(a) Any district or regional hospital association is hereby authorized and empowered to exercise the following powers in addition to others granted in this article:

(1) To cooperate with the State Board of Health for the purpose of constructing, equipping, maintaining and operating a hospital by making appropriate application to the State Board of Health; to enter into a cooperative contract with the State Board of Health for this purpose;

(2) To act as an agent for the State Board of Health under a cooperative contract to prepare, carry out and operate hospital projects;

(3) To provide for the construction, reconstruction, improvement, alteration or repair of any hospital, or any part thereof;

(4) To take over, by purchase, lease or otherwise, any hospital;

(5) To manage, as agent of the State Board of Health, any hospital constructed or owned by the association;

(6) To arrange, with any appropriate local or state agencies, for the opening or closing of streets, roadways, alleys or other transportation facilities;

(7) To lease or rent any land, building, structure or facility needed in the operation of the hospital;

(8) To enter upon buildings or property in order to conduct investigations or to make surveys or soundings;

(9) To purchase, obtain options upon or acquire by eminent domain, gift, grant, bequest, devise or otherwise any property, real or personal, or interest therein, from any person, firm, corporation, city, county or government;

(10) To sell, exchange, transfer, assign or pledge any property, real or personal, or any interest therein, to any person, firm, corporation, city, county or government;

(11) To own, hold, clear and improve property;

(12) To insure or provide for insurance of the property or operation of the association against such risks as the association may deem advisable;

(13) To borrow money upon its bonds, notes, warrants, debentures or other evidences of indebtedness and to secure the same by pledges of its revenues;

(14) To have perpetual succession;

(15) To make and execute contracts and other instruments necessary or convenient to the exercise of the powers of the association;

(16) To make and, from time to time, amend and repeal bylaws, rules and regulations, not inconsistent with this article, to carry into effect the powers and purposes of the association; and

(17) To do all things necessary to carry out the powers given in this article.

(b) The directors of any district or regional hospital association, together with the county commissions of the counties comprising such association, are hereby authorized and empowered to lease hospitals, clinics or hospital facilities to such persons, firms, partnerships, associations or corporations and on such terms as they deem to be necessary, and appropriate and consistent with the maintenance of public health services and facilities.