Private Acts of 1976 Chapter 237

SECTION 1. A nonprofit hospital to be known as the "Jesse Holman Jones Hospital," is hereby created and established for and in behalf of Robertson County.

SECTION 2. The hospital established under the provisions of this act shall be governed and controlled by a Board of Directors composed of five (5) members who shall serve for the same compensation as members of standing committees of the Robertson County Quarterly Court. The members of such board shall be elected annually by the Quarterly Court of Robertson County at its regular session in September. No physician, druggist or member of the Healing Arts shall be eligible for membership on the Board of Directors. No more than two (2) members of such board shall be members of the Quarterly County Court.

The following designated persons, until the first election, shall constitute the Board of Directors: Hugh Barber, R. H. Burnett, J. W. Dorris, Sr., Alvin Fowler, and E. Dee Reid.

SECTION 3. The Board of Directors shall have full authority to manage and control the Jesse Holman Jones Hospital and make all rules and regulations necessary for the administration of such hospital; to employ a hospital administrator and the necessary personnel for the operation thereof, to fix their compensation; to determine and prescribe the duties and responsibilities of such administrator and personnel; to purchase equipment, supplies, and repairs deemed necessary; and to administer the financial affairs of such hospital.

SECTION 4. The Board of Directors shall annually prepare and submit to the Quarterly County Court a budget reflecting in detail all estimated receipts and disbursements of such hospital. Such budget shall be for the fiscal year July 1 to June 30 and shall be submitted by the Board of Directors not later than June 1 prior to the commencement of the fiscal year.

SECTION 5. The Board of Directors shall prepare and submit to the Quarterly County Court during each quarter of each fiscal year, a complete financial statement and report, which, shall include, but not be limited to, a comparison of actual receipts and disbursements as of the dates of such financial statements. The County Judge, or a duly authorized representative of the County Court, shall have authority to inspect the financial records of the hospital at any time, during the normal business hours, and make such report, or reports, to the County Court as the said Court shall deem necessary.

SECTION 6. Upon approval of the Board of Directors, only physicians and dentists licensed to practice in the State of Tennessee who can document their background, experience, training, and demonstrated competence, their adherence to the ethics of their profession, and their good reputation shall constitute the medical staff of such hospital; and shall have the right to administer treatments to patients.

SECTION 7. Such hospital, under general rules and regulations promulgated by its Board of Directors, is authorized to make charges for services rendered to persons receiving treatment or admitted as patients in such hospital. Only persons who are indigent and are unable to pay for professional, medical and surgical services, including room and board in such hospital, shall be admitted thereto without paying the fees prescribed by the Board of Directors. No person other than any emergency case shall be admitted to such hospital without arrangements made to pay, except upon order of the Administrator of the hospital, or the Board of Directors, who are hereby authorized to determine to their discretion whether or not any applicant is entitled to admission to the hospital as a charity patient.

SECTION 8. The Quarterly County Court of Robertson County is authorized to appropriate to the Board of Directors from the funds of the county, such sum as such Court may deem appropriate to finance the operation and maintenance of such hospital; and are authorized and empowered, also, to levy taxes sufficient for these purposes.

SECTION 9. Chapter 477 of the Private Acts of 1935, Chapter 511 of the Private Acts of 1941, Chapter 806 of the Private Acts of 1947, Chapter 200 of the Private Acts of 1963, and all other acts amendatory thereto, and any other act or amendment inconsistent with the provisions of this act are hereby expressly repealed.

SECTION 10. If any provision of this act or the application thereof to any person or circumstance is held invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions or applications of the act which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to that end the provisions of this act are declared to be severable.

SECTION 11. This act shall have no effect unless it is approved by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Quarterly County Court of Robertson County on or before the next regular meeting of such Quarterly County Court occurring more than thirty (30) days after its approval by the Chief Executive. Its approval or nonapproval shall be proclaimed by the presiding officer of the Quarterly County Court and certified by him to the Secretary of State.

SECTION 12. For the purpose of approving or rejecting the provisions of this act, it shall be effective upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it. For all other purposes, it shall become effective July 1, 1976.

Passed: March 3, 1976.