[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6626834,"mediaKeyId","2740651-5ab7147bc993d5b2e68975ea05d98974","parentId",2740651,"title","Dental Hygiene Board provisionally approves CBU program, reshapes program rules and elects Joanne Pacheco president","audioSeconds",191,"startMs",7461000,"endMs",7652000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2740651-5ab7147bc993d5b2e68975ea05d98974&start=7461&end=7652","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2740651-5ab7147bc993d5b2e68975ea05d98974/thumbnail_7461000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6626834/California/Dental-Hygiene-Board-provisionally-approves-CBU-program-reshapes-program-rules-and-elects-Joanne-Pacheco-president","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6626834-6f53436c8255724de6d3d4b6a01031fe/orig.mp4?Expires=1770504759&Signature=l5SgI3e~xKKAL6Wu9i63G~7z8LREKREld0L6NsrB6THwQ976adDCba8ExltkvJ0ZRtTAw32k2SPWVbST~HNACppxfZiDVKQwxafMBsIOk~p7JJ0E5acrOoLGDqvEGM7~wyBs4RpD2hj9R2-welCtQvG-695KlZpkVBK2Qsb8StWCjQf1Hj52A7gn78~WEHHfg1SVWo~d8-pUdfsoPI1MPsQNWsnnf1MhtsiUXQJPj4U3m9DNCzI6~HzdB9wSmP9ri0Pqtik10k6CxaAdqx5Op-4guQsNdFmQx3CZO~ls~kXAXYesDlxaGSAwxnQ68hwx80hwtraDxGhfCyndO~SHCg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Respiratory Care Board of California","date","2025-03-23T02:20:10.153Z","article","The Dental Hygiene Board of California on March 22 provisionally approved a new Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene proposed by California Baptist University and took several other actions on education programs, regulatory language and board leadership.

The board elected Joanne Pacheco as its 2025 president, approved a change to Cabrillo College's enrollment pattern to admit cohorts of 20 every other year, voted to disapprove a request from Concord Career College to continue a nine-week term schedule, formed a task force to draft penalty rubrics for noncompliant dental hygiene education programs and directed staff to pursue amendments to a regulation that governs registered dental hygienists in alternative practice.

The board's education committee had recommended provisional approval of California Baptist University's program after reviewing the school's feasibility study and full submission. Member Michael Long presented the committee's recommendation to the full board; the board then voted to provisionally approve the CBU program. Julie Elginer, a public member, told the board she reviewed the 400-plus page submission and called it \"very thorough and exceptionally well done.\" The university thanked the board during public comment.

On program schedules, the board accepted the education committee's recommendation to allow Cabrillo College to admit cohorts every other year beginning with the June 2026 cohort, a change the committee concluded would keep the program compliant while matching local needs. The board also adopted the committee's recommendation to require Concord Career College's dental hygiene program to meet at least 10 weeks of instruction per term; the committee had found the program's nine-week term was inconsistent with other California programs and state requirements.

The board formed a small task force to draft a penalty rubric and consistent enforcement approach for dental hygiene educational programs that fail to meet statutory or regulatory timelines. Julie Elginer (public member) and Joanne Pacheco (licensee) volunteered to serve; the board directed staff to recruit three subject matter experts to join them. Member Justin Matthews summarized the motion as aiming to \"establish consistent penalties against DHEPs in violation of DHBC laws, regulations, and CODA standards.\" The motion passed.

Regulatory and legislative steps: the board voted to approve proposed amended language for California Code of Regulations, Title 16, section 116.5 (registered dental hygienist in alternative practice physical facility registration) and directed staff to submit the text for departmental review and to begin rulemaking steps if no adverse comments are received. Separately, the board authorized staff to pursue statutory language in the board's 2025 omnibus bill package and approved proposed positions on multiple bills of interest.

Leadership and minutes: the board elected Joanne Pacheco as president after a nomination from Michael Long; the vote was taken by roll call and the motion passed. The board also approved past meeting minutes for November 15 and November 16, 2024 after clerical date corrections.

Votes at a glance:
- Provisionally approve California Baptist University dental hygiene program — Motion: accept education committee recommendation (mover: Michael Long; seconder recorded). Outcome: approved on roll call; board recorded ayes from members present; motion passed.
- Approve change in enrollment pattern for Cabrillo College to admit 20 students every other year — Motion: accept committee recommendation (mover: Justin Matthews). Outcome: approved on roll call; motion passed.
- Disapprove Concord Career College request to keep nine-week term schedule; require minimum 10-week instruction per term — Motion: accept committee recommendation (mover: Sherman King). Outcome: approved on roll call; motion passed.
- Form Dental Hygiene Education Program (DHEP) penalty rubric task force (2 board members + 3 SMEs) — Motion: accept volunteers and form task force (mover: Justin Matthews; seconder: Michael Long). Outcome: approved; Julie Elginer and Joanne Pacheco volunteered as board members and the motion passed.
- Amend 16 CCR §116.5 (RDH in alternative practice facility registration) and submit for DCA/agency review and rulemaking steps — Motion: approve proposed amended language and authorize executive officer to proceed. Outcome: approved on roll call; motion passed.
- Pursue specified statutory amendments for the 2025 omnibus bill and review language for sponsorship — Motion: accept committee recommendation and seek sponsored legislation. Outcome: approved on roll call; motion passed.
- Elect Joanne Pacheco as board president — Motion: nominate and vote (mover: Michael Long; seconder: Justin Matthews). Outcome: approved by roll call; motion passed.
- Approve November 15 and November 16, 2024 minutes (with date corrections noted) — Motions: approve minutes (mover: Shree Poonala for Nov. 15; mover: Michael Long for Nov. 16). Outcome: motions passed on roll call; minutes approved.

Discussion versus decisions: board staff and members repeatedly distinguished committee recommendations and informational updates (which the full board received) from formal rulemaking steps and legislative sponsorship, which require additional administrative processing and, for regulations, posting of notices and a public comment period. Executive Officer Anthony Lum and staff were authorized to take administrative steps needed to move drafts to departmental review or to set rulemaking hearings if no adverse comments are received.

Context and next steps: staff will recruit subject matter experts for the DHEP penalty-rubric task force, bring draft rubric language back to the education committee and then to the full board, and submit the proposed CCR language to the Department of Consumer Affairs and the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency for review. The board asked staff to return with updates on implementation steps and to post regulatory materials for public comment when appropriate.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Dental Hygiene Board of California- Meeting- March 22, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Dental Hygiene Board of California on March 22 provisionally approved a new Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene proposed by California Baptist University and took several other actions on education programs, regulatory language and board leadership.","taxTitle","Respiratory Care Board of California, Boards and Commissions, Executive, California","taxId",76751,"location","California","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6626825,"Board hears enforcement, licensing and CE audit statistics; staff flags exam pass rates and CE audit failures",645,10200000,10845000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2740651-5ab7147bc993d5b2e68975ea05d98974&start=10200&end=10845","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2740651-5ab7147bc993d5b2e68975ea05d98974/thumbnail_10200000.jpg","/articles/6626825/California/Board-hears-enforcement-licensing-and-CE-audit-statistics-staff-flags-exam-pass-rates-and-CE-audit-failures","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6626825-b65078dd00989d685da9e29ee2ea0b6f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770504759&Signature=In3JY~JQ0ERc4crpoYGV8OX6FEr8oxKQrVMLt~lTzAUVzCu6xIPQ9ZO53GK4gMYq1jntbDYrOPA3wF75e~su2HeC~qGWSINWy5kbQ5QX-K~7tfRtayqBCp0i3Vh5WoEqARdW9OBWDh4JRqW7iMhSCCBkKrJtNGeBlnbdHVKur1oB9EUTJtrZu2u-KjgMeDiBSghwwVJcGpViq0Zx3uHczhn2g7IWYEg6XGSe8TAuZQ-z6xA0CfqAkpvoNusKdn562-DUNm2akXhvRjGI9RQtZie-B8BET14g1wkvLQe9wcpzvFDF1zMa7fiMf30VWvGvjtO~ew-7kDm3GUz84KiZww__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Dental Hygiene Board of California received an informational enforcement and licensing update at its March 22 meeting that included complaint volumes, citation totals, licensing counts, exam pass rates and continuing education audit results.

Assistant Executive Officer Albert Law reported that for fiscal year 2024'25 (through February 2025) the board had received 63 consumer complaints and 9 arrest/conviction complaints, initiated 272 complaints overall and closed 366 investigations in the reporting period. The board issued 231 citations and fines totaling $192,800 and $101,375 in other fines this fiscal year; probation monitoring flagged seven violations and included positive drug screens for banned substances in that group.

On licensing and examinations, staff reported 403 registered dental hygienist (RDH) licenses and 41 RDH in alternative practice (RDHAP) licenses issued so far in the fiscal year. The RDH law-and-ethics pass rate showed approximately 71% passed on the first attempt and the RDHAP pass rate about 80% on first attempt. The board's active-license counts were summarized: roughly 19,118 active RDH licenses and 783 RDHAP licensees.

Continuing education audits: staff reported 666 continuing education audits conducted so far this fiscal year. Audit results showed licensees failed audits for several reasons: invalid CE provider, missing documentation and unacceptable formats (for example, fully online basic life-support was repeatedly cited as not acceptable). In the board packet a chart showed about 28% of failed audits were for invalid CE providers. Board members and staff discussed outreach to programs and the public to reduce failures.

Board members asked about enforcement timelines and the status of the board's disciplinary guidelines. Executive Officer Anthony Lum said the disciplinary guidelines need updating and are part of the board's strategic-plan work; staff aim to draft revisions and bring them to the enforcement committee and then to the full board when resources permit.

Board member Julie Elginer asked staff to make exam-pass statistics available to program directors and to request that programs report back on steps they take to address law-and-ethics exam failure rates. Anthony Lum said staff has begun an implementation to notify schools twice a year and will consider additional reporting mechanisms.

Why it matters: enforcement statistics indicate how many cases reach disciplinary or citation outcomes and where resources are consumed. Licensing and pass-rate data are used by program directors and workforce planners; continuing education failures can put licensees at risk of disciplinary action if missing or invalid credits are not corrected.

Selected figures and attributions:
- Assistant Executive Officer Albert Law presented enforcement totals and citation/fine amounts.
- Executive Officer Anthony Lum said disciplinary-guidelines updates are planned as part of the strategic plan and staff will return with drafts for committee review.
- Member Julie Elginer requested routine sharing of exam-pass results with program directors and a simple reporting mechanism for programs to show corrective actions.","The board received its periodic enforcement and licensing reports showing consumer complaints, citation and fine totals, licensing counts, exam pass rates and continuing education audit findings; members discussed enforcement guidelines, reporting and outreach to programs.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6626830,"Board debates authority to interpret scope of practice as members, public, experts weigh in",192,4981000,5173000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2740651-5ab7147bc993d5b2e68975ea05d98974&start=4981&end=5173","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2740651-5ab7147bc993d5b2e68975ea05d98974/thumbnail_4981000.jpg","/articles/6626830/California/Board-debates-authority-to-interpret-scope-of-practice-as-members-public-experts-weigh-in","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6626830-1862a2832e05abb0e6eea0f87867ea2b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770504759&Signature=UrcjuyEv5nDrSvv7mBIHhF1vjOLzYC4F6DxJn9kI3d~GAFEPWRJVuXm6e8Oft8D3iLzsCBIhPIGUz9rPr7cjgdFlrfoQK1S-4ThAeheyir22SRxThZnZA4m6n4pbCJmpgeVlSJyQIsJ-sVS~XXwyEj~nVVgT-k3tju3A1M9rpgPhat3tqlGFxFGmnzPa-NN5YUF~cibYBaKi316BKZAYDNPwnRKXS6ktzR40ngnOHhT~uuBh1A3JmNIRGspK5ompzmXTaN7x~ekH3ddlqWUuuy3cpmIk0EeYrVkITQWH~hu9SDiWzySs-NocoTgJRz85GUAjnDfMKlLx7KzD0TKn3g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Members of the Dental Hygiene Board of California and several public commenters discussed the board's role in interpreting scope of practice, how the board uses subject-matter experts and what legal limits exist on scope expansion.

Executive Officer Anthony Lum told the board staff had contacted other boards for precedent and that scope interpretation can depend on how statutory language is written. \"If they can elaborate on scope issues, you have to have that authority first,\" Lum said, explaining that some boards have more prescriptive statutory language that explicitly allows the board to define and interpret scope.

Board member Michael Long had requested staff research how other Department of Consumer Affairs boards approach scope interpretation. Staff reported that some boards, including the Respiratory Care Board, had pursued statutory language to make it explicit that the board had authority to define and interpret its profession's scope.

Multiple public commenters and members of the public underscored the consumer-protection rationale for clearer interpretation. Rachel Doherty said the board should \"conduct a review with whatever experts necessary to define the scope in order to prevent improper practice rather than just for investigative purposes only.\" Public speaker Joanne Galliano (longtime hygienist and SME in meeting discussions) said that enforcement experts routinely inform cases but that interpretation beyond enforcement may require clearer statutory language.

Board members asked procedural questions about how experts are engaged. Anthony Lum said the board uses contracted experts and consulting licensees for enforcement cases and scope questions that arise during investigations and that the DCA-assigned attorney advises the board. When asked whether board members could submit names of potential subject-matter experts, Lum said the board posts an application on its website and will accept nominations and applications.

The board did not take formal action to change scope language at this meeting. Members discussed adding scope interpretation to future agendas and noted that pursuing statutory changes to expand or clarify scope would require legislative sponsorship and broader policy discussions.

Why it matters: how the board defines or interprets scope of practice affects what services licensees may lawfully perform and how enforcement staff handle complaints. Participants said clearer processes would help both consumer protection and licensees who want clarity on permissible practices.

Key attributions (selected):
- Executive Officer Anthony Lum explained the legal limits and that interpretation depends on statutory wording.
- Rachel Doherty urged the board to \"conduct a review with whatever experts necessary to define the scope.\"","Board members, staff and public commenters discussed whether and how the Dental Hygiene Board can interpret dental hygiene scope of practice (RDH/RDHAP), and how subject-matter experts are used in enforcement and policy work.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Dental Hygiene Board provisionally approves CBU program, reshapes program rules and elects Joanne Pacheco president

Board hears enforcement, licensing and CE audit statistics; staff flags exam pass rates and CE audit failures

Board debates authority to interpret scope of practice as members, public, experts weigh in