The following individuals, institutions and organizations are required by law to make reports to the Board:
Board licensees and licensees of all health professional boards
Health care facilities (hospitals, clinics, nursing homes)
The Oregon Medical Association
The Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons of Oregon
The Oregon Podiatric Medical Association
The Oregon Society of Physician Associates
The Oregon Association of
Acupuncturists
Primary insurers, self-insured, Health Maintenance Organizations
Licensed health care providers in Oregon are part of a professional community with an ethical obligation to self-regulate. Notifying the Board of concerns about medical professionals upholds the profession's integrity and allows the Board to protect the public and offer remediation or resources whenever possible.
Reporting to the Board means making a report to the OMB's Investigation Unit, Executive Director, or Medical Director. Making a report directly to the Health Professionals' Services Program (HPSP) or HPSP's Medical Director does not satisfy the duty to report to the Board. Address changes and retirement notices are made to the Board's Licensing Unit.
A report to the Board is not a finding of wrongdoing. Instead, the Board will look into the matter and decide whether a violation has occurred. Only the Board can determine if discipline is warranted.
The table below is a summary of required reports to the Board. The list may be updated and revised at any time.
Click the image above for a PDF version.
The following table contains a summary of reports licensed health care providers in Oregon must make to other state agencies or local governments. Making these reports helps to protect the public and provides valuable information that only a health care provider may have access to. The list may be updated and revised at any time. Please review the associated references for specific requirements.
Click the image above for a PDF version.
1. Click here to visit the PEST Program website.
2. Click here to visit the OVERS website.
3. Click here to visit the Oregon Immunization Program website.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if my colleague, a licensed health care professional, consults with me about an issue that turns out to be reportable conduct? Oregon law does not allow any exception for consultation, group discussions, or colleague consultation. It is best practice to remind the other licensed professional of your mandatory reporting requirements under Oregon law and encourage them to self-report as well.
Do I report workplace impairment when the licensee says they will self-report? What if another colleague or the facility says they will report? All licensees have a duty to report workplace impairment and should not rely on the possibility that a report will be made by another person or facility.
Do I report workplace impairment if I know the impaired person is participating the Health Professionals' Services Program (HPSP)? All licensees are required to report workplace impairment under Oregon law, even if the impaired person is enrolled or intends to enroll in HPSP.
If my colleague, a Board licensee, tells me they are being admitted into an alcohol rehabilitation program but there was no indication of alcohol use or impairment while practicing medicine, do either of us need to report to the Board? If there has been no impairment in the licensee's practice, and the licensee is actively seeking treatment, there is no mandatory reporting requirement. The Board encourages licensees to seek treatment before it impacts their ability to practice.
What if the other health care professional is my patient in a psychotherapist-patient relationship? You may need to seek legal advice regarding your obligations under ORS 676.150(2) and the psychotherapist-patient privilege in ORS 40.230 and ORS 40.252.
Do I have to report if I allow my hospital/facility privileges to “lapse" or “not renew"? If this happens while you are under investigation for any reason related to possible medical incompetence, unprofessional conduct, or physical incapacity or impairment, a report is required, even if you voluntarily allowed your privileges to lapse or expire.
What is an official action that has to be reported? An official action is a restriction, limitation, loss, or denial of a licensee's privileges to practice medicine, or any formal action taken against a licensee by a government agency or a health care facility based on a finding of medical incompetence, unprofessional conduct, physical incapacity, or impairment. This includes reporting official actions from any state agency or other licensing board, such as the Oregon Health Authority or the Oregon Department of Human Services.
Do administrative suspensions for failure to maintain or complete records need to be reported? Official actions do not include administrative suspensions of seven or fewer calendar days for failure to maintain or complete records. However, these short suspensions must be reported as an official action when the suspensions occur more than three times in any 12-month period as provided in OAR 847-010-0073(5).
What is unprofessional conduct? Unprofessional conduct is conduct unbecoming a licensee or detrimental to the best interests of the public, including conduct contrary to recognized standards of ethics of the licensee's profession or conduct that endangers the health, safety, or welfare of a patient or client. Unprofessional conduct is further defined in ORS 677.188 and OAR 847-010-0073.
What are the potential consequences for reporting? Mandatory reports are confidential under Oregon law. You must report if you have a reasonable belief that the conduct occurred; you need not be certain. Mandatory reporters are not liable for making a report in good faith. However, failure to report the prohibited or unprofessional conduct of another health care professional is a Class A violation and subjects the person to board discipline. Failure to self-report criminal conduct as required may result in board discipline.
Mandatory reporting requirements are generally in ORS 677.092, ORS 677.415, and 676.150.
More questions? Send an email to info@omb.oregon.gov.
Mandatory Reporting for Child Abuse Training Video
Click the image above or follow this link to watch Mandatory Reporting of Child Abuse: An Oregon Training Video.
Mandatory Reporting Laws
Integrated Behavioral Health MAT Statement
It may be medically appropriate for some medical board licensees participating in HPSP to be prescribed Buprenorphine or other Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) as an adjunct to their other behavioral treatment requirements. Like other medications, HPSP licensees prescribed a MAT are required to regularly submit a medication management form that is signed by their prescriber. Further, they must follow all HPSP guideline requirements associated with medications and continue with periodic testing to ensure adherence to the medication and abstinence from other drugs. The prescribing physician, in consultation and approval by the HPSP Medical Director, will identify medication duration and dosage. These factors, as well as the licensee's position, will be considered carefully when making return to work recommendations in order to protect public safety.HPSP advocates for and supports all licensees utilizing Buprenorphine or other MAT as part of their substance use disorder treatment for whom the medication is medically appropriate while the licensee is in monitoring.