347.14  Powers.

The board of hospital trustees may:

1.  Adopt bylaws and rules for its own guidance and for the government of the hospital.

2.  Establish and maintain in connection with said hospital a training school for nurses.

3.  Establish as a department in connection with said hospital a suitable building for the isolation and detention of persons afflicted with contagious diseases subject to quarantine.

4.  Determine whether or not, and if so upon what terms, it will extend the privileges of the hospital to nonresidents of the county.

5.  Adopt some suitable name other than county public hospital for hospitals either operating now, in process of construction, or to be established hereafter.

6.  Operate said hospital as a tuberculosis sanatorium or provide as a department of such hospital suitable accommodation and means for the care of persons afflicted with tuberculosis.

7.  Formulate rules and regulations for the government of tuberculous patients and for the protection of other patients, nurses, and attendants from infection.

8.  In counties having a population of one hundred thirty-five thousand inhabitants or over, establish a psychiatric department in connection with the hospital to provide for admission of patients for observation, examination, diagnosis and treatment.

9.  Procure and pay premiums on any and all insurance policies required for the prudent management of the hospital, including but not limited to public liability, professional malpractice liability, workers' compensation and vehicle liability. Said insurance may include as additional insureds the board of trustees and employees of the hospital. This subsection applies to all county hospitals whether organized under this chapter, chapter 347A, chapter 37, or otherwise established by law.

10.  Certify levies for a tax in excess of any tax levy limit to meet its obligations to pay the premium costs on tort liability insurance, property insurance, workers' compensation insurance, and any other insurance that may be necessary for the prudent management and operation of the county public hospital, the costs of a self-insurance program, the costs of a local government risk pool, and amounts payable under any insurance agreements to provide or procure such insurance, self-insurance program, or local government risk pool.

11.  Do all things necessary for the management, control and government of said hospital and exercise all the rights and duties pertaining to hospital trustees generally, unless such rights of hospital trustees generally are specifically denied by this chapter, or unless such duties are expressly charged by this chapter.

12.  The said trustees may in their discretion establish a fund for depreciation as a separate fund. Said funds may be invested in United States government bonds and when so invested the accumulation of interest on the bonds so purchased shall be used for the purposes of said depreciation fund; such investment when so made shall remain in said United States government bonds until such time as in the judgment of the board of trustees it is deemed advisable to use said funds for hospital purposes.

13.  Operate a health care facility as defined in section 135C.1 in conjunction with the hospital.

14.  Purchase, lease, equip, maintain and operate an ambulance or ambulances to provide necessary and sufficient ambulance service or to contract for such vehicles, equipment, maintenance or service when such ambulance service is not otherwise available.

15.  Submit to the voters at a regular or special election a proposition to sell or lease a county public hospital for use as a private hospital or as a merged area hospital under chapter 145A or to sell or lease a county hospital in conjunction with the establishment of a merged area hospital. The authorization of the board of hospital trustees submitting the proposition may, but is not required to, contain conditions which provide for maintaining hospital care within the county, for the retention of county public hospital employees and staff, and for the continuation of the board of trustees for the purpose of carrying out provisions of contracts. The property listed in section 347.13, subsection 12, may be included in the proposition, but the proceeds from the property shall be used for the purposes listed in section 347.13, subsection 13, or for the purpose of providing health care for residents of the county. Proceeds from the sale or lease of the county hospital or other assets of the board of trustees shall not be used for the prepayment of health care services for residents of the county with the purchaser or lessee of the county hospital or to underwrite the sale or lease of the county hospital. The proposition submitted to the voters of the county shall not be set forth at length, but it shall be in substantially the following form: 

"Shall the board of hospital trustees of . . . . . . . . . . county, state of Iowa, be authorized to . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (state authorization which may exclude the conditions) in accordance with the terms of authorization approved at the meeting of . . . . . (cite date) of the board of hospital trustees?" 

If the proposition is approved by a majority of the total votes cast for and against the proposition at the election, the board of hospital trustees shall proceed to carry out the authorization granted.

Section History: Early form

  [S13, § 409-d, -k, -o, -q; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, § 5360; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, S81, § 347.14; 81 Acts, ch 78, § 20, 47]

Section History: Recent form

  85 Acts, ch 185, §4; 91 Acts, ch 160, §11

Internal References

  Referred to in § 145A.12, 347.7


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