Whittier Municipal Code Art. XIII Hospital Department

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Note— The City no longer operates a hospital.

There shall be a hospital department which shall be under the administration of a board of hospital trustees subject, however, to the fiscal and budgetary duties of the city manager as set forth in this charter. Said department shall include the Murphy Memorial Hospital and any other hospitals, nurses' home or nurses' training school now or hereafter operated by the city. During such periods of time, if any, as no hospitals, nurses' homes or nurses' training school is operated by the city, this article shall be suspended and inoperative.

There shall be a board of hospital trustees consisting of seven members. The city manager shall, by virtue of his/her office, be a voting member of the board of hospital trustees and shall constitute one of the seven members of said board. All of the provisions of article VII of this charter relating to boards and commissions generally, to the organization, meetings, conduct of proceedings, and expenses thereof, and to the appointment, qualifications, term of office, removal, compensation, and powers of members thereof, where not inconsistent with the provisions of this article, shall apply to the board of hospital trustees and to its members.

(Ord. No. 3112, § 2, 2-25-20)

Subject to the provisions of this charter, the board of hospital trustees shall have the power and duty to:

(a) Prepare and submit a proposed annual budget for the hospital department and make recommendations with respect thereto to the city council and the city manager The board of hospital trustees shall act as the department head in the preparation and submission of the hospital department budget and shall have the opportunity for comment and recommendation directly to the city council after review of the budget by the city manager.

(b) Within the limits of the budget, administer the hospital department and authorize the acquisition, construction, improvement, extension, enlargement, diminution, or curtailment of all or any part of any service or facility of the hospital. No such acquisition, construction, improvement, extension, enlargement, diminution or curtailment shall be made without such authorization.

(c) Have charge of the administration of all properties, facilities, employees, and services of the hospital department, make and enforce all policies, rules and regulations necessary for the administration, protection and maintenance of said properties, facilities and services, make and enforce rules for the administration and regulation of employees of the hospital department and the members of the staff or staffs thereof, and for the care and regulation of patients, and accept money, personal property or real estate donated to the city for hospital department purposes, subject to approval of the city council.

(d) Require of the hospital superintendent monthly reports of receipts and expenditures of the hospital department and monthly statements of the general condition of the department and its facilities. The city council shall be furnished copies of said statements.

(e) Establish rates and charges of all services, goods and facilities furnished or provided by the hospital department.

(f) Appoint, suspend or remove the hospital superintendent, who shall be the department head and who shall be directly responsible to the board. The city council shall be advised in advance of any action to be taken with respect to the appointment, suspension or removal of the hospital superintendent.

(g) Designate its own secretary.

(h) Make such reports and recommendations to the city council regarding the hospital department as it shall deem advisable.

(i) Establish a professional staff or staffs and appoint the members thereof.

(j) Exercise such other powers and perform such other duties as may be prescribed by ordinance not inconsistent with any of the provisions of this charter.

Within the limits of the budget, the purchase of equipment, materials and supplies peculiar to the needs of the hospital department may be made by the hospital superintendent and need not be made through the centralized purchasing system. The expenditure and disbursement of funds of the hospital department shall be made and approved as elsewhere in this charter provided.

The revenue of the hospital department for each fiscal year shall be kept separate and apart from all other moneys of the city and shall be used for the purposes and in the order as follows:

(a) For the payment of the operating and maintenance expenses of the hospital department, including any necessary contribution to retirement of its employees, and the maintenance of an operating reserve in an amount not to exceed one-fourth of the preceding fiscal year's operating and maintenance expenditures.

(b) For the payment of interest on the bonded debt incurred for the construction of acquisition o property of the hospital department.

(c) For the payment or provision for the payment of the principal of said debt as it may become due.

(d) The remainder, if any, shall be used only for the purposes of the hospital department as recommended by the board of hospital trustees and approved by the city council.