SB578,6,1815 (e) "Records" includes minutes, files, notes, reports, statements, memoranda,
16databases, findings, work products, and images, regardless of the type of
17communications medium or form, including oral communications, and whether in
18statistical form or otherwise.
SB578,6,2119 (f) "State agency" means a department, board, examining board, affiliated
20credentialing board, commission, independent agency, council, or office in the
21executive branch of state government.
SB578,6,25 22(2) Immunity for acts or omissions. (a) No person acting in good faith who
23participates in a quality improvement activity described under sub. (3) (a) 1. is liable
24for civil damages as a result of any act or omission by the person in the course of the
25quality improvement activity.
SB578,7,4
1(b) The good faith of any person participating in a quality improvement activity
2described under sub. (3) (a) 1. shall be presumed in any civil action. Any person who
3asserts that a person has not acted in good faith has the burden of proving that
4assertion by clear and convincing evidence.
SB578,7,9 5(3) Confidentiality and privilege. (a) Except as provided in sub. (4), all of the
6following are confidential and privileged; are not subject to discovery, subpoena, or
7any other means of legal compulsion requiring release or permitting inspection,
8including compulsion by a state agency; and are not admissible as evidence in any
9civil, criminal, or other judicial or administrative proceeding:
SB578,7,1410 1. Records and information contained in records that are created, collected,
11reported, aggregated, or organized by any person as part of a quality improvement
12activity that is conducted by any person, organization, department, single or joint
13committee, governing body, or committee of a governing body that is any of the
14following:
SB578,7,1715 a. A person that has responsibility by statute, regulation, condition of
16accreditation, bylaw, policy, or resolution to conduct the quality improvement
17activity, except for a state agency.
SB578,7,1918 b. A person that is charged by a health care entity to conduct the quality
19improvement activity.
SB578,7,2220 2. A request for records or information made as part of a quality improvement
21activity described under subd. 1. by a person conducting the quality improvement
22activity.
SB578,7,2423 3. Notice to a health care entity that the entity is or will be the subject of a
24quality improvement activity described under subd. 1.
SB578,8,3
1(b) Except as provided in sub. (4) (c) and (g), the confidentiality and privilege
2afforded to records and information under par. (a) is not waived by unauthorized or
3authorized disclosure of records or information.
SB578,8,54 (c) Records relating to a quality improvement activity described under par. (a)
51. are not subject to inspection or copying under s. 19.35 (1).
SB578,8,9 6(4) Exceptions to confidentiality and privilege. (a) Subsection (3) does not
7apply to records or information created apart from the quality improvement activity
8that are maintained by or for a health care entity for the particular purpose of
9diagnosing, treating, or documenting care provided to an individual patient.
SB578,8,1210 (b) Subsection (3) does not apply to the fact of the failure to renew or the
11reduction, restriction, suspension, denial, or revocation of any thing described under
12sub. (1) (a) 1. to 4.
SB578,8,1613 (c) A person mandated by Wisconsin or federal law to report may disclose a
14record or information from a record that is confidential and privileged under sub. (3)
15to make the mandated report. A record received by a person pursuant to this
16paragraph is not subject to par. (a), (b), (d), (e), (f), (g), or (h) or sub. (3).
SB578,9,217 (d) If a person takes an adverse action against a health care entity as part of
18a quality improvement activity described under sub. (3) (a) 1., or notifies the health
19care entity of a proposed adverse action, the person shall, upon request by the health
20care entity, disclose to the health care entity any records in the person's possession
21relating to the adverse action or proposed adverse action. Records relating to the
22adverse action are admissible in any criminal, civil, or other judicial or
23administrative proceeding in which the health care entity contests the adverse
24action. A person who has authority to take an adverse action against a health care
25entity as part of a quality improvement activity described under sub. (3) (a) 1. may

1at any time disclose to the health care entity records relating to a proposed adverse
2action against the health care entity.
SB578,9,53 (e) A person conducting a quality improvement activity pursuant to sub. (3) (a)
41. a. may disclose the records and information that are confidential and privileged
5pursuant to sub. (3).
SB578,9,106 (f) A person conducting a quality improvement activity pursuant to sub. (3) (a)
71. b. may disclose the records and information that are confidential and privileged
8pursuant to sub. (3) if there is written authorization to make the disclosure from the
9health care entity that charged the person to conduct the quality improvement
10activity.
SB578,9,1311 (g) The confidentiality and privilege afforded to records and information under
12sub. (3) is waived for records that are widely disclosed under par. (e) or (f) to persons
13that are not health care entities.
SB578,9,1714 (h) An entity planning an activity that would be a quality improvement activity
15under sub. (3) (a) 1. may in advance of the activity designate in writing that sub. (3)
16shall not apply to the records and information created, collected, reported,
17aggregated, or organized by any person as part of the designated activity.
SB578,9,20 18(5) Construction. This section shall be liberally construed in favor of
19identifying records and information as confidential, privileged, and inadmissible as
20evidence.
SB578, s. 3 21Section 3. 146.55 (7) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB578,9,2522 146.55 (7) Insurance. A physician who participates in an emergency medical
23services program under this section or as required under s. 146.50 shall purchase
24health care liability insurance in compliance with subch. III of ch. 655, except for
25those acts or omissions of a physician who, as a medical director, reviews as defined

1in s. 146.50 (1) (j), conducts a quality improvement activity relating to
the
2performance of emergency medical technicians or ambulance service providers, as
3specified under s. 146.37 (1g) 146.38 (2).
SB578, s. 4 4Section 4. 187.33 (3) (a) 5. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB578,10,75 187.33 (3) (a) 5. Proceedings based upon a cause of action for which the
6volunteer is immune from liability under s. 146.31 (2) and (3), 146.37 146.38 (2),
7895.44, 895.48, 895.482, 895.51, or 895.52.
SB578, s. 5 8Section 5. 187.43 (3) (a) 5. of the statutes is amended to read:
SB578,10,119 187.43 (3) (a) 5. Proceedings based upon a cause of action for which the
10volunteer is immune from liability under s. 146.31 (2) and (3), 146.37 146.38 (2),
11895.44, 895.48, 895.482, 895.51, or 895.52.
SB578, s. 6 12Section 6. 655.27 (1m) (b) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB578,10,2013 655.27 (1m) (b) A health care provider who engages in the activities described
14in s. 146.37 (1g) and (3)
a quality improvement activity under 146.38 shall be liable
15for not more than the limits expressed under s. 655.23 (4) or the maximum liability
16limit for which the health care provider is insured, whichever limit is greater, if he
17or she is found to be liable under s. 146.37 146.38, and the fund shall pay the excess
18amount, unless the health care provider is found not to have acted in good faith
19during those activities and the failure to act in good faith is found by the trier of fact,
20by clear and convincing evidence, to be both malicious and intentional.
SB578, s. 7 21Section 7. 655.27 (5) (a) 1. and 2. of the statutes are amended to read:
SB578,11,522 655.27 (5) (a) 1. Any person may file a claim for damages arising out of the
23rendering of medical care or services or participation in peer review activities a
24quality improvement activity
under s. 146.37 146.38 within this state against a
25health care provider or an employee of a health care provider. A person filing a claim

1may recover from the fund only if the health care provider or the employee of the
2health care provider has coverage under the fund, the fund is named as a party in
3the action, and the action against the fund is commenced within the same time
4limitation within which the action against the health care provider or employee of
5the health care provider must be commenced.
SB578,11,216 2. Any person may file an action for damages arising out of the rendering of
7medical care or services or participation in peer review activities a quality review
8activity
under s. 146.37 146.38 outside this state against a health care provider or
9an employee of a health care provider. A person filing an action may recover from
10the fund only if the health care provider or the employee of the health care provider
11has coverage under the fund, the fund is named as a party in the action, and the
12action against the fund is commenced within the same time limitation within which
13the action against the health care provider or employee of the health care provider
14must be commenced. If the rules of procedure of the jurisdiction in which the action
15is brought do not permit naming the fund as a party, the person filing the action may
16recover from the fund only if the health care provider or the employee of the health
17care provider has coverage under the fund and the fund is notified of the action
18within 60 days of service of process on the health care provider or the employee of the
19health care provider. The board of governors may extend this time limit if it finds
20that enforcement of the time limit would be prejudicial to the purposes of the fund
21and would benefit neither insureds nor claimants.
SB578,11,2222 (End)
Loading...
Loading...