General Laws of Massachusetts
Section 1. Definitions
Section 1. The following words as used in this chapter, unless a different meaning is required by the context or is specifically prescribed, shall have the following meanings:
“Health care provider”, any doctor of medicine, osteopathy, or dental science, or a registered nurse, social worker, doctor of chiropractic, or psychologist licensed under the provisions of chapter one hundred and twelve, or an intern, or a resident, fellow, or medical officer licensed under section nine of said chapter one hundred and twelve, or a hospital, clinic or nursing home licensed under the provisions of chapter one hundred and eleven and its agents and employees, or a public hospital and its agents and employees.
“Medical peer review committee” or “committee”, a committee of a state or local professional society of health care providers, including doctors of chiropractic, or of a medical staff of a public hospital or licensed hospital or nursing home or health maintenance organization organized under chapter one hundred and seventy-six G, provided the medical staff operates pursuant to written by-laws that have been approved by the governing board of the hospital or nursing home or health maintenance organization or a committee of physicians established pursuant to section 12 of chapter 111C for the purposes set forth in subsection (f) of section 203, which committee has as its function the evaluation or improvement of the quality of health care rendered by providers of health care services, the determination whether health care services were performed in compliance with the applicable standards of care, the determination whether the cost of health care services were performed in compliance with the applicable standards of care, determination whether the cost of the health care services rendered was considered reasonable by the providers of health services in the area, the determination of whether a health care provider’s actions call into question such health care provider’s fitness to provide health care services, or the evaluation and assistance of health care providers impaired or allegedly impaired by reason of alcohol, drugs, physical disability, mental instability or otherwise; provided, however, that for purposes of sections two hundred and three and two hundred and four, a nonprofit corporation, the sole voting member of which is a professional society having as members persons who are licensed to practice medicine, shall be considered a medical peer review committee; provided, further, that its primary purpose is the evaluation and assistance of health care providers impaired or allegedly impaired by reason of alcohol, drugs, physical disability, mental instability or otherwise. “Medical peer review committee” shall include a committee of a pharmacy society or association that is authorized to evaluate the quality of pharmacy services or the competence of pharmacists and suggest improvements in pharmacy systems to enhance patient care; or a pharmacy peer review committee established by a person or entity that owns a licensed pharmacy or employs pharmacists that is authorized to evaluate the quality of pharmacy services or the competence of pharmacists and suggest improvements in pharmacy systems to enhance patient care.
This statutory and regulatory language, updated June 24, 2015 is provided for convenience. Please consult current statutory language and legal counsel before any action is taken or decision is made in reliance on the language above.
The complete Statutes and Regulations Concerning Hospital and HMO Physician Health Committees is available for download (.pdf, 48 kb).
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