A. The Health Practitioners’ Monitoring Program Committee shall consist of nine persons appointed by the Director to advise and assist in the operation of the Program, of whom eight shall be licensed, certified, or registered practitioners and one shall be a citizen member. Of the members who are licensed, certified, or registered practitioners, at least one shall be licensed to practice medicine or osteopathy in Virginia and engaged in active clinical practice, at least one shall be a registered nurse engaged in active practice, and all shall be knowledgeable about impairment and rehabilitation, particularly as related to the monitoring of health care practitioners. The Committee shall have the following powers and duties:

Terms Used In Virginia Code 54.1-2517

  • Committee: means the Health Practitioners' Monitoring Program Committee as described in § 54. See Virginia Code 54.1-2515
  • Disciplinary action: means any proceeding that may lead to a monetary penalty or probation or to a reprimand, restriction, revocation, suspension, denial, or other order relating to the license, certificate, registration, or multistate privilege of a health care practitioner issued by a health regulatory board. See Virginia Code 54.1-2515
  • Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
  • Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
  • Freedom of Information Act: A federal law that mandates that all the records created and kept by federal agencies in the executive branch of government must be open for public inspection and copying. The only exceptions are those records that fall into one of nine exempted categories listed in the statute. Source: OCC
  • Impairment: means a physical or mental disability, including but not limited to substance abuse, that substantially alters the ability of a practitioner to practice his profession with safety to his patients and the public. See Virginia Code 54.1-2515
  • in writing: include any representation of words, letters, symbols, numbers, or figures, whether (i) printed or inscribed on a tangible medium or (ii) stored in an electronic or other medium and retrievable in a perceivable form and whether an electronic signature authorized by Chapter 42. See Virginia Code 1-257
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • Practitioner: means any individual regulated by any health regulatory board listed in § 54. See Virginia Code 54.1-2515
  • Program: means the Health Practitioners' Monitoring Program established pursuant to § 54. See Virginia Code 54.1-2515

1. To determine, in accordance with the regulations, eligibility to enter into the Program;

2. To determine, in accordance with the regulations, those Program participants who are eligible for stayed disciplinary action;

3. To enter into written contracts with practitioners which may include, among other terms and conditions, withdrawal from practice or limitations on the scope of the practice for a period of time;

4. To report to the Director and the health regulatory boards as necessary on the status of applicants for and participants in the Program;

5. To report to the Director, at least annually, on the performance of the Program; and

6. To assist the Director in carrying out the provisions of this chapter.

B. Records of the Program, to the extent such records identify individual practitioners in the Program, shall be privileged and confidential, and shall not be disclosed consistent with the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (§ 2.2-3700 et seq.). Such records shall be used only in the exercise of the proper functions as set forth in this chapter and shall not be public records nor shall such records be subject to court order, except as provided in subdivision C 4, or be subject to discovery or introduction as evidence in any civil, criminal, or administrative proceedings except those conducted by a health regulatory board.

C. Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection B and of subdivision 2 of § 2.2-3705.5, the Committee may disclose such records relative to an impaired practitioner only:

1. When disclosure of the information is essential to the monitoring needs of the impaired practitioner;

2. When release of the information has been authorized in writing by the impaired practitioner;

3. To a health regulatory board within the Department of Health Professions; or

4. When an order by a court of competent jurisdiction has been granted, upon a showing of good cause therefor, including the need to avert a substantial risk of death or serious bodily harm. In assessing good cause, the court shall weigh the public interest and the need for disclosure against the injury to the patient, to the physician-patient relationship, and to the treatment services. Upon the granting of such order, the court, in determining the extent to which any disclosure of all or any part of any record is necessary, shall impose appropriate protections against unauthorized disclosures.

D. Pursuant to subdivision A 24 of § 2.2-3711, the proceedings of the Committee which in any way pertain or refer to a specific practitioner who may be, or who is actually, impaired and who may be or is, by reason of such impairment, subject to disciplinary action by the relevant board shall be excluded from the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act (§ 2.2-3700 et seq.) and may be closed. Such proceedings shall be privileged and confidential.

E. The members of the Committee shall be immune from liability resulting from the exercise of the powers and duties of the Committee as provided in § 8.01-581.13.

1997, c. 439; 1999, cc. 703, 726; 2004, c. 690; 2009, c. 472; 2016, c. 105; 2017, c. 778.

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