§ 12-1615 — Donations of property for hospital purposes; board of trustees, membership, terms of office, vacancies; administrator contracts; pension and deferred compensation plans for employees; contracts insuring employees and dependents; expenditure of funds for recruitment or retention of professional staff

(a) As used in this section, the term "hospital" means a medical care facility as defined in K.S.A. 65-425, and amendments thereto, and includes within its meaning any clinic, school of nursing, long-term care facility and child-care facility operated in connection with the operation of the medical care facility.
(b) Any person desiring to make donations of money, personal property or real estate, or to bequeath or devise any such property, for the purpose of founding, establishing, building, furnishing or maintaining a hospital shall have the right to vest the title to the money or property so donated, bequeathed or devised in the board of directors or trustees of any city hospital that may be provided for by law or to vest such title in any city of this state, and when such gift, bequest or devise shall be to any city, if there is no public hospital belonging to or under the control of the city, then the mayor of the city with the consent of the council, or the commissioners of any city under commission government, shall immediately name a five member board of trustees for the hospital, and upon qualification of the trustees, the title shall vest in the trustees, and in any such case, the title shall thereafter be held and controlled by the board according to the terms of the deed, gift, devise or bequest of such property; and as to such property, the board shall be held and considered to be special trustee. At any time subsequent to the initial appointment of a five member board of trustees, the governing body by resolution may increase the number of trustees to serve on the board to seven or nine members. In the event the governing body does not increase by resolution the number of members to serve on the board of trustees, the board of trustees shall consist of five members.
(c) The members of the first board shall hold office for one, two, three, four and five years respectively. Each year the term of one member shall expire and a successor shall be appointed for a term of five years. In case of a vacancy occurring other than by expiration of term of office a successor shall be appointed for the unexpired term. All appointments shall be made in the same manner as original appointments.
(d) Whenever the number of members of an existing board of trustees is increased by resolution of the governing body of the city, the governing body shall provide by resolution for the expiration of the terms of the members appointed to the new positions on the board of trustees to coincide with the expiration of the terms of the members serving on the board of trustees at the time of the creation of the new positions so that no more than a simple majority of the members of the board of trustees is appointed at the same time. Upon the expiration of the terms of those originally appointed pursuant to this subsection, their successors shall be appointed for terms of five years.
(e) The board of hospital trustees shall be authorized to enter into an employment contract to engage the services of an administrator or chief executive officer to manage the affairs of the hospital and which establishes compensation for such services and the terms of engagement; to establish and fund pension and deferred compensation plans for hospital employees; and to procure contracts insuring hospital employees, their dependents, or any class or classes thereof under a policy or policies of life, disability income, health, accident, accidental death and dismemberment, and hospital, surgical and medical expense insurance. The employee's contribution, if any, to the plan and to the premium for such insurance may be deducted by the employer from the employee's salary when authorized in writing by the respective employee so to do. The board may also expend funds deemed necessary in the recruitment or retention of professional staff including, but not limited to, the purchase of professional liability insurance for such staff.
(f) The person making a deed or gift, or the testator, may provide for an advisor or advisory board not exceeding five persons in number to advise and aid in carrying out the wishes of the donor or testator, but such advisor or advisors shall have no vote on the board of trustees unless a legal member thereof.

Legislative History

L. 1913, ch. 203, § 1; R.S. 1923, § 12-1615; L. 1971, ch. 49, § 1; L. 1972, ch. 44, § 1; L. 1978, ch. 63, § 1; L. 1984, ch. 71, § 1; L. 1991, ch. 66, § 1; L. 2008, ch. 31, § 1; July 1.