It is the intent of the Legislature in enacting this article to assist rural hospitals that play a vital role in the health delivery system. The Legislature recognizes the difficulties rural hospitals encounter meeting urban hospital standards while serving a small, rural, or tourist patient base. However, it is not the intent of the Legislature to provide assistance to facilities that can only survive with continuous subsidies. Rather, it is the intent of the Legislature, through this program, to encourage the development and transition to an alternative rural hospital model, and to provide essential access to services not available at the alternative rural hospital level.
(Added by Stats. 1995, Ch. 415, Sec. 9. Effective January 1, 1996.)