Sec. 161.0315.  AUTHORITY OF GOVERNING BODY TO FORM COMMITTEE TO EVALUATE MEDICAL AND HEALTH CARE SERVICES.  (a)  The governing body of a hospital, medical organization, university medical school or health science center, health maintenance organization, extended care facility, hospital district, or hospital authority may form a medical peer review committee, as defined by Section 151.002, Occupations Code, or a medical committee, as defined by Section 161.031, to evaluate medical and health care services, except as provided by this section.
(b)  Except as provided by Subsection (d), a medical peer review committee or medical committee formed by the governing body of a hospital district may not evaluate medical and health care services provided by a health care facility that:
(1)  contracts with the district to provide those services;  and
(2)  has formed a medical peer review committee or medical committee to evaluate the services provided by the facility.
(c)  A hospital district may require in a contract with a health care facility described by Subsection (b) a provision that allows the governing body of the district to appoint a specified number of members to the facility's medical peer review committee or medical committee to evaluate medical and health care services for which the district contracts with the facility to provide.  The governing body of a hospital district may receive a report from the facility's medical peer review committee or medical committee under this section in a closed meeting.  A report, information, or a record that the district receives from the facility related to a review action conducted under the terms of the contract is:
(1)  confidential;
(2)  not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code; and
(3)  subject to the same confidentiality and disclosure requirements to which a report, information, or record of a medical peer review committee under Section 160.007, Occupations Code, is subject.
(d)  If a hospital district and a health care facility described by Subsection (b) do not agree on a contract provision described by Subsection (c), the hospital district has, with respect to a review action for the evaluation of medical and health care services provided by the facility under a contract with the district, a right to:
(1)  initiate the review action;
(2)  appoint from the medical staff of the facility a number of members to the facility's medical peer review committee or medical committee equal to the number of members appointed to the committee by the facility to conduct the review action, without regard to whether the district initiates the action;  and
(3)  receive records, information, or reports from the medical peer review committee or medical committee related to the review action.
(e)  The governing body of a hospital district may receive a report under Subsection (d)(3) in a closed meeting.  A report, information, or a record that the hospital district receives under Subsection (d)(3) is:
(1)  confidential;
(2)  not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code; and
(3)  subject to the same confidentiality and disclosure requirements to which a report, information, or record of a medical peer review committee under Section 160.007, Occupations Code, is subject.
(f)  A medical peer review committee or medical committee formed by the governing body of a hospital district may compile a report, information, or record of the medical and health care services provided by a health care facility described by Subsection (b) and submit the compilation to the facility's medical peer review committee or medical committee.  A report, information, or record compiled under this subsection is:
(1)  confidential;
(2)  not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code;  and
(3)  subject to the same confidentiality and disclosure requirements to which a report, information, or record of a medical peer review committee under Section 160.007, Occupations Code, is subject.
Added by Acts 1999, 76th Leg., ch. 908, Sec. 6, eff. June 18, 1999.  Amended by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 1420, Sec. 14.781, eff. Sept. 1, 2001;  Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 721, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2003.
Amended by: 
Acts 2015, 84th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1 (S.B. 219), Sec. 3.0470, eff. April 2, 2015.