Case Information
OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF TEXAS AUSTIN
:ron. otto ?rlttaln xtunty Auditor
Lnesllna county
Lutklzl, Tel88
war 3lrt .
Oplnlon Eo. O-7163 ,* ?
zet ?oymnt OS County Hbalth Ctfi,aaar for vloltlng traat+a patients inu the opinion ot thlt
yott from y3ur letter
*Order hrttialo x0. xrioer; we find with the daty of ho8pltalr, naDnq
elthtr of tht fianaqtn or oi v<brort the hotpltal board of tbt hngellna cauatp Zosgital Pnt oppolcted a vlsltlnq bard of Y.?yelalans under .'.rtlole 4480, tho !IR~ rendered t&e aervloes nc.ufred under recently ttiis bcsrd %as been dlooontinusd tbt oS3ve nrticlt. aud t!:ls senlcr lc belnq taken oere of by thQ bounty %alth ruad r0r t3ls atr- xriccr wko expaotr pay from t3e aentrsl vice. The r;ounty i-ealth Officer bclns :resldeat of the ,yZellna County ::oaplttL 3oerd also.
747 '~-on. Qtto 3rlttain - 7ae.t thet Artlale 4427 appllts to
Yt 1s our opinion Countltt wltkout a 70unty ?!otpltel, and thet fi;tlalt 4460 would apply In this omse.
*Xi11 you please advlst us (19 to tht oorreatntsa 3rd ii we an oi our oplzlon, the ln-oorrsotnest. advlte stat the lanquegt ln Art1018
lnoorreot thtn 44@0 l ppllea to and **hen.* In reaponat to our for rurther lrif~rfmtl~a with rcipest to tht above ntntloatd mttttr8, you tubaltted the follow- reitrcnoe inq lnfornatlonr
Vou ask what tygts.of satlents the County Etalth Qfflotr attendt at the Xospltnl. Tht patlsnts th3t JO to the Xoo;ltal that ere able to pay are olaaaed %s pay those that are not able to nay ror their sor- patients; vloea are oleseed a8 Charity patients. It Is the ,patlents that are cot ablt to pay, or Charrlty patients, that requlrt the services ot' fht Charity -Nerd or the County Ftalth orriotr.
*The Somrr,lssloners* Court sometlctes recommenda that a 2atltnt bc admitted to the :<ospltal at Charity pttlent, but bt cared by t!m rules of the !pvtrrrlnq board of Foosgltal w.hloh art ttt out aa by-laws whloh the law requires. Zut r.ot near all the Sbrlty gatlants that enter the hx- pita1 ara rent or reoo,mendsd by the Co!mlr~lonera* Court..”
31th rannot to tht dutlea of a County Raalt!i Qrriaar, we oell your atttntlon to r3ii0wfr4 provlalona 0r Xrtlole 4427, f,h. p <. a..,.:
Y%oh Caunty i:nolth Offloor shall ptrfow such duties aa !mve been required of oounty ?hyalolslu, with relation to oerlnq In county jells and in oari? for the 2ri3ontm far the lnmstss of omnty poor tams, boagltals, dlsoherg- 1~ duties of oountp quartntins nnd other auoh duties ati nay be lawfully required the oounty physlole~ by t%e co.xctlaslonen murt and other oif'lcers tet county, nnd shell dlaahargt any 3dbltional duties vrhioh It my be pa- -,er far olunty aut?~oritits under the present 19-m to xqulrc of oounty ~hy3loisn3; 303, In addition +,heret3, ?e shall Gleo:arqe 3uon dstles as ahall be ,reecrlbed ror Mm unfier rulce, ra$ulRti.xs and ra~ulrcmente of the Texas .Xate xmrd ot :italth, or the pmeldent znd la mpowered tktreef, a.dhOrized to eatebllsh, zeinteir, UX? e.nforoe quarantine xi thin !A0 oouzty. Ye snail al30 required to aid and *3 Eon. Otto 3rlttaln - ?‘aqa’3
assist the State Roar4 !?eelth in all matters of looel qunrantlne, inspeotlon, disease prevention and suppression, vital end mortuery etatlstioe end qenerel sanitation within Us county; and ke shall at all times report to se14 State board, In euoh manner end form as It shall presorlbe, presenoe of all contagious6 lniectlous and dangerous epl- demio dlsceaes within h%e juriadiotioa; and he shall make suoh other end rulfher reports in suoh manner aod form and et auoh times ss eald Sate board shall direnat; touchIn& on suoh matters ea ?nay be proper for said State board to direct; and he Well aid se14 State boar4 at all times in the enforoe- sent of its proper rules, regulations, requirements and ordl- nanoes and In the enforcement of all sanitary laws and queran- tine regulations within his jurisdlotlon.”
FS to the duties required of the *County Physiolan” referred to in the above quoted provision, we oall your attention to the tollowlnfl lan- cuege oontalned in I?. B. 023, Ch. 118, General Laws of Texas, 22nd Le?., 1891:
“An act to reglate the establlehment of quarantines in the State of Texas, an4 in the oounties, towns thereor, oltles snd
an4 to repeal sll laws and parts ot laws
In conrllot t3erewlth.
Yeotlon 1. “le it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Texas: That the Governor 1s empowers4 to issue his proclamation deolsrl!zg quarantine on the coast or elsewhere wlthln this State, whenever in his judgment quer- end nuoh quarantine may oont antlne may become neoessary, tlnue for any length of time as in the ju4gment OS the Wvernor, the safety and security of the people may require.
p . . . . . . .
“3eotion 14. It shall be the duty o? every County Judge within the State of Texas, after eaoh general eleotlon , or as soon thereafter as pract- of State end county officers loeble, to select from the physicians of the respeotive coun- ties, one of hi.yh character and reoognized abll.lty, who shall It shall be t!ie d!;ty of said known as ‘County physloien. *. county physlclan to establish, maintain snd enforoe looal quarantine his county whenever declared by proola?netlon of Commissioners court; to furnish supplles, select medloal assistants, guards and perform all other duties colncl3ent to a reasonable, economic and consistent quarantine. ?‘he salary of county physicians must be n,;reed to ana be paid by their but the county physician shall receive respective counties,
-- ‘Xl. Gtto ilrltteln - Fe80 4
no ealery exoe>t when quanntlne hee been established an4 he la aotually enqsged in euoh semloee. county shell In all querentlr.es estsbllsb ~~ys:olene rulea In !z~rnoay and aacor4 xlth the rules greaorlbed by the ‘tat8 health oiflO0r; ahall respeot and obey lurtmotlone rrom said officer and make written report8 to bin of their otflolal ecta, whenever required to 40 so, Tlvinq cauee and hlrtory or epldatic, number of deeths and rooooerles, and 811 other faate or oole:.tlflo value.
“:reotlon 13. :?hencver the Comlsslonera oourt of any courty has re&son to bellarc! tbnt. ther are tflrcataned ht any ;5lat or plaoe wlthin or Ikltbout the county llalta with the Introduction or dleeemlnrtlon of n ben,;snus, oonter;lous or lnfeatioua Ulaease that otm and shall bo suertied against by quarantlae, dlreat tholr county ohysl- ciao to declero and nalntaln 5ald quarantlce aealmt any 8r.d 011 auoh dah~erous dlseaeea; to aatebllrh. melnteln 0n4 sue- ;ly stetlonb -or oaxps 1or t&s held In qkrent!nc; to cm- vlh kosplttls. teat-d, 01 !,:est !izmees for thoae rltoky coJtnzl>ua 2nd l.nl0ctious dieessa; to iumlsh gnrldona, ~aiolce and oil other t!zirzs aheolutelt essential for the comfort of t. he well an4 the nomelesoen~o of the nlok. The county ohyslolnn 5holl keep an 1texlzeC aooount of 811 law- tni ez~enses, ?:: ourred by loon1 quarmtlno, and Fls oxr,ty eke11 sssum ?nd :‘ap them 08 other olalns e+l.wt the oounty are said. itsertarsd oltlae an3 towna are eabraoad within tkls article, ant? the aere feet ln- ;urvlew c~rpoxntlor? doea not exolude the.. from the pxoteatlon o@e!nut egldeslo dlsensea nlran by the Coernlselonera court to other parts of their reepeotlre The xedlaal offloers of oountles. o3artered oltles and towns ean perrorm the dutlae ~rcnted or comanded In their aererel but mist, (if t?ie 03uztg ckmem, ;t,yslolar. 1s sot, 5s le fre~qtmntly the o&se, the olty phyel- elan, 8150, j be eznenable and obedient to rules presorlbed the Xeto health offlo@r. 21s nrtlole, however, nust not be oocatrued as ?rohlbltlnn any lnooroorated town or olty iroa dtolerlnq, salntalnlno ~aylnq for 8 looal quarantine. -. . . . .
“::eotlon 19. There beI.?% no law u-on tho subSeat ndeoueto to the protection -10 !eoltb, and ~u6rantlr:o ttt ncc ;: s;?:..mach ot the season 3f the year w?.an qufiraatlne iv111 ?,ave to be Geelazed, II ;ubllc necasalty znd .5n eaex?xenoy erl;ts ( rcquirln;: the su3penslon of tno oonetltutlanal rule requlrin% bllio ta SC mat? on t?.r@e aevaml deya, and that t:As act tnke effrot 1135 be 12 ror9e fro2 9rtd after Its pxi- :%o cncctrd.” (xderscorlnq 3urs) 30 '.;d , r3r.e it '.z ‘-on. C’tto C-rlttaln - ?sqw 5 Thw above quoted grovlelon a portion of Cbe oocatltutew
:,zw enaotcd lo lU?l upon the subjeot ot qunrent.?nse ew ~11 se the 9mv1s1oa4 wlth rerersnce to the appointment sad thw 9?9lloable duties yrovlsims wlth mr4rm00 to V144~ltau~~ ozmespr4tea mob -:loepi- or [4] county ~~yelalsn. It 1s menlfwat that _ - -.- quoted the above . ~. _ or pest housee’- thet were to be ~rovlcled in oocneotlon teds, teats .iJlth the eetsbllshmect OS quarentlnee. '-r4 cots rurther tPat the above mentioned &mvlelons were l naoted grlor to the enaotaeat or tne statutes deelin+~ with the subjeat of "oounty hoepitale* now con- tsir,etl ln Chapter 3, Title 71, ~.rtlol4s 4.478.449li. V.A.C.3.
-'ilth refereme to the oompensctlon of the County melth :rtloer who is required by law to perroristhe autler presorlbed :rtlole MN, we 0~11 ymr attentlon tbe following lanmsgw ooa- 6423: taincd in Artlo
*!ha~eaeetlon or eald oounty health ofiloer ehall ill46 by the ,COmaiO8iOn4X'S * Court; ~mvlded that tm oon9ensatlon aalsry shall be allowed exoept for aer- ~104s uoturLlg rendersd." Zmgter 5, Xtle 71 whlob lroludee i~rtiloleu 4478-44941,
‘I . . n - ..;S.-.:., oontsins various 9mvi4ion4 with rererwnoe to the oub- loot of County 508pltele. ‘:‘a call you: attention in jx1rtloul4r to the follonlnc; provision oontained lo Xrtlole 44&Q.
Thw board shall also a 9wint e etarf ot vlaitlng physloiaas prbo shall serve w thO:at pay from the mu&y, P and who ehall vfslt treat hospital patients at thw request wither of the mi~sgers or oi th8 ruperlnt6ndent.* "'a turthwr oall your stteatl~a to the imvisione of Artlole 4489:
w:hwrev6r a oouatf hoapltel for oare and trwstnent pwrsolis~ :~..kkrlaa rmm any lllnwss, dlr4es4 or 1nJury wrists in oonneotlon wifth, or on the grounds 0r a oounty poorkouse or wlsewherw, the omm1eelonw~* oourt shall ap- point a board of reanagwrs for suoh hospital, end suoh !IOS- ?ltal end ite boerd o,'senaqere shall ttlerearter bw subjeot law, 12 lllco mnnar es if lt bed to esoh 9rovlslon this been orirlnally .i:ly hossitnl zhloh estabLIshed herewzder. by snp csm%alsizwzsC3' oourt m-3 y !k.w:onl‘ter be sstnbllshed shell in like m!mar be subjeot to raoh >rsvmm of th?s 1IiW:' (%dwrsoorlnir ours)
Tn view of tflo vnrl:>ctl ~~wl~lxzs d the atatuteo dealin:: with and In view of tte above undsrlinwd lm~ua~e, lt County '*:os9itels, 1s .q;>parent that !i.:!. 353, 2. 39, i;ots of the "eKulsr ~wsslon 31 lii13 (now .:rtlolws ~~470-4634) was lnt4ndwd to tha Xnd Lw&slature, *6 :-xl l 3tto GrltteIs - !'SvO 6
eubr7ow all the law upon lb4 aubjeot 3r oouaty hzspltals. '-4 note !.erw tbnt Artlolw 5127, wbloh oontalne owrtaln provlrlona with gatlenta in rclerwnae to County leelth Oifloer*s oarlae "hosgltsls* ~rovlded by thw oouatf (la oomeotlm rlth quannticea) x9s derlvwa rn.5 the :,ot8 of th4 1st Called twssloa oi thw 3lat ;.0;i313turer 1509, 3. 3443. In 39 Texas ,turispmd4no4, :*%stutws",
co. 50, ,3. 14P, It 1~ s:atedr
Thwzw it lo ap~ersllt thmt a statute Is tntend4d to wznbraow all ttlr lo* up03 the subjwot with whioh it d44h, lt re?eala all. iars!ar lnwr rwlatlnq to the Scunw subjcot." :n view or the i9re,-olnff, It 14 our 03Inlon that those ?rovIeIOns mit~incd lr, ~rt?ol4 4420 with vwferwnaw to thw vlsltlniz and treat- IS? of Fetlwnta In any hosgltal eotahllshea by the Oocntp, super- CR~TCS that y2ortlJn or Art1014 4427 whloh p~0vid46 t*t tL4 county .:ealth rjtf'lowr should oar8 1~ ~stletts Ia hospitsJs 3rovlded by ?:a County a,?d wt:loh authorized the ~Ommls8loners' 3ourt to oompwa- ;;stw hk3 therer3r.
You rtated la your lett4r that thW staff OS vlsitlng 9hf- siolms which he6 bwen a?pol!?ted uldwr the provIsI3~4 of :rtlalw 6430 ~44 n3 lonoer i3not:oalzisj and ttat t>w 44rvlo4~ forasrly ge.r--_ ronzed by eeld 4t4rr 3r v:sitm 2::ydoisn8 wi24 aok 94rio134c! 30 7ouni.y Yealth Orffowr, ulko wxpecte to r4ciwive gay rms t34 oounty for a~oh c4rplows. 'w note tht under the I,rOVlStCClS Of ~~rtlole 4480, thw board 3i n4nagera 15 required to apI7olnt E mtrr or visltlag ?hy- slolane *who a!-sll rialt sad treat h08pltal. pnt.Iente at the mqu84f Of eltbwr the ma-4 or the superlatendent.m 'i:e n0te rumor tba suoh pzywlafans Yhall serve without par fr0t staff OS visltlng the omnte.* b3rwover, we rind a3 provlafon authorlzlng the 4r~4ndltur4 Of oxmty run64 for the ewn:owa of 0 doutor who vlslt3 end trerts such 9atlente who h4v4 been ea~lttwa th0uxh the 4tarr t0 the oouuty bo4pit41, even or vls1t:n.r phy~lOl~Q~ above rots rcaa no longer ru20tian4. omslCer!n~ various stctutort Cnvlelons
<itar oar&my with refornaoe to cnucty hOs,?ltsls sna With rctcrcnC8 to ;IutlOs of the County :!ealth Offloor !~n a oountp hnvlnz a hospital sstabllshcd by the 00untp end in Viait 3s the r40t4 Elvcn, It 1s 3ur oplnlon that the vI3Itf3q end treatfn~: of ?atienta i%kO hbvte been raisittcd to the by the .3Slva :uotca :,xM~Ione 'irtlole 0ocfity b04?itsl la .+-or3ed, q4CO em? thqt :.rtIcle 4457 b:ss no ns$lCetis3 t3 the situation. ?t Is therefere our cpi?len that xboa 3 wur.ty 5~s eatabllshwd 3 oounty ::~S~OltLll, 20 cbsvs rssntlonsa ssnlccs are 2ot tks oinraoter aor- vicen WfdOh OOIlCtftUte "JrriOiSl' CutleT of t!?w Campy Qqlth :)f':lcer. you are t!iererore rtdvlaed thut tbe ~O~isSlO~ers~ court or ;(;nwline County Is mt .4ut.horlzea to nllCw tha Tounty ;!ccJt$ 3ff;O4r any a3m9en- actl3n, 112 his micid Cn3nfltg 3r othwz-*lsc, tar CerfomIc,? 34rvIcws 13 csnncction Xlth tke :n&ll3c County ::os;,Ital vblgh wwve fCnwrly Tsrfsr2.‘;! by the staff at vI3ItIcR ChysIOIcM.
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:3Il. Stto :Trlttaln - ;%~qe 7