32.1-122.10:001 - Purpose; one or more localities may create authority; advertisement and notice of hearing
§ 32.1-122.10:001. Purpose; one or more localities may create authority;advertisement and notice of hearing.
A. Communities lack the ability to coordinate, across jurisdictions, healthpartnership efforts between local governments and private providers of healthcare services, which leads to duplicative and inefficient services. Suchpublic/private partnerships could (i) encourage the use of service deliverythat otherwise might have required government funding or programs; (ii) allowgovernments to fully participate in such partnerships; (iii) maximize thewillingness of individuals, agencies and private organizations to lend theirexpertise to help satisfy community needs; (iv) allow innovative fundingmechanisms to leverage public funds; (v) allow appropriate informationsharing to ensure the adequacy and quality of services delivered; (vi)provide liability protection for volunteers providing services under programssponsored or approved by the authority; (vii) provide a mechanism to ensurethat services provided in the community are necessary, appropriate, andprovided by trained and supervised persons; and (viii) allow volunteers andothers to focus their energies to achieve community health improvement.Health care services include, but are not limited to, treatment of andeducation about acute and chronic diseases, wellness and preventionactivities that promote the health of communities, and access to services andactivities.
B. The governing body of a locality may by ordinance or resolution, or thegoverning bodies of two or more localities may by concurrent ordinances orresolutions or by agreement, create a local health partnership authoritywhich shall have as its purpose developing partnerships between public andprivate providers. The ordinance, resolution or agreement creating theauthority shall not be adopted or approved until a public hearing has beenheld on the question of its adoption or approval. The authority shall be apublic body politic and corporate.
C. The governing body of each participating locality shall cause to beadvertised at least one time in a newspaper of general circulation in suchlocality a copy of the ordinance, resolution or agreement creating theauthority, or a descriptive summary of the ordinance, resolution or agreementand a reference to the place where a copy of such ordinance, resolution oragreement can be obtained, and notice of the day, not less than 30 daysafter publication of the advertisement, on which a public hearing will beheld on the ordinance, resolution or agreement.
D. No authority created pursuant to this article shall be exempt from any ofthe provisions of the Certificate of Public Need laws and regulations of theCommonwealth.
E. No authority created pursuant to this article shall be allowed to issuebonds or other form of indebtedness.
F. Any authority created pursuant to this article shall report onprogrammatic initiatives on an annual basis to the Joint Commission on HealthCare.
(2001, c. 671; 2003, cc. 63, 70.)