(1) The hospital is primarily and principally conducted, not for chronic illness, but for the care and treatment of legal residents of Colorado who are afflicted with a behavioral or mental health disorder that can probably be remedied by observation, treatment, and hospital care. The hospital must also be utilized for such instruction and for such scientific research as, in the opinion of the board of regents, will promote the welfare of the patients committed or certified to its care and assist in the application of science to the prevention and cure of behavioral or mental health disorders.
Persons eligible to admission to said hospital as patients shall belong to one of thefollowing classes: First, voluntary public patients; second, committed public patients; third, voluntary private patients; fourth, committed private patients; fifth, part pay patients, either voluntary or committed.
A voluntary public patient is one who is admitted to the hospital at his own requestor at the request of the person who has lawful custody or control over him. A committed patient is one who is ordered by the court to submit to observation, care, and treatment at the hospital. A private patient is one whose entire expenses at the hospital are paid by himself, out of his estate, by those responsible for his support, or by some person who voluntarily assumes the expense. A public patient is one whose entire expense at the hospital is paid out of the psychiatric hospital fund. A part pay patient is one whose expense is paid in part out of the psychiatric hospital fund, and the remainder is paid by himself, out of his estate, by those legally responsible for his support, or by someone who voluntarily assumes the expense.
Source: L. 23: p. 525, § 3. CSA: C. 105, § 69. CRS 53: § 124-3-6. C.R.S. 1963: § 1243-6. L. 2017: (1) amended, (SB 17-242), ch. 263, p. 1320, § 174, effective May 25.
Cross references: For the legislative declaration in SB 17-242, see section 1 of chapter 263, Session Laws of Colorado 2017.