March 24, 1997

 

 

Mr. Arthur Springer
150 W. 80th St. - Apt. 4A
New York, NY 10024

The staff of the Committee on Open Government is authorized to issue advisory opinions. The ensuing staff advisory opinion is based solely upon the information presented in your correspondence.

Dear Mr. Springer:

As you are aware, I have received your letter of March 5. In addition to the materials previously forwarded to you, you requested references to "state public health laws authorizing executive sessions for so-called 'quality assurance' matters, and the extent of post-session disclosure required in minutes or later documentation."

In this regard, I point out that there are two methods that may authorize a public body to discuss public business in private. One involves entry into an executive session. Section 102(3) of the Open Meetings Law defines the phrase "executive session" to mean a portion of an open meeting during which the public may be excluded, and the Law requires that a procedure be accomplished, during an open meeting, before a public body may enter into an executive session. Specifically, §105(1) states in relevant part that:

"Upon a majority vote of its total membership, taken in an open meeting pursuant to a motion identifying the general area or areas of the subject or subjects to be considered, a public body may conduct an executive session for the below enumerated purposes only..."

As such, a motion to conduct an executive session must include reference to the subject or subjects to be discussed and the motion must be carried by majority vote of a public body's membership before such a session may validly be held. The ensuing provisions of §105(1) specify and limit the subjects that may appropriately be considered during an executive session. Therefore, a public body may not conduct an executive session to discuss the subject of its choice.

The other vehicle for excluding the public from a meeting involves "exemptions." Section 108 of the Open Meetings Law contains three exemptions. When an exemption applies, the Open Meetings Law does not, and the requirements that would operate with respect to executive sessions are not in effect. Stated differently, to discuss a matter exempted from the Open Meetings Law, a public body need not follow the procedure imposed by §105(1) that relates to entry into an executive session. Further, although executive sessions may be held only for particular purposes, there is no such limitation that relates to matters that are exempt from the coverage of the Open Meetings Law.

Relevant to your inquiry is §108(3), which exempts from the Open Meetings Law:

"...any matter made confidential by federal or state law."

By way of background, §2805-j of the Public Health Law states in part that:

"1. Every hospital shall maintain a coordinated program for the identification and prevention of medical, dental and podiatric malpractice. Such program shall include at least the following:

(a) The establishment of a quality assurance committee with the responsibility to review the services rendered in the hospital in order to improve the quality of medical, dental and podiatric care of patients and to prevent medical, dental and podiatric malpractice. Such committee shall oversee and coordinate the medical, dental and podiatric malpractice prevention program and shall insure that information gathered pursuant to the program is utilized to review procedures. At least one member of the committee shall be a member of the governing board of the hospital who is not otherwise affiliated with the hospital in an employment or contractual capacity."

Other provisions of §2805-j involve the development of procedures concerning competence, the periodic review of credentials, and the collection of information concerning a hospital's experience with "negative health care outcomes and incidents injurious to patients." Section 2805-k involves investigations undertaken by hospitals prior to the granting or renewal of professional privileges. Section 2805-l requires that hospitals report certain kinds of "incidents" to the Health Department, and that investigations be performed and reported to the Department concerning those incidents.

Perhaps most important in terms of your inquiry is §2805-m, which states in part that:

"1. The information required to be collected and maintained pursuant to sections twenty-eight hundred five-j and twenty-eight hundred five-k of this article, reports required to be submitted pursuant to section twenty-eight hundred five-l of this article and any incident reporting requirements imposed upon diagnostic and treatment centers pursuant to the provisions of this chapter shall be kept confidential and shall not be released except to the department or pursuant to subdivision four of section twenty-eight hundred five-k of this article.

2. Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, none of the records, documentation or committee actions or records required pursuant to sections twenty-eight hundred five-j and twenty-eight hundred five-k of this article, the reports required pursuant to section twenty-eight hundred five-l of this article nor any incident reporting requirements imposed upon diagnostic and treatment centers pursuant to the provisions of this chapter shall be subject to disclosure under article six of the public officers law or article thirty-one of the civil practice law and rules, except as hereinafter provided or as provided by any other provision of law."

Article six of the Public Officers Law is the Freedom of Information Law. Therefore, when records involve quality assurance pursuant to §§2805-j, k or l of the Public Health Law, they must be kept confidential, notwithstanding the provisions of the Freedom of Information Law.

Since the records concerning a quality assurance function are made confidential under the Public Health Law, a discussion of information acquired in carrying out that function would be exempted from the Open Meetings Law.

It also appears that one of the grounds for entry into executive session would be pertinent. Specifically, §105(1)(f) of the Open Meetings Law permits a public body to conduct an executive session to discuss:

"the medical, financial, credit or employment history of a particular person or corporation, or matters leading to the appointment, employment, promotion, demotion, discipline, suspension, dismissal or removal of a particular person or corporation..."

I hope that the foregoing serves to enhance your understanding of the matter and that I have been of assistance.

Sincerely,

 

Robert J. Freeman
Executive Director

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