TITLE 39

HEALTH AND SAFETY

CHAPTER 13

HOSPITAL LICENSES AND INSPECTION

39-1393.  Notification of professional review action imposed upon physician or emergency medical services personnel. (1) Any health care organization in this state that is by law required to conduct peer review or which voluntarily formally elects to conduct professional review actions shall notify the board of medicine of professional review actions taken against physicians licensed in Idaho required to be reported as provided in this section. Such reports shall be made to the board of medicine within fifteen (15) days of completion of the professional review action by the health care organization. For emergency medical services personnel, such reports shall be made to the department of health and welfare within fifteen (15) days of completion of the professional review action by the health care organization. Such required reports shall be made on forms approved by the board of medicine for reports concerning physicians, or the department of health and welfare for reports concerning emergency medical services personnel, consistent with the reporting requirements of this section. The reporting obligation shall not be stayed by the filing of any court proceeding unless otherwise ordered by the court.

(2)  A health care organization in Idaho shall report to the board of medicine if it:

(a)  Takes a professional review action against a physician licensed in Idaho and imposes a sanction of the type included in subsection (3) of this section which lasts longer than thirty (30) days; or

(b)  Accepts a voluntary sanction by a physician licensed in Idaho of the type identified in subsection (3) of this section while the physician is under investigation or to avoid investigation by the health care organization relating to the professional competence or professional conduct of the physician or in exchange for the health care organization not conducting such an investigation or initiating a professional review action, if the sanction lasts longer than thirty (30) days.

(3)  Professional review action sanctions against a physician which must be reported to the board of medicine pursuant to subsection (2) of this section, whether voluntary or involuntary, shall be:

(a)  Restriction or limitation of privileges;

(b)  Revocation of privileges;

(c)  Suspension of privileges;

(d)  Reduction of privileges;

(e)  Denial of a request for initial privileges;

(f)  Submission to monitoring of the physician’s physical or mental condition;

(g)  Submission to monitoring of the physician’s delivery of medical services other than to assess and monitor the physician’s qualifications for new or additional privileges;

(h)  Surrender of privileges;

(i)  Summary suspension or reduction of privileges lasting longer than thirty (30) days;

(j)  Termination of employment;

(k)  Suspension of employment lasting longer than thirty (30) days.

(4)  The reporting requirements of this section shall not apply to:

(a)  Actions based on compliance with medical records or confidentiality requirements of a health care organization;

(b)  Voluntary requests for assistance or monitoring by a physician as part of an educational process to improve physician skills or enhance patient care when unrelated to a professional review action concerning the quality or necessity of patient medical care;

(c)  Voluntary or involuntary revocation, nonrenewal, denial, reduction, restriction, resignation, or limitation of privileges or employment of a physician based upon factors not directly impacting the quality of patient care or safety of practice of the physician;

(d)  Adverse actions taken against a physician by a health care organization that is not required by law to conduct peer review and that has not voluntarily formally elected to conduct professional review actions; and

(e)  The denial of a physician’s request for additional privileges or credentials with a health care organization.

(5)  The report to the board of medicine required by this section shall include a statement of the quality of care concerns or professional conduct that is the basis of the professional review action or investigation and the reportable professional review action sanction voluntarily accepted or involuntarily imposed.

(6)  A health care organization required to report a professional review action concerning a physician to the board of medicine pursuant to this section shall, if requested by the board of medicine, provide to the board the following:

(a)  A statement of the specific quality of care concerns or professional conduct which resulted in the professional review action sanction;

(b)  A statement of the specific professional review action sanction; and

(c)  Any patient care records of the health care organization regarding the care provided by the reported physician. However, the board of medicine may not request or require production of any peer review records from any person or health care organization, including the identification of which particular patient care records were selected for, or reviewed, examined or discussed in any peer review activity of a health care organization, or the method used by the health care organization to select such patient care records for peer review.

(7)  The records lawfully requested by the board of medicine pursuant to subsection (6) of this section shall be provided by the health care organization without a subpoena or court order. If the health care organization fails to comply with the board of medicine’s lawful request, the board may petition the district court for an order compelling compliance with the board’s request, which shall be granted if disclosure is required by law.

(8)  Professional review action sanctions against emergency medical services personnel, whether voluntary or involuntary, which are the result of any action, conduct, or failure to act which is inconsistent with the professionalism and/or standards established in the rules governing emergency medical services personnel as promulgated by the department of health and welfare must be reported to the department of health and welfare.

(9)  The report to the department of health and welfare required by this section shall include a statement of the quality of care concerns or professional conduct that is the basis of the professional review action or investigation and the reportable professional review action sanction voluntarily accepted or involuntarily imposed.

(10) Any person or health care organization that provides notification as required by law, or in a good faith belief that such notification is required by law, shall be immune from any civil or other liability arising from providing the notification. Such immunity shall likewise pertain to the provision of files, records and information a health care organization may in good faith provide to the board of medicine pursuant to this section or other applicable law. Such materials provided to the board of medicine shall be subject to disclosure by the board according to chapter 1, title 74, Idaho Code, and available only to the board of medicine and its staff unless and until such matter becomes the subject of formal proceedings by or before the board of medicine or authorized by it.

History:

[39-1393, added 2003, ch. 244, sec. 6, p. 632; am. 2004, ch. 134, sec. 4, p. 458; am. 2015, ch. 141, sec. 88, p. 442.]