                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

WHEN DENIAL, ETC., TO DULY LICENSED PHYSICIAN OF STAFF MEMBERSHIP OR
PROFESSIONAL PRIVILEGES IMPROPER (§ 32.1-134.1)

It shall be an improper practice for the governing body of a hospital that has
25 beds or more and that is required by state law to be licensed to refuse or
fail to act within 60 days of a completed application for staff membership or
professional privileges or deny or withhold from a duly licensed physician staff
membership or professional privileges in such hospital, or to exclude or expel a
physician from staff membership in such hospital or curtail, terminate or
diminish in any way a physician&#8217;s professional privileges in such
hospital, without stating in writing the reason or reasons therefor, a copy of
which shall be provided to the physician. If the reason or reasons stated are
unrelated to standards of patient care, patient welfare, violation of the rules
and regulations of the institution or staff, the objectives or efficient
operations of the institution, or the character or competency of the applicant,
or misconduct in any hospital, it shall be deemed an improper practice.
		Any physician licensed in the Commonwealth to practice medicine who is
aggrieved by any violation of this section shall have the right to seek an
injunction from the circuit court of the city or county in which the hospital
alleged to have violated this section is located prohibiting any such further
violation. The provisions of this section shall not be deemed to impair or
affect any other right or remedy, provided that a violation of this section
shall not constitute a violation of the provisions of this article for the
purposes of §§ 32.1-27.3 and 32.1-135.

HISTORY: 1979, c. 711; 2025, cc. 166, 180.