RS 37:1301

§1301. Nonprofit hospitals; discrimination prohibited

B.  It shall be unlawful for the governing body of a nonprofit hospital which receives local, state, or federal funds to discriminate in granting staff membership to physicians or podiatric physicians; it shall likewise be unlawful to discriminate against any such physician or podiatric physician solely because of his participation in medical group practice subject to Subsection D of this Section and provided that the hospital already has the necessary facilities for the surgical procedure for which application has been made. Nothing in this Section shall be construed to require the governing body of any nonprofit hospital to grant staff membership to any applicant, provided that each such applicant is considered on an individual basis regarding his qualifications, and further provided that the applicant is not discriminated against on the sole basis of being a podiatric physician.

C.  It shall be unlawful for the governing body of a non-profit hospital to make the granting or denial of staff membership or professional privilege in the hospital depend solely upon certification, fellowship or membership in a specialty body or medical society.

D.  Nothing in this Section shall be construed as prohibiting the governing body of any nonprofit hospital from granting or denying staff membership on basis of individual character, competence, experience and judgment of the physician or podiatric physician seeking staff membership or from requiring the character recommendation of not more than three members of the staff for which membership is sought as a prerequisite to consideration for staff membership.