[HISTORY: Adopted by the Board of County Commissioners of
Worcester County 8-25-1981 by Bill No. 81-5 as Title 2 of the Public Health Article
of the 1981 Code. Amendments noted where applicable.]
[Amended 8-14-1990 by Bill No. 90-12]
(a)Â
Funding to recruit physicians. The County
Commissioners may expend funds for the recruitment of physicians to
serve the needs of the people of Worcester County and the sojourners
therein.
(b)Â
Physician Recruitment Program. The County
Commissioners may establish a Physician Recruitment Program to provide
for the recruitment of physicians.
(a)Â
Membership. The County Commissioners may appoint
an Advisory Board to assist in the administration of the Physician
Recruitment Program. The Advisory Board shall have five members.
(b)Â
Compensation. The Advisory Board members shall
serve without compensation and shall be paid such expenses as the
County Commissioners may determine appropriate.
(c)Â
Duties. The Advisory Board shall perform all
duties as prescribed in this section and shall generally oversee the
administration of the Physician Recruitment Program. The Advisory
Board, with the approval of the County Commissioners, shall have the
power to establish procedures and rules and regulations in furtherance
of its duties. The Advisory Board shall submit an annual budget request.
(d)Â
Funding. The activities of the Advisory Board
shall be funded on an annual basis in the county expense budget as
determined by the County Commissioners.
(e)Â
Recruitment of physicians. In the event that
the County Commissioners so authorize, it shall be the duty of the
Advisory Board, on behalf of the County Commissioners, to recruit
physicians to serve the needs of the county. In the course of its
duties, the Board may, subject to funding by the County Commissioners,
take such actions as it may deem necessary and appropriate in furtherance
of its duties, including and without limitation advertising, provision
of office space and equipment, provision of scholarship funds, provision
of cash incentives, provision of housing and allowances and such other
means that may from time to time be approved by the County Commissioners.
(f)Â
Expenditures. Any expenditures for the Physician
Recruitment Program shall be made from the general fund of the county
in accordance with rules and financial management procedures established
by the County Commissioners.
Medical scholarships awarded pursuant to Title 2 of the Public
Health Article prior to the effective date hereof shall remain in
full force and effect according to their terms. All agreements entered
into pursuant to § PH 2-102(e) shall remain in full force
and effect and the County Commissioners shall continue to provide
funding pursuant thereto. Nothing herein shall relieve the county
of any obligations under such agreements entered into under the prior
law nor relieve any other party to any such agreement from any obligation
entered into pursuant to the prior law.
(a)Â
Establishment; members. The Board of County
Commissioners of Worcester County may establish a Citizens Nursing
Home Board of Worcester County; and if it shall establish such a Board,
the Board shall be constituted and controlled as follows: The Board
shall consist of ten members, and the initial members shall be appointed
by the County Commissioners, three members to be appointed for three
years, three for two years and three for one year. Members shall be
chosen from among the residents of the county. The Chairman of the
Board of County Commissioners shall be a member of the Board ex officio.
As the terms of the initial appointees expire or as vacancies occur,
their successors shall be elected by a majority vote of a quorum of
the Board for terms of three years or the remainder thereof; and thereafter
these positions shall be so filled.
(b)Â
Compensation. The members of the Board shall
serve without compensation.
(c)Â
Powers and duties. The Board shall establish,
maintain and operate a nursing or convalescent home or homes and any
other facilities and services necessary for the proper care and treatment
of aged, convalescent and chronically ill residents of the county
and shall have the following powers and duties:
(1)Â
To accept gifts, legacies, bequests or endowments for purposes
of the Board. Unless otherwise specified by the donor making such
gift, legacy, bequest or endowment, the Board, in its discretion,
may expend both principal and income of such gift, bequest, legacy
or endowment to support the Board's nursing home program.
(2)Â
To acquire and hold real and personal property in the name of
the County Commissioners by any means, to sell or otherwise dispose
of such property so acquired and to preserve and administer such properties.
(3)Â
To provide adequate facilities and services for the care and
treatment of the aged, convalescent and chronically ill citizens of
the county. These facilities will or may include physical care, medical,
nursing, recreational, rehabilitative, special education and other
similar activities and, in addition, dissemination of information
relative to causes and prevention of chronic and debilitating illnesses.
(4)Â
To charge such fees for admission to and maintenance in such
facilities and for use of such services as may support the facilities
and services; subject, however, to the provision that, where aged,
convalescent and chronically ill residents of the county are in need
of such facilities and services and are sufficiently impecunious as
to be unable to pay the full cost of such care, then the charges to
such residents shall be in direct proportion to their ability to pay
for the services.
(5)Â
To apply all moneys, assets, property or other things of value
it may receive to the general purposes of the Board.
(6)Â
To adopt, subject to the terms of this section, such rules and
regulations of any facilities or services that it establishes as may
be necessary for their proper operation.
(7)Â
To cooperate with and assist, insofar as practicable, any agency
of the State of Maryland, the United States of America and subdivision
of either or any private agency or person in furtherance of any of
the purposes of this section.
(8)Â
To hire a director of any facility or service that it establishes
and to provide for such additional employees and their qualifications
and wages as are necessary to properly operate such facilities.
(9)Â
To require that all facilities and services that it establishes
maintain such standards that they may qualify for licenses as hospitals
from the State Board of Health as required in Article 43, § 556
et seq., of the Annotated Code of Maryland (1957 Edition), as amended
from time to time.
(10)Â
To integrate its facilities with, accept funds from and cooperate
with the State Board of Health and Mental Hygiene in any facet or
facets of its operations insofar as deemed advisable by this Board.
(11)Â
To establish close liaison with the Peninsula General Hospital
for the purpose of providing comprehensive hospital, nursing and convalescent
care for the residents of Worcester County.
(d)Â
Meetings. The Board shall elect one of its
members to serve as Chairman for any period it may designate. It shall
hold such meetings as may be necessary for the proper conduct of its
business, not, however, less frequently than once per month. It shall
adopt, subject to the terms of this section, such rules as are necessary
for the internal regulation of the Board.
(e)Â
Appropriations. The activities of the Board
shall be supported insofar as possible by citizen support, voluntary
contributions, fees and charges and payments from the state and federal
government. The County Commissioners are authorized to make annual
appropriations in support of the operations of the Citizens Nursing
Home Board of Worcester County for the objective of maintaining an
adequate level of medical and nursing care for the aged, convalescent
and chronically ill citizens of Worcester County. In further support
of the objectives of this section, the County Commissioners may make
appropriations for land acquisition and capital improvements or borrow
funds for these purposes and issue individual notes, bonds or other
evidences of such indebtedness.
(f)Â
Reports. The Board shall annually report its
activities to the County Commissioners during the preceding year,
together with any recommendations or requests it deems appropriate
to achieve the objectives and purposes of this section.
(g)Â
Purpose. The purpose of the Citizens Nursing
Home Board of Worcester County is declared to be for the general benefit
of the citizens of Worcester County and charitable in nature. Upon
appointment of its members by the County Commissioners of Worcester
County, the Board shall become a quasi-public corporation with perpetual
existence, subject to modification by the General Assembly of the
State of Maryland if such modification is necessary, to effectuate
the purposes herein declared, and is subject to termination by the
General Assembly when and if its substantial purposes cease.
