23-50.16:2 - Findings and declaration of necessity
§ 23-50.16:2. Findings and declaration of necessity.
The General Assembly finds that:
1. Provision of health care, including indigent care, is an essentialgovernmental function protecting and promoting the health and welfare of thecitizens of the Commonwealth;
2. Education of medical and health sciences professionals and the performanceof medical and related research are essential to promote such health care;
3. Teaching hospitals and related facilities of high quality are essentialboth to provide high levels of health care and to promote medical and healthsciences education, because such hospitals and related facilities (i) providefacilities necessary to train physicians and other health sciencesprofessionals, (ii) provide medical services not generally available at otherhospitals, and (iii) treat patients of the type and on the scale necessary tofacilitate medical research and to attract physicians, faculty members,researchers and other persons necessary to maintain quality medical andhealth sciences education;
4. The missions of the Medical College of Virginia Hospitals are to (i) serveas a general hospital and health care facility, (ii) facilitate and supportthe health education, research and public service activities of the HealthSciences Schools of the Medical College of Virginia, Health Sciences Divisionof Virginia Commonwealth University, (iii) provide high quality patient careand other specialized health services not widely available in theCommonwealth, including the provision of medical care to indigent patients,(iv) serve as the principal teaching and training hospital for undergraduateand graduate students of the Schools of the Health Sciences Division ofVirginia Commonwealth University, and (v) provide a site for faculty membersof the Health Sciences Division of Virginia Commonwealth University toconduct medical and biomedical research, all of which missions constituteessential governmental functions for protecting and promoting the health andwelfare of the citizens of the Commonwealth;
5. Such hospital, health care and related facilities require specializedmanagement and operation to remain economically viable, to earn revenuesnecessary for their operation, and to engage in arrangements with public andprivate entities and other activities, taking into account changes that haveoccurred or may occur in the future in the provision of health care andrelated services; and
6. The needs of the citizens of the Commonwealth and the needs of the HealthSciences Division of Virginia Commonwealth University will best be served ifthe Medical College of Virginia Hospitals are transferred to and operated byan independent public authority charged with the missions of operating suchHospitals as teaching hospitals for the benefit of the Schools of the HealthSciences Division of Virginia Commonwealth University, providing high qualitypatient care, and providing a site for medical and biomedical research, allin close affiliation with the Health Sciences Division of VirginiaCommonwealth University so that the public authority does not duplicate orcompete with the undergraduate and graduate programs, research, training andteaching facilities offered at or operated by the University.
The exercise of the powers permitted by this chapter shall be deemed theperformance of essential governmental functions and matters of publicnecessity for the entire Commonwealth in the provision of health care,medical and health sciences education and research, for which public moneysmay be borrowed, loaned, spent or otherwise utilized and for which privateproperty may be utilized or acquired.
(1996, cc. 905, 1046.)