BILL REQ. #:  S-0562.1 

Read first time 01/14/2005.   Referred to Committee on Health & Long-Term Care.

     AN ACT Relating to allowing confidential quality improvement committee meetings, proceedings, and deliberations; and amending RCW 70.44.062.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1   RCW 70.44.062 and 1985 c 166 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) All meetings, proceedings, and deliberations of the board of commissioners, its staff or agents, concerning the granting, denial, revocation, restriction, or other consideration of the status of the clinical or staff privileges of a physician or other health care provider as that term is defined in RCW 7.70.020, if such other providers at the discretion of the district's commissioners are considered for such privileges, shall be confidential and may be conducted in executive session: PROVIDED, That the final action of the board as to the denial, revocation, or restriction of clinical or staff privileges of a physician or other health care provider as defined in RCW 7.70.020 shall be done in public session.
     (2) All meetings, proceedings, and deliberations of a quality improvement committee established under RCW 4.24.250, 43.70.510, or 70.41.200 and all meetings, proceedings, and deliberations of the board of commissioners, its staff or agents, to review the report or the activities of a quality improvement committee established under RCW 4.24.250, 43.70.510, or 70.41.200 may, at the discretion of the quality improvement committee or the board of commissioners, be confidential and may be conducted in executive session. Any review conducted by the board of commissioners, its staff or agents, shall be subject to the same protections, limitations, and exemptions that apply to quality improvement committee activities under RCW 4.24.240, 4.24.250, 43.70.510, and 70.41.200. However, any final action of the board of commissioners on the report of the quality improvement committee shall be done in public session.