(a) Any employer of a respiratory care practitioner shall report to the Respiratory Care Board the suspension or termination for cause of any practitioner in their employ. The reporting required herein shall not act as a waiver of confidentiality of medical records. The information reported or disclosed shall be kept confidential except as provided in subdivision (c) of Section 800, and shall not be subject to discovery in civil cases.
(b) For purposes of the section, “suspension of termination for cause” is defined to mean suspension or termination from employment for any of the following reasons:
(1) Use of controlled substances or alcohol to such an extent that it impairs the ability to safely practice respiratory care.
(2) Unlawful sale of controlled substances or other prescription items.
(3) Patient neglect, physical harm to a patient, or sexual contact with a patient.
(4) Falsification of medical records.
(5) Gross incompetence or negligence.
(6) Theft from patients, other employees, or the employer.
(c) Failure of an employer to make a report required by this section is punishable by an administrative fine not to exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000) per violation.
(Added by Stats. 1998, Ch. 553, Sec. 4. Effective January 1, 1999.)