SB 59-EXTEND BOARD OF DENTAL EXAMINERS  2:04:59 PM CHAIR EGAN announced SB 59 to be up for consideration. 2:05:48 PM DANA OWEN, staff to the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee, sponsor of SB 59, said the Dental Society suggested 19 pages worth changes, so they thought it would be more expeditious to split the question in two. This bill extends the board for another five years, a number "that was pulled out of the air." He was not aware of the audit that had been done and it had recommended eight years instead of five. He said it would be highly recommended to accept the auditor's suggestion to extend it to eight years. SENATOR MENARD commented that she appreciates the auditor's recommendation and was in favor of extending the Board of Dental Examiners for eight years. 2:07:51 PM DAVID LOGAN, Chair, Legislative Alaska Dental Society, supported SB 59. He had no position on the length of time. PAT DAVIDSON, Legislative Auditor, said the board is operating in an efficient manner. The audit had one recommendation to the division of timely investigation of complaints coming in, but the audit team did recommend an eight-year extension for the board. SENATOR PASKVAN asked if she made suggestions to the division or had they made any responses to her as to how they were intending on handling the issue of timely response to complaints. MS. DAVIDSON answered they looked at is how their case management system worked. She explained that when there is a big caseload, it's important to have a case management system that will have a "tickler file" associated with it. Their current data base didn't have that. They had been looking at replacing the system, but she didn't know if it had been purchased yet. She said they looked at six complaints and five cases for the Board of Dental Examiners; three of the six complaints and one out of five cases were inactive for more than six months. They need to be a little more up to speed where those individual cases are and data management would help in that area. SENATOR PASKVAN said he had heard comments from dentists about an internal self policing capacity. MS. DAVIDSON replied that investigation and complaints are not a board activity; they are a divisional activity. The board sit as a quasi-judicial arm. So the investigations are handled by the division that reports to the board. The board decides what action to take. Keeping on top of your own caseload is important, but data management is needed. SENATOR GIESSEL said she had been involved with professional licensing board and that was issue with them as well. She thought they would get data management program a couple of years ago, and asked why. Is it an appropriation issue? MS. DAVIDSON agreed that the department should answer, but added that this is a continuing issue with many boards and commissions. DON HABEGAR, Director, Division of Corporations, Business and Professional Licensing, Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development (DCCED), replied that the system (GL Suites) has been purchased, but they are still in the learning phase. SENATOR PASKVAN asked him to more fully explain what goes on with complaints. MR. HABERGER replied that investigations by statute are under the department's purview. They will capture the complaint that comes from the public; the investigation team will look at it and decide whether it merits further investigation. If it does and violates licensing laws, they will develop a case and at some point in time they will take a recommendation to the board. But before that they may have a dentist on the board review the case and make his recommendation. COMMISSIONER BELL said 701 complaints were made for the 40 professions the division monitors. That resulted in a little over 500 actions and over 500 went to the next stage. About 350 resulted in some disciplinary action that could have been a fine, continuing education, or monitoring auditing. SENATOR PASKVAN asked the backlog within the specific area of dentistry. MR. HABEGAR said he couldn't answer specifically; the division has taken a number of proactive measures. When he joined the division it had a new chief of investigations, and knowing the audit reports have a recurring theme, they are looking for ways to manage that. 2:22:29 PM SENATOR MENARD moved to amend SB 59 to extend the board from 2016 to 2019. There were no objections and it was so ordered. SENATOR MENARD moved to advance CSSB 59 (L&C) from committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s). There were no objections and it was so ordered.