(A) The board of county hospital trustees, upon completion of construction or leasing and equipping of a county hospital, shall assume and continue the operation of the hospital.

(B) The board of county hospital trustees shall have the entire management and control of the county hospital. The board may in writing delegate its management and control of the county hospital to the administrator of the county hospital employed under section 339.07 of the Revised Code. The board shall establish such rules for the hospital's government, management, control, and the admission of persons as are expedient.

(C) The board of county hospital trustees has control of the property of the county hospital, including management and disposal of surplus property other than real estate or an interest in real estate.

(D) With respect to the use of funds by the board of county hospital trustees and its accounting for the use of funds, all of the following apply:

(1) The board of county hospital trustees has control of all funds used in the county hospital's operation, including moneys received from the operation of the hospital, moneys appropriated for its operation by the board of county commissioners, and moneys resulting from special levies submitted by the board of county commissioners as provided for in section 5705.22 of the Revised Code.

(2) Of the funds used in the county hospital's operation, all or part of any amount determined not to be necessary to meet current demands on the hospital may be invested by the board of county hospital trustees or its designee in any classifications of securities and obligations eligible for deposit or investment of county moneys pursuant to section 135.35 of the Revised Code, subject to the approval of the board's written investment policy by the county investment advisory committee established pursuant to section 135.341 of the Revised Code. If a county hospital is based in a county that has adopted a charter under Section 3 of Article X, Ohio Constitution, such funds may be invested by the board of county hospital trustees as provided in this division or in an ordinance adopted by the legislative authority of the county, in either case subject to approval by the county investment advisory committee, or as provided in section 339.061 of the Revised Code.

(3) Annually, not later than sixty days before the end of the fiscal year used by the county hospital, the board of county hospital trustees shall submit its proposed budget for the ensuing fiscal year to the board of county commissioners for that board's review. The board of county commissioners shall review and approve the proposed budget by the first day of the fiscal year to which the budget applies. If the board of county commissioners has not approved the budget by the first day of the fiscal year to which the budget applies, the budget is deemed to have been approved by the board on the first day of that fiscal year.

(4) The board of county hospital trustees shall not expend funds received from taxes collected pursuant to any tax levied under section 5705.22 of the Revised Code or the amount appropriated to the county hospital by the board of county commissioners in the annual appropriation measure for the county until its budget for the applicable fiscal year is approved in accordance with division (C)(3) of this section. At any time the amount received from those sources differs from the amount shown in the approved budget, the board of county commissioners may require the board of county hospital trustees to revise the county hospital budget accordingly.

(5) Funds under the control of the board of county hospital trustees may be disbursed by the board, consistent with the approved budget, for the uses and purposes of the county hospital; for the replacement of necessary equipment; for the acquisition, leasing, or construction of permanent improvements to county hospital property; or for making a donation authorized by division (E) of this section. Each disbursement of funds shall be made on a voucher signed by signatories designated and approved by the board of county hospital trustees.

(6) The head of a board of county hospital trustees is not required to file an estimate of contemplated revenue and expenditures for the ensuing fiscal year under section 5705.28 of the Revised Code unless the board of county commissioners levies a tax for the county hospital, or such a tax is proposed, or the board of county hospital trustees desires that the board of county commissioners make an appropriation to the county hospital for the ensuing fiscal year.

(7) All moneys appropriated by the board of county commissioners or from special levies by the board of county commissioners for the operation of the hospital, when collected shall be paid to the board of county hospital trustees on a warrant of the county auditor and approved by the board of county commissioners.

(8) The board of county hospital trustees shall provide for the conduct of an annual financial audit of the county hospital. Not later than thirty days after it receives the final report of an annual financial audit, the board shall file a copy of the report with the board of county commissioners.

(E) For the public purpose of improving the health, safety, and general welfare of the community, the board of county hospital trustees may donate to a nonprofit entity any of the following:

(1) Moneys and other financial assets determined not to be necessary to meet current demands on the hospital;

(2) Surplus hospital property, including supplies, equipment, office facilities, and other property that is not real estate or an interest in real estate;

(3) Services rendered by the hospital.

(F)

(1) For purposes of division (F)(2) of this section

, "bank" has the same meaning as in section 1101.01 of the Revised Code.

(2) The board of county hospital trustees may enter into a contract for a secured line of credit with a bank if the contract meets all of the following requirements:

(a) The term of the contract does not exceed one year, except that the contract may provide for the automatic renewal of the contract for up to four additional one-year periods if, on the date of automatic renewal, the aggregate outstanding draws remaining unpaid under the secured line of credit do not exceed fifty per cent of the maximum amount that can be drawn under the secured line of credit.

(b) The contract provides that the bank shall not commence a civil action against the board of county commissioners, any member of the board, or the county to recover the principal, interest, or any charges or other amounts that remain outstanding on the secured line of credit at the time of any default by the board of county hospital trustees.

(c) The contract provides that no assets other than those of the county hospital can be used to secure the line of credit.

(d) The terms and conditions of the contract comply with all state and federal statutes and rules governing the extension of a secured line of credit.

(3) Any obligation incurred by a board of county hospital trustees under division (F)(2) of this section is an obligation of that board only and not a general obligation of the board of county commissioners or the county within the meaning of division (Q) of section 133.01 of the Revised Code.

(4) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Revised Code, the board of county hospital trustees may secure the line of credit authorized under division (F)(2) of this section by the grant of a security interest in any part or all of its tangible personal property and intangible personal property, including its deposit accounts, accounts receivable, or both.

(5) No board of county hospital trustees shall at any time have more than one secured line of credit under division (F)(2) of this section.

(G) The board of county hospital trustees shall establish a schedule of charges for all services and treatment rendered by the county hospital. It may provide for the free treatment in the hospital of soldiers, sailors, and marines of the county, under such conditions and rules as it prescribes.

(H) The board of county hospital trustees may designate the amounts and forms of insurance protection to be provided, and the board of county commissioners shall assist in obtaining such protection. The expense of providing the protection shall be paid from hospital operating funds.

(I) The board of county hospital trustees may authorize a county hospital and each of its units, hospital board members, designated hospital employees, and medical staff members to be a member of and maintain membership in any local, state, or national group or association organized and operated for the promotion of the public health and welfare or advancement of the efficiency of hospital administration and in connection therewith to use tax funds for the payment of dues and fees and related expenses but nothing in this section prohibits the board from using receipts from hospital operation, other than tax funds, for the payment of such dues and fees.

(J) The following apply to the board of county hospital trustees in relation to its employees and the employees of the county hospital:

(1) The board shall adopt the wage and salary schedule for employees.

(2) The board may employ the hospital's administrator pursuant to section 339.07 of the Revised Code, and the administrator may employ individuals for the hospital in accordance with that section.

(3) The board may employ assistants as necessary to perform its clerical work, superintend properly the construction of the county hospital, and pay the hospital's expenses. Such employees may be paid from funds provided for the county hospital.

(4) The board may hire, by contract or as salaried employees, such management consultants, accountants, attorneys, engineers, architects, construction managers, and other professional advisors as it determines are necessary and desirable to assist in the management of the programs and operation of the county hospital. Such professional advisors may be paid from county hospital operating funds.

(5) Notwithstanding section 325.19 of the Revised Code, the board may grant to employees any fringe benefits the board determines to be customary and usual in the nonprofit hospital field in its community, including, but not limited to:

(a) Additional vacation leave with full pay for full-time employees, including full-time hourly rate employees, after service of one year;

(b) Vacation leave and holiday pay for part-time employees on a pro rata basis;

(c) Leave with full pay due to death in the employee's immediate family, which shall not be deducted from the employee's accumulated sick leave;

(d) Premium pay for working on holidays listed in section 325.19 of the Revised Code;

(e) Moving expenses for new employees;

(f) Discounts on hospital supplies and services.

(6) The board may provide holiday leave by observing Martin Luther King day, Washington-Lincoln day, Columbus day, and Veterans' day on days other than those specified in section 1.14 of the Revised Code.

(7) The board may grant to employees the insurance benefits authorized by section 339.16 of the Revised Code.

(8) Notwithstanding section 325.19 of the Revised Code, the board may grant to employees, including hourly rate employees, such personal holidays as the board determines to be customary and usual in the hospital field in its community.

(9) The board may provide employee recognition awards and hold employee recognition dinners.

(10) The board may grant to employees the recruitment and retention benefits specified under division (K) of this section.

(K) Notwithstanding sections 325.191 and 325.20 of the Revised Code, the board of county hospital trustees may provide, without the prior authorization of the board of county commissioners, scholarships for education in the health care professions, tuition reimbursement, and other staff development programs to enhance the skills of health care professionals for the purpose of recruiting or retaining qualified employees.

The board of county hospital trustees may pay reasonable expenses for recruiting or retaining physicians and other appropriate health care practitioners.

(L) The board of county hospital trustees may retain counsel and institute legal action in its own name for the collection of delinquent accounts. The board may also employ any other lawful means for the collection of delinquent accounts.

Amended by 132nd General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 49, §130.21, eff. 1/1/2018.

Amended by 131st General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 64, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2015.

Amended by 130th General Assembly File No. 25, HB 59, §101.01, eff. 9/29/2013.

Effective Date: 10-26-1999; 04-29-2005; 03-30-2007

Note: The amendment to this section by 129th General AssemblyFile No.10, SB 5, §1 was rejected by voters in the November, 2011 election.