Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-8a

Current with legislation from the 2024 Regular and Special Sessions.

Section 20-8a - Connecticut Medical Examining Board. Medical hearing panels

(a) There shall be within the Department of Public Health a Connecticut Medical Examining Board.

(1) Said board shall consist of twenty-one members, thirteen of whom are physicians, one of whom is a physician assistant and seven of whom are public members, all of whom are appointed by the Governor, subject to the provisions of section 4-1a, as follows: Three physicians of any specialty; three physicians who are specialists in internal medicine; one physician who is a psychiatrist; one physician who is a surgeon; one physician who is an obstetrician-gynecologist; one physician who is a pediatrician; one physician who is an emergency medical physician; one physician who is a supervising physician for one or more physician assistants; one physician who is a graduate of a medical education program accredited by the American Osteopathic Association; one physician assistant licensed pursuant to section 20-12b; and seven public members.

(2) No professional member of said board shall be an elected or appointed officer of a professional society or association relating to such member's profession at the time of appointment to the board or have been such an officer during the year immediately preceding appointment or serve for more than two consecutive terms. Professional members shall be practitioners in good professional standing and residents of this state.

(b) All vacancies shall be filled by the Governor in the same manner as the original appointment. On and after October 1, 2012, successors and appointments to fill a vacancy shall fulfill the same qualifications as the member succeeded or replaced. In addition to the requirements in section 19a-8, no person whose spouse, parent, brother, sister, child or spouse of a child is a physician, as defined in section 20-13a, or a physician assistant, as defined in section 20-12a, shall be appointed as a public member.

(c) The Commissioner of Public Health shall establish a list of persons who may serve as members of medical hearing panels established pursuant to subsection (g) of this section. Persons appointed to the list shall serve as members of the medical hearing panels and provide the same services as members of the Connecticut Medical Examining Board. Members from the list serving on such panels shall not be voting members of the Connecticut Medical Examining Board.

(1) The list shall consist of twenty-four members appointed by the commissioner, at least eight of whom shall be physicians, as defined in section 20-13a, with at least one of such physicians being a graduate of a medical education program accredited by the American Osteopathic Association, at least one of whom shall be a physician assistant licensed pursuant to section 20-12b, and nine of whom shall be members of the public.

(2) On and after October 1, 2012, the list shall consist of thirty-six members appointed by the commissioner, twenty-three of whom shall be physicians, as defined in section 20-13a, with at least two physicians who shall be specialists in internal medicine; one physician who shall be a psychiatrist; one physician who shall be a psychiatrist specializing in addiction medicine; one physician who shall be an obstetrician-gynecologist; one physician who shall be a pediatrician; one physician who shall be an emergency medicine physician; one physician who shall be a surgeon; one physician who shall be an anesthesiologist; and one physician who shall be a graduate of a medical education program accredited by the American Osteopathic Association; one who shall be a physician assistant licensed pursuant to section 20-12b; and twelve who shall be members of the public.

(3) No professional member of the list shall be an elected or appointed officer of a professional society or association relating to such member's profession at the time of appointment to the list or have been such an officer during the year immediately preceding such appointment to the list. A licensed professional appointed to the list shall be a practitioner in good professional standing and a resident of this state. All vacancies shall be filled by the commissioner. On and after October 1, 2012, successors and professional members appointed to fill a vacancy on the list shall possess the same qualifications as those required of the member succeeded or replaced. No person whose spouse, parent, brother, sister, child or spouse of a child is a physician, as defined in section 20-13a, or a physician assistant, as defined in section 20-12a, shall be appointed to the list as a member of the public. Each person appointed to the list shall serve without compensation at the pleasure of the commissioner. Each medical hearing panel shall consist of three members, one of whom shall be a member of the Connecticut Medical Examining Board, one of whom shall be a physician or physician assistant, as appropriate, and one of whom shall be a public member. The physician and public member may be a member of the board or a member from the list established pursuant to this subsection.

(d) The office of the board shall be in Hartford, in facilities to be provided by the department.

(e) The board shall adopt and may amend a seal.

(f) The Governor shall appoint a chairperson from among the board members. Said board shall meet at least once during each calendar quarter and at such other times as the chairperson deems necessary. Special meetings shall be held on the request of a majority of the board after notice in accordance with the provisions of section 1-225. A majority of the members of the board shall constitute a quorum. Members shall not be compensated for their services. Any member who fails to attend three consecutive meetings or who fails to attend fifty per cent of all meetings held during any calendar year shall be deemed to have resigned from office. Minutes of all meetings shall be recorded by the board. No member shall participate in the affairs of the board during the pendency of any disciplinary proceedings by the board against such member. Said board shall (1) hear and decide matters concerning suspension or revocation of licensure, (2) adjudicate complaints against practitioners, and (3) impose sanctions where appropriate.

(g) The board shall refer all statements of charges filed with the board by the department pursuant to section 20-13e to a medical hearing panel within sixty days of the receipt of charges. The time period may be extended for good cause by the board in a duly recorded vote. The panel shall conduct a hearing in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 and the regulations adopted by the Commissioner of Public Health concerning contested cases, except that the panel shall file a proposed final decision with the board not later than one hundred twenty days after the receipt of the issuance of the notice of hearing by the board. The time period for filing such proposed final decision with the board may be extended for good cause by the board in a duly recorded vote.

(h) The board shall review the panel's proposed final decision in accordance with the provisions of section 4-179, and adopt, modify or remand said decision for further review or for the taking of additional evidence. The board shall act on the proposed final decision within ninety days of the filing of said decision by the panel. This time period may be extended by the board for good cause in a duly recorded vote.

(i) Except in a case in which a license has been summarily suspended, pursuant to subsection (c) of section 19a-17 or subsection (c) of section 4-182, all three panel members shall be present to hear any evidence and vote on a proposed final decision. The chairperson of the Medical Examining Board may exempt a member from a meeting of the panel if the chairperson finds that good cause exists for such an exemption. Such an exemption may be granted orally but shall be reduced to writing and included as part of the record of the panel within two business days of the granting of the exemption or the opening of the record and shall state the reason for the exemption. Such exemption shall be granted to a member no more than once during any contested case and shall not be granted for a meeting at which the panel is acting on a proposed final decision on a statement of charges. The board may appoint a member to the panel to replace any member who resigns or otherwise fails to continue to serve on the panel. Such replacement member shall review the record prior to the next hearing.

(j) A determination of good cause shall not be reviewable and shall not constitute a basis for appeal of the decision of the board pursuant to section 4-183.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 20-8a

(P.A. 76-276, S. 10, 22; P.A. 77-614, S. 348, 610; P.A. 80-484, S. 10, 176; P.A. 81-471, S. 5, 71; P.A. 90-211, S. 1, 23; P.A. 91-105, S. 1, 4; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 91-12, S. 14, 55; P.A. 93-381, S. 9, 39; P.A. 95-71, S. 1; 95-257, S. 12, 21, 58; P.A. 98-143, S. 3, 24; P.A. 99-102, S. 4; P.A. 00-205, S. 1; P.A. 05-275, S. 18, 19; P.A. 06-195, S. 33; P.A. 07-119, S. 1; 07-252, S. 22; P.A. 12-62, S. 1; P.A. 16-185, S. 8.)

Amended by P.A. 16-0185, S. 8 of the Connecticut Acts of the 2016 Regular Session, eff. 6/7/2016.

Amended by P.A. 12-0062, S. 1 of the the 2012 Regular Session, eff. 5/31/2012.

Cited. 207 C. 346; 208 C. 492; 220 C. 86; 228 C. 651. Cited. 40 CS 188.

See Sec. 4-9a for definition of "public member". See Secs. 19a-8 to 19a-12, inclusive, re powers and duties of boards and commissions within Department of Public Health.