Florida Statutes 458.337 – Reports of disciplinary actions by medical organizations and hospitals
Current as of: 2024 | Check for updates
|
Other versions
(1)(a) The department shall be notified when any physician:
1. Has been removed or suspended or has had any other disciplinary action taken by his or her peers within any professional medical association, society, body, or professional standards review organization established pursuant to Pub. L. No. 92-603, s. 249F, or similarly constituted professional organization, whether or not such association, society, body, or organization is local, regional, state, national, or international in scope; or
2. Has been disciplined by a licensed hospital, health maintenance organization, prepaid health clinic, ambulatory surgical center, or nursing home or the medical staff of such a hospital, health maintenance organization, prepaid health clinic, ambulatory surgical center, or nursing home, including allowing the physician to resign, for any act that constitutes a violation of this chapter. If a physician resigns or withdraws from privileges when such facility notifies the physician that it is conducting an investigation or inquiry regarding an act which is potentially a violation of this chapter, the facility shall complete its investigation or inquiry and shall notify the department of the physician’s resignation or withdrawal from privileges if the completed investigation or inquiry results in a finding that such act constitutes a violation of this chapter for which the facility would have disciplined the physician or allowed the physician to resign or withdraw from privileges.
Terms Used In Florida Statutes 458.337
- Board: means the Board of Medicine. See Florida Statutes 458.305
- Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
- Department: means the Department of Health. See Florida Statutes 458.305
- Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- Fraud: Intentional deception resulting in injury to another.
- person: includes individuals, children, firms, associations, joint adventures, partnerships, estates, trusts, business trusts, syndicates, fiduciaries, corporations, and all other groups or combinations. See Florida Statutes 1.01
- Physician: means a person who is licensed to practice medicine in this state. See Florida Statutes 458.305
- Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
(b) Within 20 days of receipt of such notification, the department shall notify all hospitals and health maintenance organizations in the state of any disciplinary action which is severe enough for expulsion or resignation reported pursuant to subparagraph (a)2., identifying the disciplined physician, the action taken, and the reason for such action.
(2) Any organization taking action as set forth in this section shall report that action to the department within 30 days of its initial occurrence, regardless of the pendency of appeals therefrom. The notification shall identify the disciplined physician, the action taken, and the reason for such action. Any organization failing to report such action pursuant to this section shall be subject to a fine assessed by the department in an amount not exceeding $1,000.
(3) Any organization taking action as set forth in this section shall, upon department subpoena, provide copies of the records concerning the action to the department. However, those records shall be used solely for the purpose of the department and the board in disciplinary proceedings. The records shall otherwise be confidential and exempt from s. 119.07(1). These records shall not be subject to discovery or introduction into evidence in any administrative or civil action.
(4) There shall be no monetary liability on the part of, and no cause of action for damages shall arise against, the department or any association, society, body, organization, hospital, hospital medical staff, or hospital disciplinary body or its agents, investigators, witnesses, employees, or any other person for any action taken without intentional fraud in carrying out the provisions of this section. However, this exemption applies only to actions taken in providing notice pursuant to this section.