OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS
AUSTIN
fIonor*ble A. E. Hlokerscm
county Auditor
Wontgomerf County
Comae, Texas
Dear sir: Opltion Ro. O-2422 .__ ‘\ ‘1
Reemnty hozpitrfz >Pcareri of
- ooBlJalraio~~~o_~urtlA,
Your requort for op caro-
fully oonzldered by this deys l%-
quest 08 follovar
Poverz ol the
aad espeoisl-
oh reads aa
either of the
4rbt4AdeAt.'
Texas Civil Statutes,
ol’ county ~ospltale after an eleo-
direoted by the artiolo, end gives
poverz and duties vlth re-
rpect to the oounty hofJplt81.
Artiolo 4479, Vtwnont8 Annotated Toxza Civil Statutes,
as amended, provided for tho sppolntment of 8 Board OP knagers
HOAorJAble A. X. Hjokel'aon, Page 2
::
OS the county hospital to bo appointed by tho com..iaalo~ors~
court.
I
,i.‘.
Artlole 4480, Vernon’8 Annotated Texas Civil Sta-
tutes, dofilling the pwora of the Board OS Managera, reads 88
s011ov3r
"The board ot menegera shall elect from among
its mambera 3 president, snd one or more vise-
~rO3idOnt3 8nd a secretary and 6 treasurer. It
shall appoiat a superintendent of the hospital vho
ah811 hold office at the pleasure or aald board.
Said auperlntondont shall not be 3 member OS the
board, and shall be a qualified prectltloA4r OS
madicl~e, or be 8poclsllg trained for vork of such
L charao ter .
*The board shall ~180 appoint a staff of vialt-
lng phy8lclan3 vho ahall 84rvo vithout pay Srm tho
county, md who shall vlalt and treat hospital ps-
tlents at the request either of the menegers or OS
the UUperiAtOAdOAt,
..
"Said board ahall fix the salorios of
aup4rlIiWREent ana aAL otter oif!ii%%a ena 4
w1tn.m tne umlt or we epprOprleclOA axle moraror
‘by tflec03nrmaalonere aourt, ana awn s~~er~zga anan
e 0ompeAaatioA LA mli i‘or 31~ ae~oa r naor4a.
The board ah811 determine tho amount of ti& roqulred
to be spent at the hospital by said 3uperlAteAdeAt
in tho dlschargc of his duties. The board ahall
havo the general.aanagement and oontrol of the said
hospital, grounds, buildings, oSSloors and omployoos
thereofl OS the Lxumtea thoreln, and OS sll abetter8
relating to the government, dlaclpllne, contraota
and fiscal co~cema thereof; pnd make such rule3
aa regulations a8 may ac4m to them necessary Sor
carrying out the pu~poaea of suoh hosL'ita1. Thog
shall maintain m offectlve iASp4CtiOA OS said hoapl-
tal snd keep thomaelves Mormed OS the 8SSalrs and
, mnnsgement thereof; shall meet at the hoapiurl at
leaat ona4 iA every month, and at auoh other times
aa my be proaorlbed in the by-lmra; and shall hold
an annuel maoting at least three veoka prior to the
meting OS the commiasion4ra court at vhloh appro-
prlstiona for tho ensuing year are to be considered."
(Underscoring ours)
Honnreble A .E. Bickerson, Page 3
Artlalo 4461, Vernon'3 Ancotetod Texsa Civil St%-
tutea, reads as follovst
a. 'The board of mnagars may 8100 eatabllsh and
. operate %n outpetieat department or fre4 diSpens8ry
41 and allnlc et the hospltsl OF in the city nearest
'. to vhlah tho hospital 13 loaeted, vith branch dls-
pen3arle3 or clinic8 In every city or tovn intie
oounty o? 91~3 thousand population end over.
shell appoint 8 phyaicisn or physicians, who 3ixa
serve at such dispensnrlss or ollnicr, and shall
ifatemlne the amount of time required to be spent
et auah diapenswles or cllnlcs by suoh physlclena,
end shell Six the aP1erlea, iS any, or such physicL%ns.
?&kid bo%rd ah311 8130 appoint one or more tr%.lnod
viaitlng ~uraoa to aorve in connootion vlth each such
d.l3pen3ary or ollnlc, end in connootlon with the
hospital, and ahell SIX their salerles vlthin the
limits OS the appropriation nrsde thoresor by tha
oomm.l33ioner3 oourt." (~ndOr3COring OUPS)
Article 4485, Vernon’s fmnototed Texas Civil Stetutes,
es Pollov3I
"The superintendent ah%11 be the cNeS oxsoutive
officer of tho hospital, but shall et all times be
subject to the by-lava, rules and regulatlona there-
of, and to the pavers OS the board of mgera.
"He shall, vlth the conoent oS the board of
avmggoza, equl9 the hoapital vlth all nocossarg
Surfiiture, ap$lisnaes, Slxtures and all other need-
ed Saollltlos Sor the care and tr4atmont of petlanta,
. and for the use of oSSlcer8 and em lo es the eoi,
~$l~<h~u~ti%t ~~,~~~~3d~ys:~~~~~a~~F~~he
oomnl33lonor3 aourt.
"He shall heave generrl aupervlsioa snd control
of the reoorda, racounts and bulldlnga OS the hospl-
-1, end nil intoral affairs, and wlntsln disolpllne
therein, end enforce compliance vlth end obedlenoo to
aI1 ruleu, by-lava %nd regulatlons adopted by the
board of menagers for the averment, dlaolpllne %nd
mn,fgemant OS aaid hospite f and the eInp~OyOea end in-
artor therooi. He ah%11 make such further rules,
Boaorable A. 8. Blokemon, Pago 4
ngulatlonr and order8 a8 he any deem neoersary, not
laooa8lrtent vlth lav or vlth the rule8, regulatioa8
aad dlreotloaa OS the bomd of mungera. He r&11,
vlth the oonront of the bould of muia~er8, appoint
ruoh ?.8idoat OftiOOr8 Md 8UOh OIPp1OyO88 88 he may
think &U'OpOr,Wid NOO8Mry fOl' th8 8ff&OiMt PUfOr-
HMO. Of th8 bU8iae88 Of t.hO horrpltrl, SlId prO8Oribe
their duties; Ud for Oau8e 8t4t.d la writing, he
my dl8OhtWgb aziy 8uoh oifloer Ob employee at hi8
dl8ontlOn, after gluing 8UUh 0fiif3~ or aaployue an
opportunity to be heu'd.
"80 8hall o b uu p r o p er
lo o o unt8and reoord8 0r
the bwin888 aad OperatloM of the hospital to be
kept regularly from dny to day la book8 and on re-
OO$'dllprovided fOP that pmO8Ot and 8he11 888 tbst
8Iik@ &OoOUAt8 Md NOOrd8 ~0 OOPPOQtiy Ped8 Up rOr
annual ropO& a8 required
t,h&~ by thi8 l8~, and pro-
8Mit the 88E8 to th8 board Of rPaM@W8 vho rho11 ia-
oorpor8te them lo their report to the 0-88iOliW8
aourt .
'li8 S-11 reoelve intothe hospital, uader the
geaeral direotloa of the board of maneger8, la order
of apjllloatlon, or aaaordlng to the urgenay or need
.of treatment, eay person found to be rufierlng from
8ny 11&088, direr88 OP iajUFy, VhO hU bOCm M Mtwl
mbrldaat and lnh8bltant of the oounty for a period of
at le48t one rear prior to hi8 appliaatlon for admi8-
8fOa to raid hO8p1ti. Heg,sh~ll alro reoelre lato the
horpltal, p8tlents rest by the ocumlrdoners aourt of
my adJ8oent oouaty, vhloh ha8 ooatzaated vlth the
baud fol’ the CQM Md ttB8fiDbnt Of it8 8%Ok and dl-
reued rad injured per8oa8, rO8ldOat la ruoh oountDJ8
% ror 8 period of at leart one yew. Suah prtlent8 rhall
not be reoelved bndmred for unle88 then 18 suffi-
aleat provision for the OW of the rlok, dlsoared and
IaJured or the oouaty ln vhioh the horpltal 18 8ltuated.
Sold ruperlatsndeat e&l1 oauee to be kept propr ao-
QOUnt8 Unl F000rd8 Or the &dld88iOa Of all patienta,
their ~8, age, le%, OOIOrs 8nrltal Ooadit~oa, recrl-
deaoe, ooouprtlon aad phoe of wet employm8at.
"Ee shall 08~80 a ouehii eramination to be made
of thr phyrloal oondltlon o? all perroar, admitted to
Eonorable A. E. Hjckerson, ?a;;~ 5
the hoapltal and provide for the treatment of each
suah potlont occordlng to hia noodj nnd shnll caune
a record to be kept of the condition of oath pntiont
vhen admlttod and from time to time thereafter.
“Be ahall temporarily or per;nsmently discharge
from said bospltnl any pstlont vho shall vilfully or
habitually violate the rules theroofi or who In found
:1 not to be oZ.ck, dlaensod or injured; or vho is found
i, to have recovered therefrom; or who for any othor
.,.
roaaon le no longer a sultablo patient for troatmont
, thoraln; and shall make a full report thoroof:Lat tho
,,;
next mooting of the board, and the sold board shnll
make ouch final disposition OC tho aase aa they mzy
think proper. From tho decision of the board of ma-
: gors them ahall be no ap?,eal.
“Ho shall collect and receive all money:, due the
hospital, koop an BccuratO acaount of the same, report
the 8811x3at the monthly msotlng of tbo board of IIXLM-
gors, and transmit the snmo to the county collector
vithln ton days after such meeting.
“Iic shall bofore ontoring upon the discharge of
hire dutlos, give a bond in su,..fik sum aa the board of
mcrnagera may determine, to SBCWQ the faithful por-
formanao of the duties OP his office.”
Article 4486, Vernon!& Annotated Texas Civil Statutea,
read8 ao follovsr
,
“An roaldont of tho oount in vhlch the hocpftal
1s sltua e ed, desiring Weatmont 1 n such hospltel, may
apply In porson to ttie auporintondant or to nny ropita-
ble phyaiclan for oxamlnation, and suah physiclnn; if
ho.flndo that such perncn la aul’ferlng from nny Illnosa,
dieaose or lnjury may aLply to the superintendent of
;,+; the hoopitsl for hla acimioslon. Blank forms for such
L.. . applioatlon ahall bo provided by tho hospital and ohall
::,:,.‘i be forvnrdod by the auporirfondant thoroof frus to any
I’ 9,
I, + roputable physlclun in the county upon raquott. 30 far
: a8 praatlcnblc, aFpllc.atlone for ndmisalon to the hospl-
3,.
.\, tal shall be made upon au%h forma. The auporintondent
f‘: upon rooelpt of such application, if it o?poara thcrofrom
‘:‘, that the pntlont 13 auffarlng from lllneas, discsao or
:,;
,,.
:* Injury, ond if thoro be a vacancy in said hOSiIlta1, shall
.‘, -
!:
,L ’ 11.0
;’
1
lionorable A. E. Hickorson, Pago 6
I$,
notify the person named in such application to
9’ appear In person at the hospital. If, upon personal
c,~ examination of suoh patient, or of any patient apply-
t ing in person for admlraion, the superintendent is
aatlsfled that suoh person Is sufferin& from any lll-
ness, disease or Injury, he shall admit Nm to the
hospital as a patient. All suoh applications ehall
atate vhether, In the judgmnt of the physlolan, the
person is able to pay In vhole or In part for his
care and treatment vhIle at the hospital. BVOrg
appllcatlon shall be filed and reoorded in a book
kept for that purpose in the order of ltr receipt.
No dlsorfmlnatlon shall bo made In the accommodationg. ”
care or treatment of any patient because of the faot
that the patlent or hls relative5 contribute to the
oost of his malntenanoe, In whole OP In pmt. No
patient shall be permitted to pay for his malntenanoe
in suoh hospital a greater aum than the average per
capita oost of maintenance thePeIn, InoludIng a rea-
sonable allovance for the Interest on the Ooat OS the
hospital. No otfloer or employee of euoh hospital
ahall acoept from any patient thereof, any fee, pay-
mmt or gratuity vhatsoevblr for his servlOes.R
Artlole 4487, Vernon’s Annotated Texas Civil Statutes,
~eada as follovsr
“Wumever a patient has been admitted to raid
hoepltal from the county in vhlch the hospital la
I situated, the superintendent shall oause Inquiry to
be made a8 to his circumstances, and of the relatives
of such patient legally liable for his support. If
he finds that suah patient OP said relatives are lia-
ble to pay COP his care and treatment in vhole or In
p@mt, an order shall be made dlreoting suoh patient,
or said relatives to pay to the treasurer of such
hospital for the support cf such patient a speoIEled
sum per veek, In proportion to their flnanoial ability,
but such sum shall not exceed the aotual per capita
cost of aalntenanoe. The superintendent shall have
povsr and authority to collect such sum from the estate
of the patient, or his relatives legally liable for his
support, in the manner provided by lav for the oollectlon
Honorable A. g. Xiloksraon, Page 7
of expenses of the last Illness of a:.deceased
f per-
11011. If the superintendent finds that nuch pstlent,
OP 8+Id relative8 are not able to pay, either In
vhole OP In part, for hI8 oa~e and treatment In suoh
hompltal, the name shall beoome a charge upon the
county. Should there be a dlrpute a8 to the ability
to 9ay, OP doubt in the mind of the 8upePIntendent,
the oountr court rhrr1.l hear and determine lrame, after
Calling VitlltI8808, and Shall make ruoh order a8 may
be proper, from vhIoh there shall be no appeal."
It Is oliarly apparent that the lav oontemplater that
county hospital8 vi11 be seXi-supportIng In part and vi11 also
be 8UppOrted by the Oounty. Patients vho are able vi11 pay for
their maintenance In the county hospital but no patient vi11 be
permitted to pay a greater. 8um than the average per capita ooat
of maintenanoe thePeln, Including a Peaaonable allovanoe for
th8 intePe8t on the oO8t of the hO8pItal. Officera and s@ployees
0r county hoapital8 are 9Pohlblted from aoaepting feea, payments
OP gratuities from prtlentr for thelP sePvIoe8. No dIsarImIna-
tlon is to be aade betveen paying patient8 and non-paying patients.
(&tic10 4487, supra)
The salaries of the superintendent,- and all other offl-
oer8 and employees of the county hospital are fIxed by the board
and murt be v1t.hl.n the limit of the appropriation made therefor
. by the oonm18810norat court. Such salaries ahall be corn naatlon
In full for all 8ervIoaa rendered. (APtlole 4480, supra p", The
bo8Pd 8hall also appoint a 8taff of VXtlng ph slolans vho ahall
8OPV4 without pay from the OOUnty. (APtiole 4 t 80, 8UpPa).
In vlev of the fo r e g oluthopltles,
ing you are Pespaot-
fully advised that it la the opinion of thI8 department that your
quertlon should be ansvered in the negative and It Is ao mavered.
Very truly your8
ATTORNEY
OBNBRAL
OF IPEXAB
A,,,;92