Amends TCA Title 4; Title 63 and Title 68.

This bill adds certain federally qualified health centers (as defined pursuant to federal law, as discussed below) to the definition of healthcare organization in order to add them to quality improvement committees.<br /> <br /> Present law provides, under the Tennessee Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2011, for the creation of quality improvement committees (QICs) to evaluate the safety, quality, processes, costs, appropriateness, or necessity of healthcare services by healthcare providers and healthcare facilities. A "healthcare provider" is any healthcare professional licensed, authorized, certified or regulated under state law, including, but not limited to, clinical staff of a healthcare organization.<br /> <br /> Generally under present law, records of a QIC and testimony or statements by a healthcare organization's officers or directors, trustees, healthcare providers, administrative staff, employees or other committee members or attendees relating to activities of the QIC are confidential and privileged and are protected from direct or indirect means of discovery, subpoena or admission into evidence in any judicial or administrative proceeding. Also, a healthcare organization and its officers, trustees, directors, healthcare providers, administrative staff, employees, other committee members or attendees, or any person providing information to a QIC are not held liable:<br /> <br /> (1) In any action for damages or other relief and is immune from liability arising from the provision of information to a QIC or in any judicial or administrative proceeding if the information is provided to the QIC in good faith and without malice and on the basis of facts reasonably known or reasonably believed to exist; or<br /> <br /> (2) In any action for damages or other relief and is immune from liability resulting from any decisions, opinions, actions, and proceedings rendered, entered or acted upon by a QIC undertaken or performed within the scope or function of the duties of such committees or in any judicial or administrative proceeding, if made or taken in good faith and without malice and on the basis of facts reasonably known or reasonably believed to exist.<br /> <br /> Under present law, a "healthcare organization" means certain entities such as a healthcare provider malpractice support group; professional healthcare foundation; a hospital; an ambulatory surgical treatment center; and a university medical school or health science center. <br /> <br /> This bill adds "federally qualified health center" as a healthcare organization for purposes of the Act and quality improvement committees. Federal law defines such a center as an entity that:<br /> <br /> (1) Is receiving a grant under federal law governing health centers;<br /> <br /> (2) Is receiving funding from such a grant under a contract with the recipient of such a grant, and meets the requirements to receive a grant under federal law;<br /> <br /> (3) Based on the recommendation of the health resources and services administration within the public health service, is determined by the secretary of health and human services to meet the requirements for receiving such a grant, including requirements of the secretary that an entity may not be owned, controlled, or operated by another entity, or<br /> <br /> (4) Was treated by the secretary, for certain purposes, as a comprehensive federally funded health center as of January 1, 1990. <br />