All hospitals licensed in Maine are required to have a professional competence committee, or a peer review committee to evaluate health care services rendered in the facility.1  All peer review records must remain confidential and are not subject to subpoena or discovery in judicial proceedings.2  A peer review committee may release peer review records to state and federal agencies and national accrediting bodies or the physician who is the subject of the review.3

If a peer review committee finds that a physician has acted unprofessionally and revokes his or her privileges, the hospital must report the findings to the Board of Medicine, including relevant information, such as a description of the adverse action, the location of the action, and the patient involved.4   The law requires that any reports or information received by the Board of Medicine regarding the adverse actions of a provider must remain confidential, except for data developed by the Board that is de-identified.5