(a) If a professional malpractice liability action is filed in a district court of this state and one of the parties to the action requests, by filing a memorandum with the court, that a professional malpractice screening panel be convened, the judge of the district court shall convene a professional malpractice screening panel, hereafter referred to as the screening panel. If a claim for damages arising out of the rendering of or failure to render services by a professional licensee has not been formalized by the filing of a petition, any party affected by such claim may request, by filing a memorandum with the court, that a screening panel be convened and, if such request is made, the judge of the district court shall convene a screening panel. If a petition or claim is filed naming more than one defendant or more than one person against whom a claim is being made, each defendant or person is entitled to request a separate screening panel.

(b) The membership of the screening panel shall be selected as follows: (1) A person licensed in the same profession as the defendant or person against whom the claim is filed, designated by the defendant or by the person against whom the claim is made if no petition has been filed; (2) a person licensed in the same profession as the defendant or person against whom the claim is filed, designated by the plaintiff or by the claimant if no petition has been filed; (3) a person licensed in the same profession as the defendant or person against whom the claim is filed, selected jointly by the plaintiff and the defendant or by the claimant and the person against whom the claim is made, if no petition has been filed; and (4) an attorney selected by the judge of the district court from a list of attorneys maintained by the judge of the district court for such purpose. Such attorney shall be a nonvoting member of the screening panel but shall act as chairperson of the screening panel.

(c) The state agency which licenses, registers, certifies or otherwise is responsible for the practice of any group of professional licensees shall maintain and make available to the parties to the proceeding a current list of professional licensees who are willing and available to serve on the screening panel. The persons appointed shall constitute the screening panel for the particular professional malpractice claim to be heard.