You can
listen to full episodes online or find the podcast on your favorite player (feed url is
http://podcast.clearhq.org/feed/).
Written transcripts of episodes are available at the links below.
Episode 1: Introducing the CLEAR Podcast
Release date: June 12, 2018
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The Council on Licensure, Enforcement and Regulation is excited to launch Regulation Matters: a CLEAR conversation. In this introductory episode, podcast host Line Dempsey and CLEAR Executive Director Adam Parfitt share information about CLEAR and give a preview of topics for upcoming podcast episodes.
Episode 2: Investigative Excellence Award winner, Robert Herbert
Release date: June 12, 2018
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CLEAR's Investigative Excellence Award recognizes an investigator who has demonstrated exceptional performance in a particular case, with performance beyond what is expected or required, resulting in a direct and significant impact to the protection of the public or consumer interests. Robert Herbert, a 2017 recipient from the Alabama Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors, talks about the case for which he was nominated and shares some of the investigative techniques he used throughout the case.
Episode 3: Research on the Public’s Perception of Continuing Competence
Release date: June 12, 2018
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Jennifer Best, Practice Consultant with the College of Registered Nurses of Nova Scotia, shares the College's research on the public's perception of continuing competence, including why it's important for regulators to understand this issue and how regulators can use this research in making informed, evidence-based decisions about regulatory policy.
Episode 4: Sexual Abuse by Regulated Professionals: Achieving Zero Tolerance
Release date: July 10, 2018
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There have been some significant changes to the framework, policies, and procedures for handling cases of sexual abuse committed by regulated professionals. Representatives from regulatory organizations in the United States, Australia and Canada share information about what prompted a review of these procedures, what changes have been implemented for investigations of allegations of sexual boundary violations, and what impact the changes have had. This podcast episode was a lead-up to a session at CLEAR's Annual Educational Conference, September 26-29, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Episode 5: Occupational Licensing Policy Learning Consortium
Release date: July 24, 2018
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Suzanne Hultin with National Conference of State Legislatures gives an update on how the Occupational Licensing Policy Learning Consortium is addressing license portability issues and focusing on population groups who face unique challenges and barriers related to entering the labor market in licensed occupations.
Episode 6: The Role of Regulators in Health Workforce Data Collection
Release date: August 14, 2018
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Policymakers and planners in all jurisdictions face complex challenges in assuring access to needed health care services. Evidence-based decisions require objective and comparable provider supply and distribution data. Licensing boards are in a unique position to help. An expert panel representing the US and Canada discusses the role of regulators in health workforce data collection. This podcast episode was a lead-up to a session at CLEAR's Annual Educational Conference, September 26-29, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Episode 7: Breaking Down Licensing Barriers While Ensuring Public Protection During a Disaster
Release date: August 28, 2018
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In 2017, at least 5 states or US territories suffered natural disasters or public health emergencies. Disaster response is, at best, orchestrated chaos. This chaos is compounded by the hodgepodge approach to license portability in the United States. Ronne Hines, Division of Professions and Occupations, Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, gives some examples related to the interplay of license portability laws, regulation of the out-of-state workforce, and the challenges and successes of regulating during a disaster. This podcast episode was a lead-up to a session at CLEAR's Annual Educational Conference, September 26-29, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Episode 8: Investigative Excellence Group Award winner
Release date: September 11, 2018
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The CLEAR Investigative Excellence Group Award recognizes a team that has demonstrated exceptional performance in a particular case, or has a history of excellent performance beyond what is expected or required, resulting in a direct and significant impact to the protection of the public or consumer interests. Investigators from the Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations share how they overcame challenges of the case and collaborated with the Denver District Attorney's Office for a successful and award-winning investigation into unlicensed medical practice.
Episode 9: Licensing Reform Efforts: Professional Beauty Industry Perspective
Release date: October 9, 2018
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Myra Reddy, Government Affairs Director for the Professional Beauty Association, summarizes why the PBA supports requirements for occupational licensure in the beauty industry. She discusses PBA's support of reform efforts to promote consistency of requirements across state, and even county, lines; enhance mobility; increase externship and apprenticeship programs; and increase testing opportunities including pre-graduate testing.
Episode 10: The Scope of Regulation – Can the Boundaries Be Stretched?
Release date: November 13, 2018
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Andrew Charnock, Chief Executive and Registrar at the Occupational Therapy Board of New Zealand, looks at the factors that conform or restrict the governance scope and practice of regulation. He considers the questions of whether regulatory legislation is too cumbersome for regulation today and whether regulators should align their strategies around their country's major strategies, for example, health regulators alignment with health and health workforce strategies. This podcast episode was a lead-up to a session at CLEAR's Regional Symposium, November 29-30, 2018 in Wellington, New Zealand.
Episode 11: Finding Opportunities to Tell Your Agency Story – Marketing Tips
Release date: December 11, 2018
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Griffin Pritchard, public information specialist with the Alabama Board of Licensure for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors, provides some tips on finding opportunities to tell your agency story in a new way to your audience. He discusses targeting your message to different audiences, leveraging branded merchandise, communicating via social media, and developing strategies for boards with a small staff or small budget.
Episode 12: Current Research Interests at the Professional Standards Authority
Release date: January 8, 2019
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Douglas Bilton, Assistant Director of Standards and Policy with the Professional Standards Authority in the UK, shares current research interests at the PSA. He discusses PSA's goal of linking the academic world and the world of regulatory practice to encourage research that helps to establish professional regulation as an evidence-led area of public policy. Recent and current research topics include applying the concept of Counterproductive Work Behaviour to help understand why healthcare professionals sometimes don't follow standards, creating a risk calculator to advise on the right form of regulation or alternatives to regulation, and researching the idea of constructive distrust to determine what makes patients feel comfortable or inhibited about playing a part in their own care.
Episode 13: Research on Practice Hours: Establishing Evidence for Regulatory Policies
Release date: February 12, 2019
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The College of Registered Nurses of Manitoba undertook research on practice hours, or currency hours, to determine any correlation between practice hours and continuing competence. Deb Elias discusses the research methodology, the findings and interest in future collaborative research. This podcast episode is related to a CLEAR Resource Brief, "Establishing Evidence for Regulatory Policies: A Method and Case Example," by Deb Elias, Jill Tomasson and Leanne Worsfold.
Episode 14: Perspectives on Practitioner Substance Abuse and Regulation
Release date: March 12, 2019
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Donna Mooney Haywood, retired manager of regulatory affairs at the North Carolina Board of Nursing, shares her perspective, gained from 30+ years of regulatory experience, about substance abuse by licensed healthcare practitioners. She discusses the higher standard to which licensees are held, her views on alternative to discipline programs, and the difference in approach to handling practitioners misusing prescription drugs versus street drugs.
Episode 15: Working with Subject Matter Experts
Release date: April 9, 2019
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Elizabeth Witt, chief consultant and psychometrician with Witt Measurement Consulting, talks about what a subject matter expert (SME) is; the role of SMEs in job analysis, standard setting, and item writing; qualifications of an SME; SME recruitment; and communication with SMEs. She gives advice on how to ensure that SMEs are engaged and how to handle challenges involved in managing SMEs.
Episode 16: Update on Initiatives for Credentialing of Transitioning Military Members
Release date: May 14, 2019
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Bill Brigman with Solutions for Information Design, Michael Behm with Stateside, and Sara Appel with the Multi-state Collaborative on Military Credit share updates on various programs, initiatives and legislation to aid service members in transitioning to civilian careers through credentialing and military credit opportunities. They discuss the COOL programs, recognition of equivalent military training, licensure fee reductions or waivers, licensure compacts, Pathways legislation, licensure endorsement and temporary licenses for military spouses, applying military training toward college credit, and career readiness programs.
Episode 17: Role of a Content Developer in Licensing Exams
Release date: June 11, 2019
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Sarah Wennik, content development manager with Pearson VUE and chair of CLEAR's Examination Resources and Advisory Committee, talks about what a content developer is; how their role differs from the role of a psychometrician; the skills needed to be a successful content developer; and examples of the tasks a content developer is responsible, working in partnership with psychometricians, subject matter experts and test sponsors. A session at the 2019 CLEAR Annual Educational Conference will address further details about remediating test items with poor statistical performance and give attendees a chance to take on the role of a content developer and work on example items.
Episode 18: Use of a Professional’s Social Media History in Registration, Investigations and Professional Misconduct Prosecutions
Release date: July 9, 2019
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The approach that regulators have taken regarding social media has evolved over the years, with more regulators conducting social media searches on applicants during the licensing process. Information found on social media can be used to aid an investigation, and the number of investigations that are centered on regulated professionals' misuse of social media has increased. How does this influence public confidence in regulators, and how do regulators take into account public expectations? How do regulators handle social media evidence and commentary during prosecutions? This podcast episode is a lead-in to a session at CLEAR's Annual Educational Conference, September 18-21, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that will further explore the utility, legality and practicalities of relying on non-traditional sources of information, such as online and social media content, both in the registration process and investigations.
Episode 19: Addressing Mental Health Concerns in the Investigative Process
Release date: August 13, 2019
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Mental health is a far-reaching issue in society and has numerous implications for professional regulation. Mark Pioro and Jenna Smith with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario and Dean Benard with Benard & Associates explore the issue of accommodating mental health in the regulatory investigations process. They discuss the relevance of mental health to the work of a front-line regulatory investigator, issues that can arise when a participant in the investigation has a mental health challenge or condition, legal principles that apply to these situations, and strategies regulators or investigators can adopt to resolve dilemmas and accommodate individuals dealing with mental health difficulties during the investigation process. This podcast episode is a lead-in to a session at CLEAR's Annual Educational Conference, September 18-21, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that will further explore case studies and strategies.
Episode 20: Lessons from Cases Involving Intentional Harm to Patients
Release date: August 26, 2019
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When healthcare professionals intentionally harm or kill patients in their care, it shatters the public trust in the healthcare system, healthcare professionals, and their regulators. Lara Kinkartz with Weirfoulds LLP, Christine Braithwaite with the Professional Standards Authority in the UK, and David Benton with National Council of State Boards of Nursing discuss the impacts of such cases, processes and strategies regulators can put in place to help minimize the chances of intentional harm, and ways regulators can navigate the increased public scrutiny that results from such cases. This podcast episode is a lead-in to a session at CLEAR's Annual Educational Conference, September 18-21, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that will further explore case studies and strategies.
Episode 21: Using a National Certification as Eligibility for Licensure
Release date: September 10, 2019
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Ida Darragh, executive director of the North American Registry of Midwives and CLEAR board member, talks about the benefits to a state and the licensee when a national credential is used as an avenue to licensure for a profession, how the North American Registry of Midwives works with states that license certified professional midwives, practice in states that do not have a licensure process for CPMs, and trends for the future related to the link between certification and licensure.
Episode 22: How Regulators Can Use Behavioral Science
Release date: October 8, 2019
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Cynthia Abel with the College of Early Childhood Educators in Ontario talks about how regulators can use behavioral science (sometimes called behavioral insights, behavioral economics, or nudging) - the concept of taking what we know about people and what influences how they behave and make decisions and harnessing that knowledge in order to design services and processes that are better aligned to the way we want people to behave and make decisions. She gives some examples and some opportunities to use this concept in a licensing and compliance environment and offers some considerations for organizations interested in applying this concept.
Episode 23: Professional Regulation and the Next Generation
Release date: November 12, 2019
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Jimi Bush, director of quality and engagement with the Washington State Medical Commission, talks about making it millennial, focusing on professional regulation and the next generation. She notes some of the characteristics of millennials and Generation Z, the impact their preferences and behaviors are having on certain industries, and specifically the impact for regulated workforces. She shares some ways that regulators can adapt their practices to millennial and Generation Z behaviors.
Episode 24: WHO Collaborating Centre for Health Workforce Regulation
Release date: December 10, 2019
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Nick Lord and Kym Ayscough with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency discuss AHPRA's involvement as a World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Health Workforce Regulation. They discuss the WHO's interest in regulation of the health workforce, the current state of health workforce regulation in the Asia-Pacific region, and the WHO member states' interest in the Collaborating Centre. They share some goals of the network and opportunities for CLEAR members to be involved.
Episode 25: What It Means to Be a Good Regulator
Release date: January 14, 2020
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Deanna Williams, President of Dundee Consulting and long-time CLEAR member, tackles the question, What does it mean to be a good regulator? She talks about being trustworthy and earning public confidence, putting public interest above all others, being genuine and authentic in explaining how our actions best serve and protect the public, and being adaptable on the front-end of change. She discusses how regulators should have frameworks for consistent decision-making, validated evaluative processes, and a culture where questions are seen as opportunities rather than challenges. Good regulators should ask the question, Can we demonstrate that there's value in what we do? She urges regulators to move beyond being just good enough to asking, how can we be better?
Episode 26: Alliance for Responsible Professional Licensing
Release date: February 11, 2020
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Skip Braziel, Vice President – State Regulation and Legislation with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and David Cox, CEO of the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying introduce listeners to the newly-formed Alliance for Responsible Professional Licensing. ARPL is a group of organizations that represent highly-technical professions and the boards that regulate those professions. ARPL hopes to educate policy-makers and the public on concerns related to occupational licensing reform efforts. "It's about our duty to protect the public, and where we see that threatened is where ARPL will become involved." Concerns that Skip and David mention include instances where licensing reform is applied too broadly to all professions, legislation that would allow anyone to perform services as long as the consumer gives consent, and legislation that removes resources from boards.
Episode 27: What Makes a Difference for Candidates Taking Computer-based Tests?
Release date: March 10, 2020
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Paula Lehane, a Ph.D. candidate at Dublin City University in Ireland with the Centre for Assessment Research, Policy and Practice in Education, and author of a recent CLEAR Exam Review article, discusses some of the issues that regulatory organizations need to consider for candidates taking computer based tests. She discusses candidates' expectation of flexibility related to device diversity and modifying user interfaces. She provides different examples of form factor and how it can interfere with test-taker performance and how organizations can design tests to ensure that test-taker performance is not influenced by a device’s particular features. She stresses the need for more research based in the assessment industry and making that research public and shareable.
Special Episode: COVID-19 Resources for Regulators
Release date: April 7, 2020
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We’re bringing you a special episode of the CLEAR podcast, talking about information and resources related to the COVID-19 emergency. This is a challenging time for everyone as we respond to this global health emergency. CLEAR's president, Kym Ayscough, president-elect, Ginny Hanrahan, and executive director, Adam Parfitt, highlight some of the resources that CLEAR has put together and information that CLEAR members have shared. "Thank you to CLEAR's members who so willingly share their resources, their information, their expertise in the interest of safe regulation in all of the professions and occupations that we regulate. I feel really privileged to be a part of this community and find the sharing to be just infinitely beneficial. So thanks to everyone for that." - Kym Ayscough
Episode 28: Research on Recidivism
Release date: April 14, 2020
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Jimi Bush and Sarah Chenvert with the Washington Medical Commission discuss a recent recidivism study undertaken to look for behavior patterns among licensees who have undergone more than one instance of discipline within a 10-year time frame. The study aimed to determine if the Medical Commission's corrective actions had effectively resulted in physicians and physician assistants changing their practices and modifying their behavior. They share some findings of the study and some ways that the Commission will use the data to revamp their compliance program to work more closely with licensees to educate them and address common compliance issues before they become a problem.
Episode 29: Medical Marijuana and Licensure Issues
Release date: May 12, 2020
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Lori Dodson with the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission and Kevin Huff and Sean Pascal with the Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations Office of Investigations share their perspectives on regulating the medical marijuana industry. Ms. Dodson, with a relatively new commission, discusses some challenges and successes in building a regulatory agency from the ground up. The Colorado representatives, with a more established program, talk about the enforcement aspect for licensees who have a medical marijuana recommendation as well as the requirements for physicians making recommendations.
Episode 30: The Board’s Role in Reopening Regulated Services
Release date: June 9, 2020
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As state and jurisdictions start to reopen personal and medical services that were shut down in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sara Chambers with Alaska Division of Corporations, Businesses, and Professional Licensing; Gina Fast with Minnesota Board of Cosmetology; and Adam Higginbotham with Nevada State Board of Cosmetology share information about their boards' roles in developing reopening guidelines. They discuss concerns and challenges faced by their boards and their licensees. Reflecting on lessons learned, they talk about the importance of technology in staying connected and communicating with licensees, listening to the licensees and providing resources they need through multiple communication channels, and collaboration with board and industry stakeholders to develop consistent guidance and messaging.
Episode 31: Mobility and the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact
Release date: July 14, 2020
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Marschall Smith, executive director of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission, discusses how the idea for creating a physician compact came about, what the compact does, and how it works. He shares some ways the compact has had a beneficial impact on improving access to care in rural and underserved areas and via telemedicine, especially as we deal with the coronavirus pandemic. He also mentions the IMLCC's mechanism to allow for joint investigations of physicians across states and planned improvements to move the compact process to a cloud-based system with a common database.
Episode 32: CLEAR's Conference Goes Virtual!
Release date: August 11, 2020
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Micah Matthews and Helene Goldberg, chair and vice-chair of CLEAR's Conference Program planning committee, share news about the shift to the 2020 Annual Conference Virtual Experience. Listen in to hear about the pre-recorded and live content being offered, with relevant and informative sessions as attendees have come to expect from CLEAR's Annual Educational Conference. Hear how you can use the virtual platform to build your own session schedule, interact with presenters, and network with regulatory colleagues and vendors worldwide.
Episode 33: State Regulatory Structures Report
Release date: September 8, 2020
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The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), the Council for State Governments (CSG), and the National Governor’s Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) partnered with CLEAR on a comprehensive resource covering regulatory structures in use in the United States. The State Regulatory Structures report is informed by a survey conducted by CLEAR asking respondents to indicate which of five regulatory model(s) best represented their current regulatory organization. Results from 46 jurisdictions have been documented based on several different factors, including number of models in place within the jurisdiction, responsibility for decision-making authority, and responsibility for operational functions. In this podcast episode, Suzanne Hultin and Iris Hentze with NCSL talk about the larger Occupational Licensing Consortium Project and the impetus for the regulatory structures report. Stephanie Thompson with CLEAR shares some highlights of data from the report. And Cory Everett, regulatory consultant, provides context on how the report fits into the overall regulatory landscape in the US and what policymakers can take away from the report.
Episode 34: Conflicts of Interest with SMEs
Release date: October 13, 2020
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Peter Mackey with Peterbridge Communications LLC discusses conflicts of interest that subject matter experts might encounter when serving in exam-related roles for credentialing organizations. He talks about the risks to integrity of the exam and the reputation of the program if bias or conflicts of interest are allowed to affect exam-related activities. His recommendations for conflict management include promoting awareness about conflicts; clearly and frequently communicating expected behaviors and examples of conflicts; focusing on disclosure; and evaluating the likelihood of a breach and potential consequences, including consultation with legal experts when necessary.
Episode 35: The Role of Public Board Members
Release date: November 17, 2020
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Graeme Keirstead and Barbara Holtry discuss the unique role that public members serve on regulatory boards and councils. They talk about why it's important to include public members and how their role differs from professional members. They offer ideas for ensuring diversity on boards and recruiting qualified members. They also discuss ways in which regulatory staff can assist public members in feeling prepared for their role and able to make an effective and needed contribution.
