65-201. County, city-county and multicounty units; local health officers; appointment, tenure, removal; laws applicable. The county commissioners of the several counties of this state shall act as county boards of health for their respective counties. Each county board thus created shall appoint a person licensed to practice medicine and surgery, preference being given to persons who have training in public health, who shall serve in an advisory capacity to the county board of health and as the local health officer, except that the appointing authority of city-county, county or multicounty health units with less than one hundred thousand (100,000) population may appoint a qualified local health program administrator as the local health officer if a person licensed to practice medicine and surgery or person licensed to practice dentistry is designated as a consultant to direct the administrator on program and related medical and professional matters. The local health officer or local health program administrator shall hold office at the pleasure of the board.
The board of county commissioners in any county having a population of less than fifteen thousand (15,000) may contract with the governing body of any hospital located in such county for the purpose of authorizing such governing body to supply services to a county board of health.
History: L. 1885, ch. 129, § 7; R.S. 1923, 65-201; L. 1973, ch. 246, § 1; L. 1976, ch. 264, § 1; July 1.