Perspectives on Medical Staff Counseling & Peer Review

Expanding on the peer review protections established in Bonni v. St. Joseph Health System, the California Court of Appeal in Dignity Health v. Mounts held that a wide array of medical staff communications regarding peer review and patient care are absolutely protected from legal liability.

Health Care Partner Annie Lee will present at the California Association Medical Staff Services’ (CAMSS) 53rd Annual Educational Forum in San Diego, California, on May 21, 2024.

Health Care Partner Annie Lee will present at the California Society for Healthcare Attorneys’ (CSHA) 2024 Annual Meeting and Spring Seminar in Olympic Valley, CA, on May 3, 2024.

Health Care Partner Lowell Brown and Counsel Sarah Benator will present at The Institute for Medical Leadership’s Chief of Staff Boot Camp in Los Angeles, California, on February 23-25, 2024.

Health Care Partners Lowell Brown and Annie Chang Lee will present at the California Association Medical Staff Services (CAMSS) 52nd Annual Educational Forum on June 1-2, 2023.

Health Care attorneys Lowell Brown and Sarah Benator will present at The Institute For Medical Leadership’s Chief of Staff Boot Camp in February.

Health Care Partner Annie Chang Lee will speak about COVID’s impacts on health care providers at the Physicians Legal Issues: Healthcare Delivery & Innovation Conference (PLI) on Thursday, September 15.

The US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (OIG) recently published a favorable determination, Advisory Opinion 22-06, on behalf of a biopharmaceutical company (the Requestor) regarding the Requestor’s provision of free genetic testing and counseling.

Amidst the ongoing labor market shortages and disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic, the well-being of physicians and other front-line healthcare providers has become a topic of much attention.

Arent Fox Health Care Partner Debra Albin-Riley and Counsel Sarah Benator will participate in the California Society for Healthcare Attorneys’ 2021 Virtual Fall Seminar on November 19.

Health Care Partner Lowell Brown and Associate Annie Chang Lee will present as part of the California Association Medical Staff Services’ (CAMSS) 50th Annual Education Forum on June 24, 2021.

Health Care Partner Debra Albin-Riley and Counsel Sarah Benator will present a webinar for the California Society for Healthcare Attorneys (CSHA) on May 26, 2021.

Health Care Practice Co-Leader Lowell Brown and Counsel Sarah Benator will offer legal perspectives on pandemic-related issues facing hospital leaders at The Institute for Medical Leadership’s 2021 Chief of Staff Boot Camp in February.

For the first time, California has granted nurse practitioners who meet certain qualifications a separate scope of practice. This eventually will allow them to practice specified medical functions independently, without standardized procedures.

The National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) recently confirmed that the deadlines for reporting adverse actions against licensees have not been extended, despite the COVID-19 emergency.

On May 4, California Department of Consumer Affairs issued another order waiving additional requirements for pre-licensure nursing programs and nursing students under Title 16 of the California Code of Regulations (Code).

The Daily Journal named health care litigation partner Debra Albin-Riley a 2020 Top Health Care Lawyer in California. An April 22 article highlights Debra’s administrative litigation work in complex medical staff peer review hearings, and in serving as lead trial counsel in related court litigation.

On April 17, 2020, the California Attorney General released Opinion No. 15-301, clarifying the deadlines for peer review bodies to file reports to certain licensing agencies pursuant to Business and Professions Code section 805 (805 Reports).

When a practitioner does not meet the medical staff’s standards, leaders have a wide variety of remedial and corrective action choices. Join us for a discussion on some of those surprisingly numerous options.

On March 30, 2020, in response to the continued spread of COVID-19, California Governor Newsom issued Executive Order N-39-20, authorizing temporary adjustments to certain standards related to staffing and licensing requirements for healthcare facilities, providers, and professionals.

Partner Anne Murphy authored an article for The Governance Institute titled “Healthcare Board Oversight During the COVID-19 Pandemic.” The article highlights key organizational approaches and risk areas for hospital and health system governing boards to consider during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

To address the COVID-19 national emergency, hospitals throughout the country are seeking to bolster their ranks of health care providers.

On March 16, 2020, the Joint Commission announced that it was suspending all regular surveying due to the COVID-19 national emergency, effective immediately. DNV GL Healthcare followed suit on March 19.

As the spread of COVID-19 accelerates across the United States, hospitals, health systems, and other providers face unique challenges. Arent Fox’s Health Care Group analyzes what you need to know about regulatory changes and guidance from the federal government.

In welcome news to most anyone who supervises, employs, credentials, or is a physician assistant, amendments to California Business and Professions Code Section 3500 et seq., effective January 1, 2020, significantly simplify the supervision requirements for PAs in California.