43-34A-3.  Physician profiles; dissemination to public; content and maintenance requirements; corrections; judgments prior to April 11, 2001; sealed judgments, arbitration awards, and settlements prohibited

   (a) The Georgia Composite Medical Board shall create physician profiles on each physician licensed to practice in this state under Chapter 34 of this title.

(b) In creating physician profiles, the board shall by regulation establish a standard form for the collection and dissemination of such data to the public, including dissemination on the Internet. The information may be gathered from the physician, the board, medical malpractice insurers, hospitals, medical and specialty societies, and other appropriate sources. The information shall be compiled in a form which can be disseminated to a member of the public upon request. Additionally, the board shall include in a physician's profile comments submitted by the physician regarding information published in the physician's profile. Such comments shall not exceed 100 words. The physician shall have 30 days to submit comments from the date of receipt of the profile or any amended profile if the amendment relates to malpractice, hospital staff privileges, or disciplinary action.

(c) The physician profile shall include the following information:

   (1) The full name of the physician;

   (2) Names of medical schools attended, dates of attendance, and date of graduation;

   (3) The location and dates of graduate medical education;

   (4) Specialty board certification, if applicable. The toll-free number of the American Board of Medical Specialties shall be included to verify current board certification status;

   (5) The fact that a license has been granted by reciprocity under Code Section 43-34-31, if applicable;

   (6) The number of years in practice and locations;

   (7) Current hospital privileges;

   (8) The location of primary practice setting;

   (9) If requested by the physician, identification of any translating services available at the primary practice setting;

   (10) Participation in the Medicaid program, if applicable;

   (11) Criminal convictions for felonies, irrespective of the pendency or availability of an appeal;

   (12) Felony charges to which a plea of nolo contendere was entered;

   (13) A description of any final, public disciplinary action by a regulatory board and a description of any second or subsequent final private reprimand by a regulatory board. As used in this paragraph, the term "regulatory board" refers to:

      (A) The Georgia Composite Medical Board and its counterpart in any other state; and

      (B) Any state licensing board in Georgia or in any other state;

   (14) A description of any final revocation or any final disciplinary action resulting in any restriction of hospital privileges, either involuntary or by agreement, for reasons related to competence or character in the most recent ten years. No such revocation or restriction taken prior to April 11, 2001, shall be included in the physician's profile;

   (15) Resignation from or nonrenewal of medical staff membership or the restriction of staff privileges at a hospital taken in lieu of or in settlement of pending disciplinary action related to competence or character in the most recent ten years. No such action taken prior to April 11, 2001, shall be included in the physician's profile;

   (16) Final medical malpractice court judgments or medical malpractice arbitration awards entered on or after April 11, 2001, in which payment in excess of $100,000.00 is awarded against the physician to the complaining party. No such judgments or awards prior to April 11, 2001, shall be included in any physician's profile. No such medical malpractice court judgments or medical malpractice arbitration awards which occurred more than ten years prior to the date of the profile shall be included in any physician profile;
      (17)(A) Medical malpractice settlements, including the monetary amount of each such settlement, in which payment in excess of $300,000.00 is made by or on behalf of and attributable to the physician to the complaining party. No such settlement occurring prior to April 11, 2001, shall be included in any physician profile. No such settlement which occurred more than ten years prior to the date of the profile shall be included in any physician profile.

      (B) Medical malpractice settlements, including the monetary amount of each such settlement, if three medical malpractice settlements have been made by or on behalf of and attributable to the physician to the complaining party and payment in excess of $100,000.00 has been made by or on behalf of and attributable to the physician in any one or more of such settlements. No such settlement occurring prior to April 11, 2001, shall be included in any physician profile nor shall any such settlement be included for the purpose of determining whether three medical malpractice settlements have been made by or on behalf of and attributable to the physician. No such settlement which occurred more than ten years prior to the date of the profile shall be included in any physician profile nor shall any such settlement be included for the purpose of determining whether three medical malpractice settlements have been made by or on behalf of and attributable to the physician.

      (C) All medical malpractice settlements, including the monetary amount of each such settlement, if four or more medical malpractice settlements have been made by or on behalf of and attributable to the physician to the complaining party, regardless of the amount of the payment made by or on behalf of and attributable to the physician in any such settlement. No such settlement occurring prior to April 11, 2001, shall be included in any physician profile nor shall any such settlement be included for the purpose of determining whether four or more medical malpractice settlements have been made by or on behalf of and attributable to the physician. No such settlement which occurred more than ten years prior to the date of the profile shall be included in any physician profile nor shall any such settlement be included for the purpose of determining whether four or more medical malpractice settlements have been made by or on behalf of and attributable to the physician.

      (D) Any disclosure under this paragraph shall be accompanied by the following statement:
         "Settlement of a claim may occur for a variety of reasons which do not necessarily reflect negatively on the professional competence or conduct of the physician. A payment in settlement of a medical malpractice action or claim should not be construed as creating a presumption that medical malpractice has occurred.";

   (18) Pending malpractice claims shall not be disclosed;

   (19) The board may, in its discretion, include additional statements describing the experience or pattern of awards, judgments, or settlements of the physician. Information concerning paid medical malpractice claims may be put in context by comparing an individual licensee's medical malpractice judgments, awards, or settlements to the experience of other physicians within the same specialty;

   (20) Any complaint or grievance filed with the board and upon which the board took disciplinary action, including a description of the nature of the complaint and the resolution; and

   (21) All violations of this chapter.

(d) The physician profile may include information relating to:

   (1) Appointment to medical school faculties within the most recent ten years;

   (2) Articles in professional publications and journals; and

   (3) Professional or community service membership, activities, and awards.

(e) The physician profiles shall be updated by the board as required in this subsection:

   (1) The profile items listed in paragraphs (11) through (17) of subsection (c) of this Code section inclusive shall be reported to the board by the physician involved within ten days of the judgment, award, settlement, revocation, resignation, or disciplinary action, and the board shall update the physician's profile with such changes within ten days of receipt of such information; and

   (2) All other changes to the physician profile shall be reported by the physician to the board within 30 days of the change, and the board shall verify and update the physician profile with such new information within 15 days.

(f) The physician may request a copy of the profile and may submit corrections to the board. The board shall verify corrections and make changes to the profile within five business days of receipt of the corrected information by the board. The physician may request postcorrection publication by the board to whomever received the profile containing the error.

(g) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (c) of this Code section, no final medical malpractice court judgment, medical malpractice arbitration award, or medical malpractice settlement which was awarded prior to April 11, 2001, and which was sealed by order of a court prior to April 11, 2001, shall be required to be disclosed pursuant to subsection (c) of this Code section. No final medical malpractice court judgment, medical malpractice arbitration award, or medical malpractice settlement which is awarded on or after April 11, 2001, shall be confidential or sealed with regard to information which is needed to comply with the purposes of this chapter.

HISTORY: Code 1981, § 43-34A-3, enacted by Ga. L. 2001, p. 192, § 5; Ga. L. 2002, p. 415, § 43; Ga. L. 2005, p. 60, § 43/HB 95; Ga. L. 2009, p. 859, § 2/HB 509.