Assembly Bill No. 13–Assemblywoman Parnell

 

CHAPTER..........

 

AN ACT relating to hospitals; authorizing the appointment of a physician to serve on the board of trustees of a public hospital or a county hospital district under certain circumstances; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN

SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

   Section 1. NRS 450.090 is hereby amended to read as follows:

   450.090  1.  In any county whose population is 400,000 or more, the

 board of county commissioners is, ex officio, the board of hospital

 trustees, and the county commissioners shall serve as hospital trustees

 during their terms of office as county commissioners.

   2.  In any county whose population is less than 400,000, the board of

 county commissioners may enact an ordinance providing that the board of

 county commissioners is, ex officio, the board of hospital trustees. If such

 an ordinance is enacted in a county:

   (a) The county commissioners shall serve as hospital trustees during

 their terms of office as county commissioners; and

   (b) If hospital trustees have been elected pursuant to NRS 450.070 and

 450.080, the term of office of each hospital trustee who is serving in that

 capacity on the effective date of the ordinance is terminated as of the

 effective date of the ordinance.

   3.  A board of county commissioners shall not enact an ordinance

 pursuant to subsection 2 unless it determines that:

   (a) The county has fully funded its indigent care account created

 pursuant to NRS 428.010;

   (b) The county has fulfilled its duty to reimburse the hospital for

 indigent care provided to qualified indigent patients; and

   (c) During the previous calendar year:

     (1) At least one of the hospital’s accounts payable was more than 90

 days in arrears;

     (2) The hospital failed to fulfill its statutory financial obligations,

 such as the payment of taxes, premiums for industrial insurance or

 contributions to the public employees’ retirement system;

     (3) One or more of the conditions relating to financial emergencies

 set forth in subsection 1 of NRS 354.685 existed at the hospital; or

     (4) The hospital received notice from the Federal Government or the

 State of Nevada that the certification or licensure of the hospital was in

 imminent jeopardy of being revoked because the hospital had not carried

 out a previously established plan of action to correct previously noted

 deficiencies found by the regulatory body.

   4.  Except in counties where the board of county commissioners is the

 board of hospital trustees, in any county whose population is 100,000 or

 more but less than 400,000, the board of hospital trustees for the public

 hospital must be composed of the five regularly elected or appointed

 members, and, in addition, three county commissioners selected by the

 chairman of the board of county commissioners shall serve as voting

 members of the board of hospital trustees during their terms of office as

 county commissioners.

   5.  Except in counties where the board of county commissioners is the

board of hospital trustees, in any county whose population is less than

 100,000, the board of hospital trustees for the public hospital must be

 composed of the five regularly elected or appointed members, and, in

 addition, the board of county commissioners may, by resolution, provide

 that [one] :

   (a) One county commissioner selected by the chairman of the board of

 county commissioners shall serve as a voting member of the board of

 hospital trustees during his term of office as county commissioner[.] ;

   (b) A physician who is the chief of the staff of physicians for the

 public hospital shall serve as a voting member of the board of hospital

 trustees; or

   (c) Both a county commissioner appointed pursuant to the provisions

 of paragraph (a) and a physician appointed pursuant to the provisions of

 paragraph (b) shall serve as voting members of the board of hospital

 trustees.

The term of office of a member appointed pursuant to the provisions of

 paragraph (b) is 2 years and begins on the date the board of county

 commissioners appoints the member.

   Sec. 2.  NRS 450.110 is hereby amended to read as follows:

   450.110  Except in counties where the board of county commissioners

 is the board of hospital trustees, [vacancies] a vacancy in the board of

 hospital trustees occasioned by [resignations, removals] a resignation,

 removal or otherwise [shall] must be reported to the board or boards of

 county commissioners and [shall] must be filled in the same manner as the

 original [appointments. Appointees] appointment. An appointee shall

 hold office [until] :

   1.  Until the next following general election in the usual manner[.] ; or

   2.  If the appointee is a physician appointed to fill the vacancy of a

 member appointed pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (b) of

 subsection 5 of NRS 450.090, for the unexpired term of that member.

   Sec. 3.  NRS 450.550 is hereby amended to read as follows:

   450.550  As used in NRS 450.550 to 450.750, inclusive, unless the

 context otherwise requires:

   1.  “Board of trustees” means:

   (a) A board of hospital trustees:

     (1) Elected pursuant to NRS 450.620 [;] and a physician who is

 appointed pursuant to subsection 1 of NRS 450.640, if applicable; or

     (2) Appointed pursuant to NRS 450.625 [;] and a physician who is

 appointed pursuant to subsection 1 of NRS 450.640, if applicable; or

   (b) A board of county commissioners, if that board enacts an ordinance

 which provides that the board of county commissioners is, ex officio, the

 board of hospital trustees [.] , and a physician who is appointed pursuant

 to subsection 1 of NRS 450.640, if applicable.

   2.  “District hospital” means a hospital constructed, maintained and

 governed pursuant to NRS 450.550 to 450.750, inclusive.

   Sec. 4.  NRS 450.640 is hereby amended to read as follows:

   450.640  The board of trustees may:

   1.  After the board is formed pursuant to the provisions of NRS

 450.620 or 450.625, increase the number of members who serve on the

board by appointing, as a voting member of the board, one physician who

is the chief of staff of physicians for a district hospital. The term of office

 of a member who is appointed pursuant to this subsection is 2 years,

 commencing on the date of appointment by the board of trustees. A

 vacancy in the term of a member appointed pursuant to this subsection

 must be filled in the same manner as the original appointment for the

 remainder of the unexpired term.

   2.  Appoint a chief executive officer and necessary assistants for each

 hospital, and fix the compensations of such persons.

   [2.] 3.  Employ physicians, surgeons and interns, as the board

 determines necessary, and fix their compensation.

   [3.] 4.  Remove such appointees and employees.

   [4.] 5.  Remove persons who are appointed or employed pursuant to

 this section.

   6.  Control the admission of physicians, surgeons and interns to the

 staff by promulgating rules, regulations and standards governing such

 appointments.

   Sec. 5.  This act becomes effective on July 1, 2001.

 

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