387. Board of managers; general powers and duties. The board of managers 1. Shall elect from among its members, a president and one or more vice-presidents. It shall appoint a superintendent of the hospital who shall be also the treasurer and secretary of the board, and it may remove him for cause stated in writing and after an opportunity to be heard thereon after due notice; and may suspend him from duty pending the disposition of such charges. Said superintendent shall not be a member of the board of managers and shall be a graduate of an incorporated medical college, with an experience of at least three years in the actual practice of his profession.
2. Shall determine the amount of time required to be spent at the hospital by said superintendent in the discharge of his duties.
3. Shall have the general superintendence, management and control of the said hospital, of the grounds, buildings, officers and employees thereof, of the patients therein and of all matters relating to the government, discipline, contracts and other affairs thereof; and make such rules and regulations as may seem to be necessary for carrying out the purposes of such hospital.
4. Shall maintain an effective inspection of said hospital and keep itself informed of the affairs and management thereof; shall meet at the hospital at least once in every month, and at such other times as may be prescribed in the by-laws; and shall hold its annual meeting at least three weeks prior to the meeting of the board of supervisors at which appropriations for the ensuing year are to be considered.
5. Shall keep in a book provided for that purpose, a proper record of its proceedings which shall be open at all times to the inspection of its members, to the members of the board of supervisors of the county, and to duly authorized representatives of the state department of social welfare.
6. Shall make to the board of supervisors of the county annually, at such time as said supervisors shall direct, a detailed report of the operations of the hospital during the year, the number of patients received, the methods and results of their treatment, together with suitable recommendations and such other matters as may be required. Such report may be printed for general distribution.
7. Shall notwithstanding any other general or special law erect all additional buildings found necessary after the hospital has been placed in operation and make all necessary improvements and repairs within the limits of the appropriations made therefor by the board of supervisors, provided that the location of the buildings and the plans and such part of the specifications as shall be required by the state commissioner of health for such additional buildings, improvements or repairs shall first be approved by the state commissioner of health. Any change in such location or plans shall also be first approved by the state commissioner of health and the state commissioner of health and his duly authorized representatives shall have the power to inspect such county hospitals during the course of the construction of such additional building for the purpose of seeing that such plans are complied with.
8. Unless by an arrangement satisfactory to the board of managers and approved by the state commissioner of health such nursing service is otherwise provided by the county, shall employ a county nurse, or an additional nurse or nurses if it deems necessary, for the discovery of tuberculosis cases and for the visitation of such cases and of patients discharged from the hospital and for such other duties as may seem appropriate; and shall cause to be examined by the superintendent or one of his medical staff suspected cases of tuberculosis reported to it by the county nurse, or nurses, or by physicians, teachers, employers, heads of families or others; and it may take such other steps for the care, treatment and prevention of tuberculosis as it may from time to time deem wise.
Last modified: February 3, 2019