HRS § 325-18 - Advisory committees for health care workers infected with blood-borne infections

(a) The director of health may appoint ad hoc advisory committees as needed to provide advice and recommendations to health care workers infected with HIV, HBV, or other blood-borne infections on the risks of blood-borne disease transmission through exposure-prone invasive procedures. An advisory committee may recommend changes in a health care worker's practice, including patient notification, to reduce the possibility of transmission to patients. Each committee shall include: (1) An infectious disease specialist with expertise appropriate to the case; and (2) A professional peer of the infected health care worker, who has expertise in the professional practice performed by that worker. The committee may also include the health care worker's personal physician and, if the worker's practice is facility-based, members of the facility's infection control committee. The department of health shall provide oversight and necessary staff support to the advisory committees when resources permit. (b) An advisory committee shall serve only as long as necessary for the particular case or cases for which the committee is appointed, but its members may be named to subsequent committees as needed. Members of advisory committees shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for travel expenses as necessary by the department of health for the performance of their duties. (c) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, work of the advisory committees, including records, shall be confidential, except that a summary of non-identifying information and general policy recommendations may be made available to the public. All committee meetings shall be closed to the public. [L 1994, c 265, §2]