§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 the Louisiana Workforce Commission, and shall work jointly with the Louisiana Workforce Commission 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.

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.