Information acquired by a public hospital, as defined in G.S. 159-39, a hospital that has been sold or conveyed pursuant to G.S. 131E-8, a State-owned or State-operated hospital, or by persons acting for or on behalf of a hospital, in connection with the credentialing and peer review of persons having or applying for privileges to practice in the hospital is confidential and is not a public record under Chapter 132 of the General Statutes; provided that information otherwise available to the public shall not become confidential merely because it was acquired by the hospital or by persons acting for or on behalf of the hospital.
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 131E-97.2