Portland Tribune detailed massive failures by the board to oversee dangerous nurses. A scathing state report on the agency followed. Within days, the agency’s executive director resigned and the second-in-command was fired.
A recent, deeper probe found that was just the beginning.
Holly Mercer, brought in as executive director this year to clean up the agency, issued a memo in late February describing a ‘‘critical situation’’ that showed the failures were broader than initially believed.
She and her staff found some glaring problems:
— Some complaints lodged with the board — including some dating back as far as 2003 — were never investigated.
— More than half the people the board had on probation were out of compliance with the terms of their discipline
— Large numbers of nurses in a monitoring program designed for to help those with substance abuse or mental health issues weren’t meeting the requirements of their program, as well, such as missing urinalysis tests or failing to check in with their monitors.
— A number of the agency’s cases were closed without being investigated.
‘‘We were stunned, and the board was stunned,’’ Mercer told The Associated Press.
The agency was already implementing many of the changes the state’s department of administrative services had recommended when it discovered further deficiencies.
‘‘We have more work to do — no question,’’ Mercer said. Now Rep. Mitch Greenlick, chairman of the Oregon House Health Care Committee, says he is considering legislation to keep a tighter watch on health care licensing boards. Greenlick said by e-mail that he is planning a bill for the 2009 session dealing with several health licensing issues. He said the bill would address the oversight of the board’s activities, the balance between public and professional representation on the boards and centralizing certain functions of some boards.
