Right Column

Executive Officer's Report - January 2008

Prepared by Susan M. Geranen

DCA Strategic Plan and Mission Statement

The Director of Consumer Affairs (DCA), Carrie Lopez, has been holding a series of leadership meetings in which she is asking Executive Officer's to participate in the process of making the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) a department that is a universal source of information for consumers and professionals alike. A source of advice and information involving a myriad of issues, a department of choice for state employees and a department that trains, retains and empowers its employees.

As a part of the project, the Director is seeking to enhance services by eliminating duplication of duties and functions and by redesigning the DCA into a cohesive unit of boards, bureaus and administrative office that provides consistent consumer-related information. One aspect of the project is to have individual boards rethink their individual mission statements, consider aligning with the overall consumer service mission statement of the DCA and then develop operational goals and objectives to help achieve the overall mission of the department. It is an aggressive plan, but also exciting, innovative and worthy of discussion.

Another project the Director is working on is consolidating business meetings once per year so that all boards would conduct their meetings at one location on one day and then participate in a one day training session whereby they would complete all of their state required training, e.g., sexual harassment, ethics, etc. It is an aggressive, but exciting project in which I am sure we will want to be included.

CSB Conversion to Computerized Testing

There have been many issues with the transition to computerized testing for the California State Board examination (CSB). Trying to coordinate the DCA Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to work with the new vendor's computer system has been difficult. Also, there have been multiple issues with the individual testing sites and the reports provided by the testing vendor. Staff is addressing these issues as they surface almost on a daily basis. It has been a difficult transition, Linda Kassis, Chris Novak and LeeAnn Keer have worked over and above the call of duty to coordinate with all entities so the transition would be transparent to candidates. Linda, Chris and LeeAnn are continuing to work with the Office of Exam Resources (OER) and the DCA ATS team to correct problems and get the computerized testing on track. Thank you to staff for all of their efforts to keep the transition on an even keel!

Staff Update

As most of you know, our Assistant Executive Officer, Jennifer Thornburg, was planning to leave for another position. The Christmas miracle is that she has decided to stay at least for now. We are continuing to work on transitioning her position from the AEO classification to the new designation of Staff Services Manager I. Other office news is that we are working on hiring two part time employees on a permanent/intermittent basis, one for the enforcement unit and one in examinations and licensing. The additional help is way over due and should help alleviate some of the processing delays we have been experiencing.

The current date for the office move is Friday, March 21. We will keep you posted.

iLicensing

The iLicensing project is converting the computer system at the DCA to be able to accept on-line license renewals via a credit card. It is an exciting project, but a massive one. The DCA is in the testing mode right now with several of the larger boards and our Board is currently scheduled to convert to the new system sometime in late 2010.

Budget

At this point in the budget process we are trying to identify all costs for the next six months including enforcement hearings to determine what action, if any, is needed to restrict expenditures in the final months of the fiscal year.

Controlled Substances – Background Checks/Newsletter Article

SB 969, which changes the law to allow unregistered assistants to administer controlled substances under indirect supervision, became law on January 1, 2008. In its summer newsletter, the Board printed an article notifying licensees that they are required to determine whether employees have had felony drug convictions prior to allowing them to have access to controlled substances.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) does not specifically state that a formal background check is necessary, but the law says that a "licensee shall not allow access to controlled substances to persons with felony drug convictions." The DEA requires, at a minimum, that questions regarding such convictions be put on the employment questionnaire and that the licensee make the determination of no felony drug convictions. So it is up to the licensee how they are going to make that determination.

Legislation/Regulations

Fees. As you know, the Board is facing a potential contingency fund deficit. A fee increase effective on October 1, 2007, will, in part, ameliorate the situation; but it is not sufficient to totally correct it. In order to fully fund the Board's operations, legislative action is required to increase the Board's authority to set fees. Following the increased authority, another actual fee increase may be necessary. A proposed fee increase would require regulations and input at a public hearing. The Board will be proposing legislation this year to go forward with increasing its statutory fee ceilings effective January 2009. We are currently seeking an author and support from the state associations.

Proposed Regulations. At the January meeting, the Board will be discussing its list of pending regulations along with new proposed regulations for the purpose of giving staff direction on the priorities of each proposal for purposes of scheduling public hearings. The proposed regulations for the examination deadline changes are up for review at this meeting for a possible public hearing in April 2008.

RVT Committee

The Registered Veterinary Technician Committee (RVTC) is holding its regular meeting from 9:30 – 2 p.m. on Tuesday, January 15, 2008. There may be some overlap with the start time for the Board's meeting, but the Board will be conducting its closed session on Tuesday afternoon during the first hour to hour and a half of the meeting. At the January meeting, the RVTC also will be discussing the need to notice a recruitment statement for a pending vacancy on the RVTC. Dr. Richard Johnson is coming to the end of his term and his last meeting will be in April. The Board and the Committee will need to review applications and make a selection at the April 2008 meeting.

California Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA). When Linda Starr, Board President, Dr. Roach and I attended the CVMA's September Board of Governor's meeting, there were several questions raised about the requirements for the separate surgery room and the enforcement process. As a follow up on the comments and questions raised during that meeting, Ms Linda Starr and I met with Ms Valerie Fenstermaker, CVMA Executive Director and Dan Segna, DVM, CVMA Assistant Director on October 10, 2007. Following that meeting a second meeting was scheduled for November 29, 2007. The November meeting was attended by Ms Fenstermaker, Dr. Segna, Dr. Mundshenk, CVMA Director of Regulatory Affairs, Linda Starr, Board President, Gina Bayless, the Board's Enforcement Program Manager, Drs Kay Hossner and Richard Spickard, the Board's in-house consultants, Sandy Walsh, RVT, Board Hospital Inspector and myself. The meeting was designed to identify and answer questions regarding the Board's complaint review process, citations and fines and the physical requirements required in the separate surgery room used for aseptic surgery. The meeting was positive and a clarification to the Board's Frequently Asked Questions on the web regarding the door requirements in a separate surgery room was developed. A second meeting is scheduled for January 30, 2008 for continued discussion on the enforcement process.