(1) The terms “medical or dental review committee” or “committee,” when used in this chapter, shall mean a committee of a state or local professional medical, nursing, pharmacy or dental society or a licensed hospital, nursing home or other health-care facility, or of a medical, nursing, pharmacy or dental staff or a licensed hospital, nursing home or other health-care facility or of a medical care foundation or health maintenance organization, preferred provider organization, individual practice association, any ambulance service or other prehospital emergency response agency, or any trauma improvement committee established at a licensed hospital designated as a trauma care facility by the Mississippi State Department of Health, Emergency Medical Services program, or any regional or state committee designated by the Mississippi State Department of Health, Emergency Medical Services program, and which participates in the trauma care system, or similar entity, the function of which, or one (1) of the functions of which, is to evaluate and improve the quality of health care rendered by providers of health-care service, to evaluate the competence or practice of physicians or other health-care practitioners, or to determine that health-care services rendered were professionally indicated or were performed in compliance with the applicable standard of care or that the cost of health care rendered was considered reasonable by the providers of professional health-care services in the area and includes a committee functioning as a utilization review committee, a utilization or quality control peer review organization, or a similar committee or a committee of similar purpose, and the governing body of any licensed hospital while considering a recommendation or decision concerning a physician’s competence, conduct, staff membership or clinical privileges.

(2) The term “proceedings” means all reviews, meetings, conversations, and communications of any medical or dental review committee.

(3) The term “records” shall mean any and all committee minutes, transcripts, applications, correspondence, incident reports, and other documents created, received or reviewed by or for any medical or dental review committee.