-- Part of a comprehensive reform package, House Bill 2373 corrects a nearly five year old judicial error -- Central VA- House Bill 2373, patroned by Delegate Christopher K. Peace (R-Hanover) and joined by 5 colleagues, addresses the privilege and discoverability issues that arose from the 2006 Virginia Supreme Court case Johnson v. Riverside. Peace, along with Medical Society of Virginia (MSV), Virginia Trial Lawyers Association (VTLA) and Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association (VHHA), successfully commandeered a negotiation process which led to this legislation and recently passed the full House by a vote of 98-0. Del. Bill Cleaveland’s bill was incorporated into the Peace bill.
House Bill 2373 specifies that facts and incident reports that are included in a patient's medical record are discoverable in litigation while protecting the peer review and quality assurance documents in litigation proceedings. This consensus bill establishes needed protections for the peer review and quality assurance processes to assure high quality patient safety and other quality controls. The issues addressed by this bill have been a topic of discussion among stakeholder groups, MSV, VHHA, and VTLA, since the Supreme Court’s ruling almost 5 years ago.
Delegate Christopher K. Peace was elected to his third term representing the 97th District of the Virginia House of Delegates. The District includes parts of Hanover, Caroline, King William, King and Queen, Henrico, Spotsylvania Counties and all of New Kent County.