New California law: Medical staffs' self-governing status
October 7, 2004
California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently signed into law two healthcare-related bills (S.B. 1325 and S.B. 1456) that spell out the self-governing status of hospital medical staffs and authorize court intervention when a person acts to hinder the exercise of a medical staff's rights and responsibilities. The two bills are substantially similar with the exception that S.B. 1456 includes clarifying amendments dealing with the University of California hospitals' medical staff.
The legislation amends California's Medical Practice Act to specify certain rights available to medical staffs that would be included in medical staff bylaws, rules and regulations, and standards for credentialing of member physicians.