65-201. County, city-county and multicounty units; local health officers; appointment, tenure, removal; laws applicable; review, amendment or revocation of local health officer orders.
(a) The board of county commissioners of each county shall act as the county board of health for the county. Each county board shall appoint a person licensed to practice medicine and surgery, preference being given to persons who have training in public health, who shall serve as the local health officer and who shall act in an advisory capacity to the county board of health. The appointing authority of city-county, county or multicounty health units with less than 100,000 population may appoint a qualified local health program administrator as the local health officer if a person licensed to practice medicine and surgery or person licensed to practice dentistry is designated as a consultant to direct the administrator on program and related medical and professional matters. The local health officer or local health program administrator shall hold office at the pleasure of the board.
(b) Any order issued by the local health officer, including orders issued as a result of an executive order of the governor, may be reviewed, amended or revoked by the board of county commissioners of the county affected by such order at a meeting of the board. Any order reviewed or amended by the board shall include an expiration date set by the board and may be amended or revoked at an earlier date by a majority vote of the board.
(c) The board of county commissioners in any county having a population of less than 15,000 may contract with the governing body of any hospital located in such county for the purpose of authorizing such governing body of the hospital to supply services to a county board of health.
History: L. 1885, ch. 129, § 7; R.S. 1923, 65-201; L. 1973, ch. 246, § 1; L. 1976, ch. 264, § 1; L. 2020, ch. 1, § 37 (Special Session); June 9.