Ohio Administrative Code
Title 3335 - Ohio State University
Chapter 3335-111 - CHRI In General
Section 3335-111-05 - Peer review and corrective action

(1) All medical staff members agree to cooperate in informal peer review activities that are solely intended to improve the quality of medical care provided to patients at the CHRI.

(2) Information indicating a need for informal review, including patient complaints, disagreements, questions of clinical competence, inappropriate conduct and variations in clinical practice identified by the clinical departments or divisions and medical staff committees shall be referred to the chair of the practitioner evaluation committee.

(3) The practitioner evaluation committee chair or his or her designee may obtain information or opinions from medical staff members or credentialed providers as well as external peer review consultants pursuant to criteria outlined in these bylaws. The information or opinions from the informal peer review may be presented to the practitioner evaluation committee or another designated peer review committee.

(4) Following the assessment by the practitioner evaluation committee chair or his or her designee, the practitioner evaluation committee may make recommendations for educational actions of additional training, sharing of comparative data or monitoring or provide other forms of guidance to the medical staff member to assist him or her in improving the quality of patient care. Such actions are not regarded as adverse, do not require reporting to any governmental or other agency, and do not invoke a right to any hearing.

(5) At the conclusion of the evaluation, the practitioner evaluation committee chair or his or her designee submits a report to the applicable clinical department chief and the director of medical affairs. The clinical department chief and the director of medical affairs shall evaluate the matter to determine the appropriate course of action. They shall make an initial written determination on whether:

(1) Formal peer review may be requested in more serious situations or where informal review has not resolved an issue or whenever the activities or professional conduct of a member of the medical staff of the CHRI:

(2) Formal peer review may be initiated by the clinical department chief, the department chairperson and/or division director, the director of medical affairs, any member of the medical staff, the chief executive officer of the CHRI, the dean of the college of medicine, any member of the Wexner medical center board, or the vice president for health services. All requests for formal peer review shall be in writing, shall be submitted to the director of medical affairs, and shall be supported by reference to the specific activities or conduct which constitute grounds for the requested action.

(3) The director of medical affairs shall promptly notify the affected member of the medical staff, in a confidential manner, that a request for formal peer review has been made, and inform the member of the specific activities or conduct which constitute grounds for the requested action. The director of medical affairs shall verify the facts related to the request for formal peer review, and within thirty days, make a written determination. If the director of medical affairs decides that no further action is warranted, the director of medical affairs shall notify the person(s) who filed the request for formal peer review and the member accused, in writing, that no further action would be taken.

(4) Whenever the director of medical affairs determines that formal peer review is warranted and that a reduction, suspension or revocation of clinical privileges could result, the director of medical affairs shall refer the request for formal peer review to the formal peer review committee. The affected member of the medical staff shall be notified of the referral to the formal peer review committee, and be informed that these medical staff bylaws shall govern all further proceedings. The executive vice president for health sciences or designee shall exercise any or all duties or responsibilities assigned to the director of medical affairs under these rules for implementing corrective action and appellate procedure only if:

(5) The formal peer review committee shall investigate every request and shall report in writing its findings and recommendations for action to the appropriate clinical department chief and notice given to the division director. In making its recommendation the formal peer review committee may consider as appropriate, relevant literature and clinical practice guidelines, all the opinions and views expressed throughout the review process, and any information or explanations provided by the member under review. Prior to making its report, the medical staff member against whom the action has been requested shall be afforded an opportunity for an interview with the formal peer review committee. At such interview, the medical staff member shall be informed of the specific activities alleged to constitute grounds for formal peer review, and shall be afforded the opportunity to discuss, explain or refute the allegations against the medical staff member. The medical staff member may furnish written or oral information to the formal peer review committee at this time. However, such interview shall not constitute a hearing, but shall be investigative in nature. The medical staff member shall not be represented by an attorney at this interview. The written findings and recommendations for action is expected to be submitted within ninety days, unless an extension is deemed necessary by the committee.

(6) Upon receipt of the written report from the formal peer review committee, the appropriate clinical department chief shall make his or her own written determination and forward that determination along with the findings and recommendations of the formal peer review committee to the director of medical affairs, or if required by paragraph (B)(3) of this rule, to the executive vice president for health sciences or designee.

(7) Following receipt of the recommendation from the clinical department chief and the report from the formal peer review committee, the director of medical affairs, or the executive vice president for health sciences or designee, shall approve or modify the determination of the clinical department chief. Following receipt of the report of the clinical department chief, the director of medical affairs or executive vice president for health sciences or designee shall decide whether the grounds for the requested corrective action are such as should result in a reduction, suspension or revocation of clinical privileges. If the director of medical affairs, or executive vice president for health sciences or designee, decides the grounds are not substantiated, the director of medical affairs will notify the formal peer review committee; clinical department chief and if applicable, the academic department chairperson; division director; person(s) who filed the complaint and the affected medical staff member, in writing, that no further action will be taken.

In the event the director of medical affairs or executive vice president for health sciences or designee finds the grounds for the requested corrective action are substantiated, the director of medical affairs shall promptly notify the affected medical staff member of that decision and of the affected medical staff member's right to request a hearing before the medical staff administrative committee pursuant to rule 3335-111-06 of the Administrative Code. The written notice shall also include a statement that the medical staff member's failure to request a hearing in the timeframe prescribed in rule 3335-111-06 of the Administrative Code shall constitute a waiver of rights to a hearing and to an appeal on the matter; a statement that the affected medical staff member shall have the procedural rights found in rule 3335-111-06 of the Administrative Code; and a copy of the rule 3335-111-06 of the Administrative Code. This notification and an opportunity to exhaust the administrative hearing and appeal process shall occur prior to the imposition of the proposed corrective action unless the emergency provisions outlined in paragraph (D) of this rule apply. This written notice by the director of medical affairs shall be sent certified return receipt mail to the affected medical staff member's last known address as determined by university records.

(8) If the affected member of the medical staff does not make a written request for a hearing to the director of medical affairs within thirty-one days after receipt of the adverse decision, it shall be deemed a waiver of the right to any review by the medical staff administrative committee to which the staff member might otherwise have been entitled on the matter.

(9) If a timely, written request for hearing is made, the procedures set forth in rule 3335-111-06 of the Administrative Code shall apply.

(1) When the determination that formal peer review is warranted is made, the clinical department chief shall select three members of the medical staff to serve on a formal peer review committee.

(2) Whenever the questions raised concern the clinical competence of the member under review, the clinical department chief shall select members of the medical staff to serve on the formal peer review committee who shall have similar levels of training and qualifications as the member who is subject to formal peer review.

(3) An external review consultant may serve as a member of the formal peer review whenever:

(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of this rule, a member of the medical staff shall have all or any portion of clinical privileges immediately suspended or appointment terminated by the chief executive officer or department chairperson and/or division director, whenever such action must be taken when there is imminent danger to patients or to the patient care operations. Such summary suspension shall become effective immediately upon imposition and the chief executive officer will subsequently notify the medical staff member in writing of the suspension. Such notice shall be by certified return receipt mail to the affected medical staff member's last known address as determined by university records.

(2) A medical staff member whose privileges have been summarily suspended or whose appointment has been terminated shall be entitled to appeal the suspension pursuant to rule 3335-111-06 of the Administrative Code. If the affected member of the medical staff does not make a written request for a hearing to the chief executive officer within thirty-one days after receipt of the adverse decision, it shall be deemed a waiver of the affected member's right to any review by the medical staff administrative committee of which the member might otherwise been entitled. If a timely, written request for a hearing is made, the procedures set forth in rule 3335-111-06 of the Administrative Code shall apply.

(3) Immediately upon the imposition of a summary suspension, the chief executive officer in consultation with the appropriate department chairperson and/or division director, shall have the authority to provide for alternative medical coverage for the patients of the suspended medical staff member who remain in the hospital at the time of suspension. The wishes of the patient shall be considered in the selection of such alternative medical coverage. While a summary suspension is in effect, the member of the medical staff is ineligible for reappointment to the medical staff. Medical staff and hospital administrative duties and prerogatives are suspended during the summary suspension.

(1) Notwithstanding the provisions of this rule, a temporary lapse of a medical staff member's admitting privileges, effective until medical records are completed, may be imposed automatically by the chief executive officer after a warning, in writing, of delinquency for failure to complete medical records as defined by the rules and regulations of the medical staff.

(2) Action by the state boards of licensure revoking or suspending a medical staff member's licensure or placing the member on probation shall automatically impose the same restrictions to that member's CHRI medical staff privileges.

(3) Failure to maintain the minimum required type and amount of professional liability insurance with an approved insurer, shall result in immediate and automatic suspension of a medical staff member's appointment and privileges until such time as proof of appropriate insurance coverage is furnished. In the event such proof is not provided within ten days of notice of such suspension, the medical staff member or credentialed provider shall be deemed to no longer comply with medical staff requirements under rule 3335-111-04 of the Administration Code and automatically relinquish his or her appointment and privileges.

(4) Upon exclusion, debarment, or other prohibition from participation in any state or federal health care reimbursement program, or a federal procurement or non-procurement program, the medical staff member's appointment and privileges shall immediately and automatically terminate, unless resignation in lieu of automatic termination is permitted pursuant to paragraph (A)(4) of rule 3335-43-04 of the Administrative Code.

(5) If a medical staff member pleads guilty to or is found guilty of a felony which involves violence or abuse upon a person, conversion, embezzlement, or misappropriation of property; fraud, bribery, evidence tampering, or perjury; or a drug offense, the medical staff member's appointment and privileges shall be immediately and automatically terminated.

(6) Whenever a medical staff member's drug enforcement administration (DEA) or other controlled substances number is revoked, he or she shall be immediately and automatically divested of his or her right to prescribe medications covered by the number.

(7) When a medical staff member's DEA or other controlled substances number is suspended or restricted in any manner, his or her right to prescribe medications covered by the number is similarly automatically suspended or restricted during the term of the suspension or restriction.

(8) No medical staff member shall be entitled to the procedural rights set forth in rule 3335-111-06 of the Administrative Code as a result of an automatic suspension or termination. As soon as practicable after the imposition of an automatic suspension, the medical staff administrative committee shall convene to determine if further corrective action is necessary. Any further action with respect to an automatic suspension must be taken in accordance with this rule.

Replaces: 3335-111-05