(A) The following apply to the board of hospital commissioners in relation to its employees and the employees of a hospital erected under sections 749.02 to 749.14 of the Revised Code, subject to the ordinances of the legislative authority of the municipal corporation:

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

(2) The board may employ the hospital's administrator pursuant to section 749.083 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 hospital, and pay the hospital's expenses. The employees may be paid from funds provided for the hospital.

(4) The board may enter into a contract with an employer or other entity whereby the services of any employee of the board or hospital are rendered to or on behalf of the employer or other entity for a fee paid to the board or hospital.

(5) The board may grant to employees any fringe benefits the board determines to be customary and usual in the nonprofit hospital field in the community, including the following:

(a) Additional vacation leave with full pay for full-time employees, including 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, which shall not be deducted from the employee's accumulated sick leave, due to death in the employee's immediate family;

(d) Moving expenses for new employees;

(e) Premium pay for working on holidays observed by other municipal agencies;

(f) Discounts on purchases from the hospital pharmacy.

(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 division (B) of this section.

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

(9) The board may provide scholarships for education in the health care professions, tuition reimbursement, and other staff development programs for the purpose of recruiting or retaining qualified employees.

(10) The board may pay reasonable expenses for recruiting physicians into the city or for retaining them if all or part of the city has been designated as an area with a shortage of personal health services under the "Health Maintenance Organization Act of 1973," 87 Stat. 914, 42 U.S.C. 300e, as amended.

(B)

(1) The board of hospital commissioners may contract for, purchase, or otherwise procure on behalf of any or all of its employees, the employees of the hospital, or such employees and their immediate dependents the following types of fringe benefits:

(a) Group or individual insurance contracts which may include life, sickness, accident, disability, annuities, endowment, health, medical expense, hospital, dental, surgical and related coverage or any combination thereof;

(b) Group or individual contracts with health insuring corporations or other providers of professional services, care, or benefits duly authorized to do business in this state.

(2) The board of hospital commissioners may contract for, purchase, or otherwise procure insurance contracts which provide protection for the commissioners, the board's employees, and the employees of the hospital against liability, including professional liability, provided that this section or any insurance contract issued pursuant to this section shall not be construed as a waiver of or in any manner affect the immunity of the hospital or municipal corporation.

(3) All or any portion of the cost, premium, fees, or charges for the insurance benefits specified in divisions (B)(1) and (2) of this section may be paid in such manner or combination of manners as the board may determine, including direct payment by an employee, and, if authorized in writing by an employee, by the board with moneys made available by deduction from or reduction in salary or wages or by the foregoing of a salary or wage increase.

Notwithstanding sections 3917.01 and 3917.06 of the Revised Code, the board may purchase group life insurance authorized by this section by reason of payment of premiums therefor by the board from its funds, and such group life insurance may be issued and purchased if otherwise consistent with sections 3917.01 to 3917.06 of the Revised Code.

(C) The board with the approval of the legislative authority may retain counsel to bring actions for the collection of delinquent accounts.

Effective Date: 04-27-2005 .

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