Physician Health and Wellness Program.

Assembly Member Berman's legislation overhauls California's physician wellness program, establishing a comprehensive framework to support medical professionals experiencing physical or mental health conditions that could affect their ability to practice safely. The revised program authorizes the Medical Board of California to contract with a qualified nonprofit organization to provide confidential evaluation, treatment, and monitoring services for physicians, surgeons, and other licensed professionals.

The bill requires the administering entity to maintain expertise in mental health and substance use disorders while carrying out core responsibilities including education, early intervention, and rehabilitation support. Program participants must enter individual agreements outlining monitoring protocols, compliance requirements, and completion criteria. The legislation exempts voluntary participants from the Uniform Standards Regarding Substance-Abusing Healing Arts Licensees, though those under probation orders must still adhere to those standards.

To encourage participation while protecting public safety, the bill creates a structured reporting system. The administering entity must promptly notify the Medical Board about participants who pose imminent danger or fail to comply with program requirements. Licensed medical professionals must report colleagues they believe may be impaired, with civil immunity protections for good faith reporting. Program records receive confidentiality protections as investigatory files exempt from public disclosure, though limited information may be released in specific circumstances such as board enforcement actions.

The legislation maintains the dedicated program account within the Medical Board's Contingent Fund and permits the board to seek grants and private donations for program costs. Advisory committees comprising physicians with relevant expertise may assist in program oversight. The provisions apply only to Medical Board licensees, explicitly excluding the Osteopathic Medical Board of California and its practitioners from the program's scope.