Effective: September 29, 2013
Latest Legislation: House Bill 59 - 130th General Assembly
(A) Two or more hospital agencies may enter into agreements for the acquisition, construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, remodeling, renovating, enlarging, equipping, and furnishing of hospital facilities, or the management, operation, occupancy, use, maintenance, and repair of hospital facilities, or for participation in programs, projects, activities, and services useful to, connected with, supplementing, or otherwise related to the services provided by, or the operation of, hospital facilities operated by one or more participating hospital agencies, including any combination of such purposes, all in such manner as to promote the public purpose stated in section 140.02 of the Revised Code. A city health district; general health district; board of alcohol, drug addiction, and mental health services; county board of developmental disabilities; the department of mental health and addiction services; the department of developmental disabilities; or any public body engaged in the education or training of health professions personnel may join in any such agreement for purposes related to its authority under laws applicable to it, and as such a participant shall be considered a public hospital agency or hospital agency for the purposes of this section.
(B) An agreement entered into under authority of this section shall, where appropriate, provide for:
(1) The manner in which the title to the hospital facilities, including the sites and interest in real estate pertaining thereto, is to be held, transferred, or disposed of;
(2) Unless provided for by lease pursuant to section 140.05 of the Revised Code, the method by which such hospital facilities are to be acquired, constructed, or otherwise improved and by which they shall be managed, occupied, maintained, and repaired, including the designation of one of the hospital agencies to have charge of the details of acquisition, construction, or improvement pursuant to the contracting procedures prescribed under the law applicable to one of the participating public hospital agencies;
(3) The management or administration of any such programs, projects, activities, or services, which may include management or administration by one of said hospital agencies or a board or agency thereof;
(4) Annual, or more frequent, reports to the participating hospital agencies as to the revenues and receipts pertaining to the subject of the agreement, the expenditures thereof, the status and application of other funds contributed under such agreement, and such other matters as may be specified by or pursuant to such agreement;
(5) The manner of apportionment or sharing of costs of hospital facilities, any other applicable costs of management, operation, maintenance, and repair of hospital facilities, and costs for the programs, projects, activities, and services forming the subject of the agreement, which apportionment or sharing may be prescribed in fixed amounts, or determined by ratios, formulas, or otherwise, and paid as service charges, rentals, or in such other manner as provided in the agreement, and may include amounts sufficient to meet the bond service charges and other payments and deposits required under the bond proceedings for obligations issued to pay costs of hospital facilities. A hospital agency may commit itself to make such payments at least for so long as any such obligations are outstanding. In the apportionment, different classes of costs or expenses may be apportioned to one or more, all or less than all, of the participating hospital agencies as determined under such agreement.
(C) An agreement entered into under authority of this section may provide for:
(1) An orderly process for making determinations or advising as to planning, execution, implementation, and operation, which may include designating one of the hospital agencies, or a board thereof, for any of such purposes, provisions for a committee, board, or commission, and for representation thereon, or as may otherwise be provided;
(2) Securing necessary personnel, including participation of personnel from the respective hospital agencies;
(3) Standards or conditions for the admission or participation of patients and physicians;
(4) Conditions for admittance of other hospital agencies to participation under the agreement;
(5) Fixing or establishing the method of determining charges to be made for particular services;
(6) The manner of amending, supplementing, terminating, or withdrawal or removal of any party from, the agreement, and the term of the agreement, or an indefinite term;
(7) Designation of the applicants for or recipients of any federal, state, or other aid, assistance, or loans available by reason of any activities conducted under the agreement;
(8) Designation of one or more of the participating hospital agencies to maintain, prepare, and submit, on behalf of all parties to the agreement, any or all records and reports with regard to the activities conducted under the agreement;
(9) Any incidental use of the hospital facilities, or services thereof, by participating public hospital agencies for any of their lawful purposes, which incidental use does not impair the character of the facilities as hospital facilities for any purpose of this chapter;
(10) Such other matters as the parties thereto may agree upon for the purposes of division (A) of this section.
(D) For the purpose of paying or contributing its share under an agreement made under this section, a public hospital agency may:
(1) Expend any moneys from its general fund, and from any other funds not otherwise restricted by law, but including funds for permanent improvements of hospital facilities of such public hospital agency where the contribution is to be made toward the costs of hospital facilities under the agreement, and including funds derived from levies for, or receipts available for, operating expenses of hospital facilities or services of such public hospital agency where the contribution or payment is to be made toward operating expenses of the hospital facilities or services under the agreement or for the services provided thereby;
(2) Issue obligations under Chapter 133. or section 140.06, 339.14, 339.15, 513.12, or 3345.12 of the Revised Code, or Section 3 of Article XVIII, Ohio Constitution, if applicable to such public hospital agency, to pay costs of hospital facilities, or issue obligations under any other provision of law authorizing such public hospital agency to issue obligations for any costs of hospital facilities;
(3) Levy taxes under Chapter 5705. or section 513.13 or 3709.29 of the Revised Code, if applicable to such public hospital agency, provided that the purpose of such levy may include the provision of funds for either or both permanent improvements and current expenses if required for the contribution or payment of such hospital agency under such agreement, and each such public hospital agency may issue notes in anticipation of any such levy, pursuant to the procedures provided in section 5705.191 of the Revised Code if the levy is solely for current expenses, and in section 5705.193 of the Revised Code if the levy is all or in part for permanent improvements;
(4) Contribute real and personal property or interest therein without necessity for competitive bidding or public auction on disposition of such property.
(E) Any funds provided by public hospital agencies that are parties to an agreement entered into under this section shall be transferred to and placed in a separate fund or funds of such participating public hospital agency as is designated under the agreement. The funds shall be applied for the purposes provided in such agreement and are subject to audit. Pursuant to any determinations to be made under such agreement, the funds shall be deposited, invested, and disbursed under the provisions of law applicable to the public hospital agency in whose custody the funds are held. This division is subject to the provisions of any applicable bond proceedings under section 133.08, 140.06, 339.15, or 3345.12 of the Revised Code or Section 3 of Article XVIII, Ohio Constitution. The records and reports of such public hospital agency under Chapter 117. of the Revised Code and sections 3702.51 to 3702.62 of the Revised Code, with respect to the funds shall be sufficient without necessity for reports thereon by the other public hospital agencies participating under such agreement.
(F)(1) Prior to its entry into any such agreement, the public hospital agency must determine, and set forth in a resolution or ordinance, that the contribution to be made by it under such agreement will be fair consideration for value and benefit to be derived by it under such agreement and that the agreement will promote the public purpose stated in section 140.02 of the Revised Code.
(2) If the agreement is with a board of county commissioners, board of county hospital trustees, or county hospital commission and is an initial agreement for the acquisition or operation of a county hospital operated by a board of county hospital trustees under section 339.06 of the Revised Code, the governing body of the public hospital agency shall submit the agreement, accompanied by the resolution or ordinance, to the board of county commissioners for review pursuant to section 339.091 of the Revised Code. The agreement may be entered into only if the board of county commissioners adopts a resolution under that section. The requirements of division (F)(2) of this section do not apply to the agreement if one or more hospitals classified as general hospitals by the director of health under section 3701.07 of the Revised Code are operating in the same county as the county hospital.