Effective 13 May 1999, see footnote

205.190. Organization of board of trustees — regulations — duties — operation or leasing of hospital, powers — day care centers for employees' children, may establish. — 1. The trustees shall, within ten days after their appointment or election, qualify by taking the oath of civil officers and organize as a board of hospital trustees by the election of one of their number as chairman, one as secretary, one as treasurer, and by the election of such other officers as they may deem necessary.

2. No trustee shall receive any compensation for his or her services performed, but a trustee may receive reimbursement for any cash expenditures actually made for personal expenses incurred as such trustee, and an itemized statement of all such expenses and money paid out shall be made under oath by each of such trustees and filed with the secretary and allowed only by the affirmative vote of all of the trustees present at a meeting of the board.

3. The board of hospital trustees shall make and adopt such bylaws, rules and regulations for its own guidance and for the government of the hospital as may be deemed expedient for the economic and equitable conduct thereof, not inconsistent with sections 205.160 to 205.340 and the ordinances of the city or town wherein such public hospital is located. The board shall provide by regulation for the bonding of the chief executive officer and may require a bond of the treasurer of the board and of any employee of the hospital as it deems necessary. The costs of all bonds required shall be paid out of the hospital fund. Except as provided in subsection 4 of this section, it shall have the exclusive control of the deposit, investment, and expenditure of all moneys collected to the credit of the hospital fund, and of the purchase of site or sites, the purchase or construction of any hospital buildings, and of the supervision, care and custody of the grounds, rooms or buildings purchased, constructed, leased or set apart for that purpose; provided, that all moneys received for such hospital shall be credited to the hospital and deposited into the depositary thereof for the sole use of such hospital in accordance with the provisions of sections 205.160 to 205.340. All funds received by each such hospital shall be paid out only upon warrants ordered drawn by the treasurer of the board of trustees of said county upon the properly authenticated vouchers of the hospital board.

4. The trustees shall have authority, both within and outside the county, except in counties of the third or fourth classification (other than the county in which the hospital is located) where there already exists a hospital organized pursuant to chapters 96, 205 or 206; provided that this exception shall not prohibit the continuation of existing activities otherwise allowed by law, to operate, maintain and manage a hospital and hospital facilities, and to make and enter into contracts, for the use, operation or management of a hospital or hospital facilities; to engage in health care activities; to make and enter into leases of equipment and real property, a hospital or hospital facilities, as lessor or lessee, regardless of the duration of such lease; provided that any lease of substantially all of the hospital, as the term "hospital" is defined in section 197.020, wherein the board of trustees is lessor shall be entered into only with the approval of the county commission wherein such hospital is located and provided that in a county of the second, third or fourth classification, the income to such county from such lease of substantially all of the hospital shall be appropriated to provide health care services in the county; and further to provide rules and regulations for the operation, management or use of a hospital or hospital facilities. Any agreement entered into pursuant to this subsection pertaining to the lease of the hospital, as herein defined, shall have a definite termination date as negotiated by the parties, but this shall not preclude the trustees from entering into a renewal of the agreement with the same or other parties pertaining to the same or other subjects upon such terms and conditions as the parties may agree. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the county commission in any noncharter county of the first classification wherein such hospital is located may separately negotiate and enter into contractual agreements with the lessee as a condition of approval of any lease authorized pursuant to this subsection.

5. The board of hospital trustees shall have power to appoint a suitable chief executive officer and necessary assistants and fix their compensation, and shall also have power to remove such appointees; and shall in general carry out the spirit and intent of sections 205.160 to 205.340 in establishing and maintaining a county public hospital.

6. The board of hospital trustees may establish and operate a day care center to provide care exclusively for the children of the hospital's employees. A day care center established by the board shall be licensed pursuant to the provisions of sections 210.201 to 210.245. The operation of a day care center shall be paid for by fees or charges, established by the board, and collected from the hospital employees who use its services. The board, however, is authorized to receive any private donations or grants from agencies of the federal government intended for the support of the day care center.

7. The board of hospital trustees shall hold meetings at least once each month, shall keep a complete record of all its proceedings; and three members of the board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.

8. One of the trustees shall visit and examine the hospital at least twice each month and the board shall, during the first week in January of each year, file with the county commission of the county a report of its proceedings with reference to such hospital and a statement of all receipts and expenditures during the year; and shall at such time certify the amount necessary to maintain and improve the hospital for the ensuing year.

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(RSMo 1939 § 15195, A.L. 1945 p. 983 § 15194, A.L. 1961 p. 522, A.L. 1981 S.B. 425, A.L. 1982 H.B. 1069, A.L. 1986 H.B. 1571, A.L. 1987 H.B. 810, A.L. 1996 S.B. 676, A.L. 1999 H.B. 796 merged with S.B. 276)

Prior revisions: 1929 § 13978; 1919 § 12612

Effective 5-13-99 (S.B. 276); 7-13-99 (H.B. 796)