CSHA is pleased to offer its members a new service—a hearing officer program—designed to provide attorneys involved in peer review hearings with easy access to information as to the identities and qualifications of potential hearing officers.

With the issue of impartial hearing officers being raised increasingly given the Haas v. County of San Bernardino (2002) 27 Cal.4th 1017, and Yaqub v. Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare (2004) 122 Cal.App.4th 474 cases, CSHA has established a hearing officer program that helps attorneys identify candidates for potential selection.

The program consists of:

1. Maintaining a list of attorneys (with links to each participant's resume) who meet certain qualifications for presiding over peer review hearings; and
2. Providing training programs and resource materials for attorneys who wish to be listed as a participant in the hearing officer program.

CSHA maintains two lists for hearing officers. To appear on either list, a person must have certain general qualifications. One list, the Completed Hearings List, is comprised of names of persons who have served as a hearing officer or been lead counsel in at least five (5) completed adversarial evidentiary hearings before a peer review hearing committee ("completed hearings"). The other list, the General List, is comprised of names of persons who have not served as a hearing officer or been lead counsel in at least five completed hearings but who have other self-identified relevant experience or qualifications.

Participation in the program is based on information provided by the persons listed. CSHA does not verify any information provided, other than membership in CSHA and participation in the CSHA training programs. In addition, CSHA makes no comment or judgment about a person's experience, qualifications or competence as a hearing officer. Users of the lists should independently verify the foregoing through the website of the State Bar of California, voir dire, references, and otherwise.