(a) As used in this Code section, the term:

(1) "Entity" means an organization or medical professional association which conducts professional health programs.

(2) "Health care professional" means any individual licensed, certified, or permitted by the board under this chapter.

(3) "Impaired" means the inability of a health care professional to practice with reasonable skill and safety to patients by reason of illness or use of alcohol, drugs, narcotics, chemicals, or any other type of material, or as a result of any mental or physical condition.

(4) "Professional health program" means a program established for the purposes of monitoring and rehabilitation of impaired health care professionals.

(b) The board shall be authorized to conduct a professional health program to provide monitoring and rehabilitation of impaired health care professionals in this state. To this end, the board shall be authorized to enter into a contract with an entity for the purpose of establishing and conducting such professional health program, including but not limited to:

(1) Monitoring and rehabilitation of impaired health care professionals;

(2) Performing duties related to paragraph (13) of subsection (a) of Code Section 43-34-8; and

(3) Performing such other related activities as determined by the board.

(c) Notwithstanding the provisions of Code Sections 43-34-7 and 43-34-8, the board shall be authorized to provide pertinent information regarding health care professionals, as determined by the board and in its sole discretion, to the entity for its purposes in conducting a professional health program pursuant to this Code section.

(d) All information, interviews, reports, statements, memoranda, or other documents furnished to the entity by the board or other source or produced by the entity and any findings, conclusions, recommendations, or reports resulting from the monitoring or rehabilitation of health care professionals pursuant to this Code section are declared to be privileged and confidential and shall not be subject to Article 4 of Chapter 18 of Title 50, relating to open records. All such records of the entity shall be confidential and shall be used by such entity and its employees and agents only in the exercise of the proper function of the entity pursuant to its contract with the board. Such information, interviews, reports, statements, memoranda, or other documents furnished to or produced by the entity and any findings, conclusions, recommendations, or reports resulting from the monitoring or rehabilitation of health care professionals shall not be available for court subpoenas or for discovery proceedings.

(e) An impaired health care professional who participates in a professional health program conducted pursuant to this Code section shall bear all costs associated with such participation.

(f) Any entity that contracts with the board pursuant to this Code section shall be immune from any liability, civil or criminal, that might otherwise be incurred or imposed, for the performance of any functions or duties under the contract if performed in accordance with the terms of such contract and the provisions of this Code section.