§ 2A:84A-22.10. Hospital or long-term health care facility committees; professional review committees; liability of members

Any person who serves as a member of, is staff to, under a contract or other formal agreement with, participates with, or assists with respect to an action of: a. A hospital or long-term health care facility committee established to administer a utilization review plan for such hospital or long-term health care facility; or b. A hospital medical staff committee having the responsibility of evaluation and improvement of the quality of care rendered in such hospital; or c. (Deleted by amendment, P.L.1985, c.506.) d. A hospital peer-review committee having the responsibility for the review of the qualifications and credentials of physicians or dentists seeking appointment or reappointment to the medical or dental staff of a hospital, or of questions of the clinical or administrative competence of physicians or dentists so appointed, or of matters concerning limiting the scope of hospital privileges of physicians or dentists on the staff, or of matters concerning the dismissal or discharge of same; or e. A peer-review, ethics, grievance, judicial, quality assurance or professional relations committee or subcommittee thereof of a local, county or State medical, dental, podiatric, optometric, psychological, veterinary, chiropractic or pharmaceutical society or long-term health care facility association, of any such society or association itself, or of a health maintenance organization, when such society, association or organization or committee or subcommittee thereof is performing any peer-review, ethics, grievance, judicial, quality assurance or professional relations review function that (1) Is described in subsections a., b., and d., above of this section; or (2) Involves any controversy or dispute between (a) a physician, dentist, podiatrist, optometrist, psychologist, veterinarian, chiropractor, pharmacist, nurse, dietitian or licensed administrator and a patient or, in the case of a veterinarian, the patient's owner, concerning the diagnosis, treatment or care of such patient or the fees or charges therefor, (b) a physician, dentist, podiatrist, optometrist, psychologist, veterinarian, chiropractor, pharmacist, nurse, dietitian or licensed administrator and a provider of medical, dental, podiatric, veterinary, optometric, psychological, or pharmaceutical benefits concerning any medical or health charges or fees of such physician, dentist, podiatrist, optometrist, psychologist, veterinarian, chiropractor, pharmacist, nurse, dietitian or licensed administrator, or (c) physicians, dentists, podiatrists, optometrists, psychologists, veterinarians, chiropractors, pharmacists, nurses, dietitians or licensed administrators: shall not be liable in damages to any person for any action taken or recommendation made by him within the scope of his function with the committee, subcommittee or society in the performance of said peer-review, ethics, grievance, judicial, quality assurance or professional relations review functions, if such action or recommendation was taken or made without malice and in the reasonable belief after reasonable investigation that such action or recommendation was warranted upon the basis of facts disclosed. L.1979, c.128, s.1; amended 1985,c.506; 1987,c.241; 1989,c.300,s.24.