The General Assembly authorizes and grants to the Board of Trustees of the Medical University of South Carolina authority to enter into reasonable agreements to transfer the management and operations of the Medical University Hospital to one or more private operators, including authority to:
(A) Lease certain Medical University Hospital land, together with all easements, rights, privileges, and appurtenances appertaining thereto, and all of the buildings, structures, fixtures, and other improvements existing and situated on that land, all as described in Section 44-7-3120; and
(B) Sell furniture, fixtures, equipment, accounts receivable, and other incidental assets associated with or employed in the operation of the Medical University Hospital on the land.
Provided, however, that the following terms and conditions must be observed and included and accepted in the agreements:
(1) The term of the lease and any extensions may not exceed a total aggregate period of thirty years.
(2) The leased premises may be used only for the operation of hospitals and clinics, and for other uses reasonably related to hospitals, clinics, and health care, provided that those operations and uses are consistent with all Joint Commission on Accreditation and Healthcare Organizations standards.
(3) Any private operator or operators chosen by the Medical University of South Carolina's Board of Trustees to operate the Medical University Hospital shall not transfer, sell, lease, or assign control of the Medical University Hospital, or of the entity operating or controlling the Medical University Hospital or of any of its related real estate or other assets, to any other private operator without the prior express written approval of the Medical University of South Carolina Board of Trustees and without compliance with the same terms and conditions provided in this article. Prior to any such transfer, sale, lease, or assignment of control, the Medical University of South Carolina shall have the right of first refusal and be given sufficient time to consider and decide whether to exercise the right of first refusal.
(4) Any private operator or operators chosen by the Medical University of South Carolina's Board of Trustees to operate the Medical University Hospital must provide indigent care in the same manner as is being provided by the Medical University of South Carolina through the operation of this Medical University Hospital and its clinical programs.
(5) The Medical University of South Carolina and the State of South Carolina must be protected from any tort liability arising from the private operation of the Medical University Hospital by the private operator, unless and except to the extent the tort liability is caused by or attributed to the Medical University of South Carolina or the State of South Carolina, or both. The agreement will require the operator of the Medical University Hospital to acquire and keep in effect sufficient insurance policies to provide a reasonable amount and type of coverage and naming the Medical University of South Carolina as an additional insured.
(6) The name and logo of the Medical University of South Carolina and its affiliates shall not be used by any private operator to market and promote health care services.
(7) The proceeds from this lease and from the sale of these assets must be used for the retirement of outstanding indebtedness incurred to finance Medical University Hospital facilities, and all other revenues and payments received from or in connection with this lease or sale must be dedicated solely for use of the Medical University of South Carolina's business and operations as the Board of Trustees of the Medical University of South Carolina may direct, subject to review by the appropriate bodies of state governments.
(8) All agreements, the manner in which all agreements are made and the implementation of all agreements must comply with all applicable laws.
(9) Access for any person or group to use the services of the Medical University Hospital and clinical services shall not be limited, restricted, denied, or allowed in a discriminatory manner that is prohibited by law; nor shall such access be denied based on lack of participation or membership in a particular health plan or network.
(10) The Medical University of South Carolina shall have access at all times to all records of all patients treated at the Medical University Hospital, and all patients shall have access at all times to their own records.
Provided, further, that the lease and sale may not be finalized until the State Fiscal Accountability Authority or Department of Administration, as applicable, is satisfied that the consideration paid by the private operator or operators for the agreements authorized by this article reflects a fair and reasonable value to the State of South Carolina, based upon either the net book value of the hospital, capitalization of income from operation of the hospital over a period of years, the net present value of future cash flow of the hospital, a direct comparison to a comparable transaction, or some other financially sound and general practiced method of business evaluation.
The State Fiscal Accountability Authority or Department of Administration, as applicable, is directed to cause the lease and purchase agreements regarding the Medical University Hospital to contain provisions requiring and ensuring compliance with the terms and conditions stated above. To assist the board in performing this function, the Medical University of South Carolina is required to provide, at its expense, any information, studies, evaluations, agreements, reports, or other data requested by the State Fiscal Accountability Authority or Department of Administration, as applicable, including any such items with regard to University Medical Associates or any of its employees, officers, and affiliates. The approval requirement for the transaction authorized in this act shall be governed by the provisions of Section 1-11-65 of the 1976 Code, and compliance with the provisions of this act is exclusive and shall satisfy the approval requirements of any and all other statutory provisions requiring the review and/or approval of any agency, department, or division.
No lease or other agreement pursuant to this article shall be valid unless and until the provisions of this article have been complied with fully and the State Fiscal Accountability Authority or Department of Administration, as applicable, has certified that the provisions of this article have been complied with fully.
HISTORY: 1996 Act No. 390, Section 1.