65-4925. Reports, records and proceedings confidential and privileged; licensing agency disciplinary proceedings. (a) The reports and records made pursuant to K.S.A. 65-4923 or 65-4924, and amendments thereto, shall be confidential and privileged, including:

(1) Reports and records of executive or review committees of medical care facilities or of a professional society or organization;

(2) reports and records of the chief of the medical staff, chief administrative officer or risk manager of a medical care facility;

(3) reports and records of any state licensing agency or impaired provider committee of a professional society or organization; and

(4) reports made pursuant to this act to or by a medical care facility risk manager, any committee, the board of directors, administrative officer or any consultant.

Such reports and records shall not be subject to discovery, subpoena or other means of legal compulsion for their release to any person or entity and shall not be admissible in any civil or administrative action other than a disciplinary proceeding by the appropriate state licensing agency.

(b) No person in attendance at any meeting of an executive or review committee of a medical care facility or of a professional society or organization while such committee is engaged in the duties imposed by K.S.A. 65-4923 shall be compelled to testify in any civil, criminal or administrative action, other than a disciplinary proceeding by the appropriate licensing agency, as to any committee discussions or proceedings.

(c) No person in attendance at any meeting of an impaired provider committee shall be required to testify, nor shall the testimony of such person be admitted into evidence, in any civil, criminal or administrative action, other than a disciplinary proceeding by the appropriate state licensing agency, as to any committee discussions or proceedings.

(d) Any person or committee performing any duty pursuant to this act shall be designated a peer review committee or officer pursuant to K.S.A. 65-4915 and amendments thereto.

(e) A licensing agency in conducting a disciplinary proceeding in which admission of any peer review committee report, record or testimony is proposed shall hold the hearing in closed session when any such report, record or testimony is disclosed. Unless otherwise provided by law, a licensing agency conducting a disciplinary proceeding may close only that portion of the hearing in which disclosure of a report or record privileged under this section is proposed. In closing a portion of a hearing as provided by this section, the presiding officer may exclude any person from the hearing location except the licensee, the licensee's attorney, the agency's attorney, the witness, the court reporter and appropriate staff support for either counsel. The licensing agency shall make the portions of the agency record in which such report or record is disclosed subject to a protective order prohibiting further disclosure of such report or record. Such report or record shall not be subject to discovery, subpoena or other means of legal compulsion for their release to any person or entity. No person in attendance at a closed portion of a disciplinary proceeding shall at a subsequent civil, criminal or administrative hearing, be required to testify regarding the existence or content of a report or record privileged under this section which was disclosed in a closed portion of a hearing, nor shall such testimony be admitted into evidence in any subsequent civil, criminal or administrative hearing. A licensing agency conducting a disciplinary proceeding may review peer review committee records, testimony or reports but must prove its findings with independently obtained testimony or records which shall be presented as part of the disciplinary proceeding in open meeting of the licensing agency. Offering such testimony or records in an open public hearing shall not be deemed a waiver of the peer review privilege relating to any peer review committee testimony, records or report.

History: L. 1986, ch. 229, § 6; L. 1987, ch. 176, § 11; L. 1997, ch. 149, § 2; May 1.