community health centers;
confidential information
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Committee on Health |
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Committee on Retirement and Government Operations |
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Caucus and COW |
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Third Read |
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As Transmitted To The Governor |
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HB 2339 extends existing health care standards of confidentiality and immunity relating to medical practice peer reviews to Community Health Centers.
Community Health Centers (CHCs) are private, not-for-profit, consumer-directed health care corporations which provide comprehensive primary and preventive care to medically undeserved and uninsured people. CHCs are commonly referred to as Federally Qualified Health Centers because they meet federal standards related to quality of care and services. According to the National Association of Community Health Centers, there are more than 1,029 community-based health centers in operation today that more than 11 million patients annually. In Arizona there are 75 community health center sites that served 160,948 patients in 2000.
The peer review process is commonly used in hospitals and outpatient surgical centers as tool for evaluating the quality of health care services, reducing costs and providing protection from liability. Typically, peer review consists of a panel of health care professionals that evaluate all aspects of health care delivery by a physician or other health care providers.
Despite having a similar peer review process as hospitals and outpatient surgical centers, CHCs do not have the same confidentiality and immunity standards. In addition, CHCs must have these standards to satisfy federal accreditation standards.
HB 2339 extends confidentiality and immunity practices to CHCs to provide the safeguards to CHC peer reviews already in place for other health care entities.