New York General Municipal Law Section 129 - General powers and duties of superintendent.

129. General powers and duties of superintendent. The superintendent shall be the chief executive officer of the hospital and, subject to the by-laws, rules and regulations thereof, and to the general control of the board of managers, shall:

1. Equip the hospital with all necessary furniture, appliances, fixtures and other needed facilities for the care and treatment of patients and for the use of officers and employees thereof, and purchase all necessary supplies, unless the board of managers shall designate the purchasing agent of a municipality as the purchasing agent of said board as provided in subdivision five of section one hundred twenty-eight.

2. Have general supervision and control of the records, accounts, and buildings of the hospital and all internal affairs, and maintain discipline therein, and enforce compliance with, and obedience to, all rules, by-laws, and regulations adopted by the board of managers for the government, discipline and management of said hospital, and the employees and inmates thereof. He shall make and enforce such further rules, regulations and orders as he may deem necessary, not inconsistent with law, or with the rules, regulations and directions of the board of managers.

3. Appoint such employees as he may think proper and necessary for the efficient performance of the business of the hospital, and prescribe their duties; and discharge any such employee pursuant to the provisions of the civil service law.

4. Cause proper accounts and records of the business and operations of the hospital to be kept regularly from day to day, in books and on forms provided for that purpose; and see that such accounts and records are correctly made up for the annual report to the governing board, as required by subdivision seven of section one hundred and twenty-eight of this chapter, and present the same to the board of managers, who shall incorporate them in their annual report to the said governing board.

5. Receive into the hospital, under the rules established by the board of managers, any person in the county, town, city or village who is sick or maimed or injured and who is in need of hospital care, irrespective of whether such person is able to pay for his care or not; and may also receive persons from without the county, town, city or village, provided there is a vacancy in the hospital, and provided the reception of such person does not interfere with the proper care and treatment of persons received from the county, town, city or village.

6. Cause to be kept proper records of the admission of all patients, their name, age, sex, color, marital condition, residence, occupation, place of last employment and the names and addresses of their nearest relatives or friends. He shall also cause a careful examination to be made of the physical condition of all persons admitted to the hospital; and shall cause a record to be kept of the condition of each patient when admitted, and from time to time thereafter.

7. Discharge from said hospital any patient who is found to have recovered from his illness sufficiently to be no longer in need of hospital care, or who shall wilfully or habitually violate the rules thereof, or who for any other reason is no longer a suitable patient for treatment therein; and shall make a full report thereof at the next meeting of the board of managers.

8. Collect and receive all money due the hospital, keep an accurate account of the same, report the same at the ensuing monthly meeting of the board of managers, and transmit the same within ten days after such meeting to the treasurer of the county, town, city or village by which the hospital is maintained. When a treasurer has been appointed as herein provided, all moneys collected and received by the superintendent shall be transmitted to the treasurer who shall deposit the same in a bank or banks in the name of the hospital and he shall also at least once in each month transmit to the governing board an itemized statement thereof.

9. Give a bond before entering upon the discharge of his duties, in such sum as the board of managers may determine, to secure the faithful performance of such duties.

10. Notwithstanding any provisions of law, rule or regulation to the contrary, the board of managers of the hospital may authorize the superintendents of said hospital to establish a system for the billing of patients for the care, maintenance or treatment received or furnished to patients in such facility. Payment of such charges by means of a credit card may be authorized pursuant to section five of this chapter.


Last modified: February 3, 2019