§1095. Board of commissioners; membership; appointment; terms; compensation; removal

A. The two areas of the district shall be governed by separate governing boards. Each area of the district shall be governed by a board of thirteen commissioners, referred to in this Part as the "commission", who shall be qualified voters and residents of Orleans Parish and who shall reflect the ethnic, cultural, and gender diversity of the parish.

B. Each commission shall be composed as follows:

(1)(a) Seven members shall be appointed by the chief executive officer of the parish. Each member shall demonstrate expertise in one or more of the following areas: medical litigation, fundraising and philanthropy, accounting, business development, indigent care, community relations, government relations, women's health, minority health, geriatric medicine, nursing, any other medical field, or consumer advocacy.

(b) Four of the seven members shall be appointed at the discretion of the chief executive officer. Of the other three appointments, one member shall be appointed by the chief executive officer from each of the following lists of nominees:

(i) Three nominees shall be submitted by the member of the governing authority of the city of New Orleans whose district encompasses all or the greater portion of the area in which the district is located.

(ii) Three nominees shall be submitted by the member of the Louisiana House of Representatives whose district encompasses all or the greater portion of the area in which the district is located.

(iii) Three nominees shall be submitted by the member of the Louisiana Senate whose district encompasses all or the greater portion of the area in which the district is located.

(2) One consumer shall be appointed by the chief executive officer of the parish.

(3) The chancellor of the Louisiana State University-Health Sciences Center School of Medicine or his designee.

(4) The chancellor of the Tulane University School of Medicine or his designee.

(5) The president of the New Orleans Medical Association or his designee.

(6) The president of the Orleans Parish Medical Society or his designee.

(7) The director of the city of New Orleans Department of Health.

C.(1) Members initially appointed pursuant to Paragraph (B)(1) of this Section shall be appointed to staggered initial terms with two appointments for one year, two appointments for two years, two appointments for three years, and one appointment for four years. At the expiration of their respective terms of office, the successors to such appointees shall be appointed to four-year terms.

(2) The member serving pursuant to Paragraph (B)(2) of this Section shall serve at the pleasure of the chief executive officer of the parish.

(3) The members serving pursuant to Paragraphs (B)(3) through (7) of this Section shall serve during their terms of office.

(4) Any vacancy in the membership of the commission occurring by reason of the expiration of term of office, death, resignation, disqualification, or otherwise shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment within thirty days of such vacancy. If the appointing authority fails to fill the vacancy within thirty days of such vacancy, the remaining members of the commission shall appoint an interim successor to serve on the commission until the position is filled by the appointing authority. In addition, an appointment to fill a vacancy that occurs prior to the expiration of a term shall be for the remainder of the unexpired term.

D. Any member of the commission may be removed from office for cause and his appointment rescinded by two-thirds vote of the elected membership of the parish governing authority.

Acts 2006, No. 830, §1, eff. July 5, 2006; Acts 2010, No. 702, §2; Acts 2010, No. 702, §2; Acts 2011, No. 278, §1, eff. June 28, 2011.