§ 17:1518.1 — Huey P. Long Medical Center; merger with Louisiana State University Health

Louisiana § 17:1518.1

• Jurisdiction: Louisiana
• Title 17: Credit Union Law

Text

§1518.1. Huey P. Long Medical Center; merger with Louisiana State University Health
Sciences Center at Shreveport
A.(1) The Huey P. Long Medical Center in Pineville is hereby merged with and shall
become a part of the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at Shreveport,
hereinafter referred to in this Section as the "health sciences center".
(2) The Huey P. Long Medical Center shall be operated primarily for the medical
care of the uninsured and medically indigent residents of the state and others in need of
medical care and as a teaching institution. For purposes of this Section, "medically indigent"
means any person whose household income is below two hundred percent of the federal
poverty level and who is uninsured.
B. Management of the Huey P. Long Medical Center shall be the responsibility of
the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at Shreveport, office of the chancellor,
which shall have authority to exercise all power to direct, control, supervise, and manage the
medical center. As part of the health sciences center, the Huey P. Long Medical Center shall
be maintained and operated in the same manner as those components of the health sciences
center which provide medical care. The Huey P. Long Medical Center shall have access to
all new health care initiatives and enjoy the benefits of technology and equipment acquired
for the maintenance or enhancement of the delivery of medical care by organizations
comprising the health sciences center.
C. All employees engaged in the performance of duties relating to the functions of
the Huey P. Long Medical Center shall become employees of the health sciences center and
shall continue to perform their duties and maintain their rights, privileges, and benefits in
accordance with all laws, rules, and regulations applicable to civil service employees and
employees of the health sciences center. Huey P. Long Medical Center employees shall be
eligible for the same benefits and professional development opportunities as similarly
situated employees of the health sciences center.
D. All books, papers, records, money, accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll
payables (benefits), outstanding debt, contractual obligations, actions, and all property of
every kind, movable and immovable, real and personal, heretofore possessed, controlled, or
used by the Huey P. Long Medical Center are hereby transferred to the health sciences center.
For accounting purposes all liabilities at fiscal year end, accounts payable, payroll payables
(benefits), outstanding debt, contractual obligations, expenses, obligations at fiscal year end,
accounts receivable at fiscal year end, revenues, and similar items shall be deemed to have
been transferred to the health sciences center to the same extent as if originally made. All
outstanding cost reporting and Uncompensated Care Cost (UCC) receivables and payables
from current and prior year activity shall transfer to the health sciences center.
E.(1) The Huey P. Long Medical Center shall be an organizational unit within the
health sciences center and shall be a separate line item within the appropriation schedule.
(2) In the event of a budget deficit or fiscal emergency, neither funds nor personnel
shall be reduced from either the Huey P. Long Medical Center or the health sciences center
to offset or compensate for such deficit or emergency in the other center.
F. Neither the Huey P. Long Medical Center nor the emergency room shall be closed
without legislative approval. The health sciences center shall not authorize the Huey P. Long
Medical Center to reduce health care services provided by the facility in any manner that
causes annual expenditures for the facility to be reduced on an annualized basis by greater
than thirty-five percent of the previous year actual spending level. Funding may be provided
by any local, regional, state, federal, or private sources to augment existing funding or to
restore reduced funding. Legislative approval may be granted by either concurrent resolution
or other appropriate legislative action in an appropriation act.
G. The Huey P. Long Medical Center shall continue its commitment to collaborate
with and support rural physicians and rural hospitals in the central Louisiana area by
sponsoring continuing medical education, furnishing medical consultation to and with
physicians, and rendering other support as may be appropriate, within available resources.
H.(1)(a) The Huey P. Long Medical Center Advisory Council is hereby established.
The council shall consist of fifteen members who shall serve without compensation. One
member shall be the chancellor of the health sciences center, or his designee. One member
shall be the medical director of the Huey P. Long Medical Center, or his designee. One
member shall be the hospital administrator of the Huey P. Long Medical Center, or his
designee. One member shall be the dean of the Tulane University School of Medicine, or
his designee. One member shall be appointed by the hospital employee union. The
chancellor of the health sciences center shall appoint ten members to the advisory council
as follows:
(i) One member shall be appointed from a list of nominees, who are domiciled in
Avoyelles Parish, submitted by the state legislators who represent such parish.
(ii) One member shall be appointed from a list of nominees, who are domiciled in
Catahoula Parish, submitted by the state legislators who represent such parish.
(iii) One member shall be appointed from a list of nominees, who are domiciled in
Concordia Parish, submitted by the state legislators who represent such parish.
(iv) One member shall be appointed from a list of nominees, who are domiciled in
Grant Parish, submitted by the state legislators who represent such parish.
(v) One member shall be appointed from a list of nominees, who are domiciled in
LaSalle Parish, submitted by the state legislators who represent such parish.
(vi) Three members shall be appointed from a list of nominees, who are domiciled
in Rapides Parish, submitted by the state legislators who represent such parish.
(vii) One member shall be appointed from a list of nominees, who are domiciled in
Vernon Parish, submitted by the state legislators who represent such parish.
(viii) One member shall be appointed from a list of nominees, who are domiciled in
Winn Parish, submitted by the state legislators who represent such parish.
(b) Each member of the council shall hold office until the appointment and
qualification of his successor. Members shall be appointed for a term of four years.
Members may serve two consecutive terms only.
(c) The council shall meet at least once in each quarter of each calendar year or upon
call of the chairman. Eight members shall constitute a quorum. The council shall elect from
its members a chairman, vice chairman, and secretary, and such committees as it deems
necessary to carry out its duties, each for a term of one year. The council shall be subject to
the Open Meetings Law (R.S. 42:11 et seq.) and the Public Records Law (R.S. 44:1 et seq.).
(d) Within thirty days after their appointment, the members of the council shall take
an oath, before an officer authorized by law to administer oaths, to faithfully and impartially
perform their duties. Such oaths shall be filed with the secretary of state.
(e) The domicile of the council shall be in the city of Pineville.
(2) The council shall:
(a) Inquire into the needs of the population and health care providers in the
catchment area, the matter of the policies thereof, and make such recommendations with
respect thereto as may be deemed important and necessary for the welfare of the catchment
area, the health of the public in this area, and the welfare and progress of the hospitals in the
catchment area.
(b) Confer and advise the hospital administrator as to how the council may best serve
the Huey P. Long Medical Center.
I.(1) This merger shall become effective on July 1, 2007; however, no changes at the
Huey P. Long Medical Center, either administrative or fiscal, shall take place prior to such
date without the written consent of the chancellor of the health sciences center.
(2) The health care services division (HCSD) of the Louisiana State University
Health Sciences Center at New Orleans shall work with the Louisiana State University
Health Sciences Center at Shreveport, office of the chancellor, to effectuate a complete and
timely transition of the management of the Huey P. Long Medical Center to the health
sciences center, including but not limited to the electronic transfer of data or the sale of
computerized services by the HCSD, or both.
(3) Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at Shreveport and HCSD of
the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at New Orleans jointly shall prepare
and agree to a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to effect an orderly, fair, and equitable
transfer of all Huey P. Long Medical Center activity from HCSD of the Louisiana State
University Health Sciences Center at New Orleans to the Louisiana State University Health
Sciences Center at Shreveport. The MOU shall allow for the reimbursement of transition
expenses of the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at New Orleans and
HCSD of the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at New Orleans during the
transition period. The transition shall be completed no later than one hundred eighty days
following the beginning of the fiscal year, taking into consideration the transfer of the
information technology systems; the activity centered on the fiscal year end close, annual
financial report preparation, and the cost report preparation; and other operational transitional
issues. The MOU shall be presented to and approved by the Senate Committee on Health
and Welfare and the House Committee on Health and Welfare upon its completion and prior
to the parties entering into the MOU.
J. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, the health sciences center shall in
all cases give preference to individuals who are blind, under the administration of Louisiana
Works, and shall work jointly with Louisiana Works to ensure proper operation of vending
stands, vending machines, and other small business concessions which are currently in
operation on the premises and shall give priority to similar concessions in the future in
accordance with R.S. 23:3023. No other vending stands, vending machines, or small
business concessions shall be operated on the same premises with vending stands, vending
machines, or other small business concessions operated under the provisions of this
Subsection. No individual who is blind shall be required to pay any fee, service charge, or
equivalent thereof in the operation of a vending stand, vending machines, or other small
business concessions in hospitals or the premises transferred pursuant to this Section, nor
shall an individual who is blind be disturbed in the security of the operation of the vending
stand, vending machine, or small business concession in any way, without reasonable or just
cause. The provisions of this Subsection shall not prevent the health sciences center from
permitting the operation of gift shops or similar concessions by voluntary organizations
which contribute the proceeds to the hospital or which spend the proceeds on behalf of the
hospital.

Legislative History

Acts 2007, No. 220, §1, eff. July 2, 2007; Acts 2008, No. 220, §7, eff. June 14, 2008; Acts 2010, No. 861, §8; Acts 2010, No. 939, §1, eff. July 1, 2010.