SPONSOR: Cook
COMMITTEE ACTION: Voted "Do Pass" by the Standing Committee on Professional Registration and Licensing by a vote of 19 to 0. Voted "Do Pass" by the Standing Committee on Rules-Administrative by a vote of 7 to 1.
This bill specifies that ambulance operators and other emergency service personnel pursuant to Sections 190.001-190.245, RSMo, are considered health care professionals for purposes of participating in and being subject to peer review committees under Section 537.035. Any quality improvement or quality assurance activity required by anyone licensed as an ambulance operator or other emergency service personnel is considered an activity of a peer review committee.
This bill is the same as HB 1952 (2024).
PROPONENTS: Supporters say that this improves the quality of care and that we should be including those individuals who may be the first to see the patient. Peer review committees allow employees to speak freely which can be key to finding the underlying cause of an incident which can in turn help prevent that incident from happening again in the future.
Testifying in person for the bill were Representative Cook; Adam Rapert, Mehlville Fire Protection District; MO Ambulance Association; Dr. Jeffrey Coughenour; Fire Service Alliance; MO College of Emergency Physician; Ambulance District Association of Missouri; Missouri State Medical Association; and Arnie C. Dienoff.
OPPONENTS: Those who oppose the bill say that this is just one more way for hospitals to hide information from attorneys if they are being sued because of negligence. Peer review committees should not be a shield for bad actors. This expands protections for bad actors and restricts access to key information.
Testifying in person against the bill was the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys.
Written testimony has been submitted for this bill. The full written testimony and witnesses testifying online can be found under Testimony on the bill page on the House website.
Statutes affected: