Staff membership and clinical privileges.

(1) No licensed facility, in considering and acting upon an application for staff membership or clinical privileges, shall deny the application of a qualified doctor of medicine licensed under chapter 458, a doctor of osteopathic medicine licensed under chapter 459, a doctor of dentistry licensed under chapter 466, a doctor of podiatric medicine licensed under chapter 461, or a psychologist licensed under chapter 490 for such staff membership or clinical privileges within the scope of his or her respective licensure solely because the applicant is licensed under any of such chapters.

(2)(a) Each licensed facility shall establish rules and procedures for consideration of an application for clinical privileges submitted by an advanced practice registered nurse licensed under part I of chapter 464, in accordance with the provisions of this section. No licensed facility shall deny such application solely because the applicant is licensed under part I of chapter 464 or because the applicant is not a participant in the Florida Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Plan.

(b) An advanced practice registered nurse who is certified as a registered nurse anesthetist licensed under part I of chapter 464 shall administer anesthesia under the onsite medical direction of a professional licensed under chapter 458, chapter 459, or chapter 466, and in accordance with an established protocol approved by the medical staff. The medical direction shall specifically address the needs of the individual patient.

(c) Each licensed facility shall establish rules and procedures for consideration of an application for clinical privileges submitted by a physician assistant licensed pursuant to s. 458.347 or s. 459.022. Clinical privileges granted to a physician assistant pursuant to this subsection shall automatically terminate upon termination of staff membership of the physician assistant’s supervising physician.

(d) Each hospital shall meet the requirements of the Medicare and Medicaid Conditions of Participation for Hospitals under 42 C.F.R. s. 482.51(a)(3) as they apply to registered nurses performing circulating duties in the operating room and as provided in the interpretive guidelines provided by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. A circulating nurse shall be present in the operating room for the duration of a surgical procedure.

(3) When a licensed facility requires, as a precondition to obtaining staff membership or clinical privileges, the completion of, eligibility in, or graduation from any program or society established by or relating to the American Medical Association or the Liaison Committee on Graduate Medical Education, the licensed facility shall also make available such membership or privileges to physicians who have attained completion of, eligibility in, or graduation from any equivalent program established by or relating to the American Osteopathic Association.

(4) Nothing herein shall restrict in any way the authority of the medical staff of a licensed facility to review for approval or disapproval all applications for appointment and reappointment to all categories of staff and to make recommendations on each applicant to the governing board, including the delineation of privileges to be granted in each case. In making such recommendations and in the delineation of privileges, each applicant shall be considered individually pursuant to criteria for a doctor licensed under chapter 458, chapter 459, chapter 461, or chapter 466, or for an advanced practice registered nurse licensed under part I of chapter 464, or for a psychologist licensed under chapter 490, as applicable. The applicant’s eligibility for staff membership or clinical privileges shall be determined by the applicant’s background, experience, health, training, and demonstrated competency; the applicant’s adherence to applicable professional ethics; the applicant’s reputation; and the applicant’s ability to work with others and by such other elements as determined by the governing board, consistent with this part.

(5) The governing board of each licensed facility shall set standards and procedures to be applied by the licensed facility and its medical staff in considering and acting upon applications for staff membership or clinical privileges. These standards and procedures shall be available for public inspection.

(6) Upon the written request of the applicant, any licensed facility that has denied staff membership or clinical privileges to any applicant specified in subsection (1) or subsection (2) shall, within 30 days of such request, provide the applicant with the reasons for such denial in writing. A denial of staff membership or clinical privileges to any applicant shall be submitted, in writing, to the applicant’s respective licensing board.

(7) There shall be no monetary liability on the part of, and no cause of action for injunctive relief or damages shall arise against, any licensed facility, its governing board or governing board members, medical staff, or disciplinary board or against its agents, investigators, witnesses, or employees, or against any other person, for any action arising out of or related to carrying out the provisions of this section, absent intentional fraud.

(8) The investigations, proceedings, and records of the board, or agent thereof with whom there is a specific written contract for the purposes of this section, as described in this section shall not be subject to discovery or introduction into evidence in any civil action against a provider of professional health services arising out of matters which are the subject of evaluation and review by such board, and no person who was in attendance at a meeting of such board or its agent shall be permitted or required to testify in any such civil action as to any evidence or other matters produced or presented during the proceedings of such board or its agent or as to any findings, recommendations, evaluations, opinions, or other actions of such board or its agent or any members thereof. However, information, documents, or records otherwise available from original sources are not to be construed as immune from discovery or use in any such civil action merely because they were presented during proceedings of such board; nor should any person who testifies before such board or who is a member of such board be prevented from testifying as to matters within his or her knowledge, but such witness cannot be asked about his or her testimony before such a board or opinions formed by him or her as a result of such board hearings.

(9)(a) If the defendant prevails in an action brought by an applicant against any person or entity that initiated, participated in, was a witness in, or conducted any review as authorized by this section, the court shall award reasonable attorney’s fees and costs to the defendant.

(b) As a condition of any applicant bringing any action against any person or entity that initiated, participated in, was a witness in, or conducted any review as authorized by this section and before any responsive pleading is due, the applicant shall post a bond or other security, as set by the court having jurisdiction of the action, in an amount sufficient to pay the costs and attorney’s fees.