(a) The medical staff’s right of self-governance shall include, but not be limited to, all of the following:

(1) Establishing, in medical staff bylaws, rules, or regulations, criteria and standards, consistent with Article 11 (commencing with Section 800) of Chapter 1 of Division 2, for medical staff membership and privileges, and enforcing those criteria and standards.

(2) Establishing, in medical staff bylaws, rules, or regulations, clinical criteria and standards to oversee and manage quality assurance, utilization review, and other medical staff activities including, but not limited to, periodic meetings of the medical staff and its committees and departments and review and analysis of patient medical records.

(3) Selecting and removing medical staff officers.

(4) Assessing medical staff dues and utilizing the medical staff dues as appropriate for the purposes of the medical staff.

(5) The ability to retain and be represented by independent legal counsel at the expense of the medical staff.

(6) Initiating, developing, and adopting medical staff bylaws, rules, and regulations, and amendments thereto, subject to the approval of the hospital governing board, which approval shall not be unreasonably withheld.

(b) The medical staff bylaws shall not interfere with the independent rights of the medical staff to do any of the following, but shall set forth the procedures for:

(1) Selecting and removing medical staff officers.

(2) Assessing medical staff dues and utilizing the medical staff dues as appropriate for the purposes of the medical staff.

(3) The ability to retain and be represented by independent legal counsel at the expense of the medical staff.

(c) With respect to any dispute arising under this section, the medical staff and the hospital governing board shall meet and confer in good faith to resolve the dispute. Whenever any person or entity has engaged in or is about to engage in any acts or practices that hinder, restrict, or otherwise obstruct the ability of the medical staff to exercise its rights, obligations, or responsibilities under this section, the superior court of any county, on application of the medical staff, and after determining that reasonable efforts, including reasonable administrative remedies provided in the medical staff bylaws, rules, or regulations, have failed to resolve the dispute, may issue an injunction, writ of mandate, or other appropriate order. Proceedings under this section shall be governed by Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 525) of Title 7 of Part 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure.

(Added by Stats. 2004, Ch. 699, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2005. See similar section added by Stats. 2004, Ch. 848.)