Board of visitors in county owned residential health care facility

§ 2803-g. Board of visitors in county owned residential health care
facility. 1. Each public residential health care facility owned by a
county may have a board of visitors consisting of at least seven
members. Members shall be appointed by the county executive of the
county in which the facility is located where the county charter or, in
the absence of such, county law provides that members of county boards,
commissions, authorities or agencies are to be appointed by such an
officer. Such appointments shall be made with the approval of the local
legislative body of that county. In those counties without a county
executive, appointments shall be made by the legislative body of the
county. A visitor may be removed by the county legislative body for
cause after notice and an opportunity for hearing on the charges.

2. Unless provided otherwise by local law, each board shall elect
annually one member to serve as president of the board and one member to
serve as secretary.

3. Visitors shall not receive compensation but may be reimbursed for
their actual expenses in connection with their service as visitors by
the facility they serve.

4. The board of visitors shall hold no less than six regular meetings
annually, but a greater number of regular meetings may be scheduled by
the board. The conditions under which special meetings may be called
shall be established by local law or in by-laws of the board. The board
may require the head administrator of the facility to submit a report at
each meeting. The board shall keep a record of its proceedings and
activities. A member of a board of visitors who has failed to attend
three consecutive meetings shall be considered to have vacated his
office unless the board has adopted rules to the contrary.

5. Upon the request of the head administrator of the facility or upon
the board's initiative, the board shall consult, advise and work with
the director with respect to community relations, conditions at the
facility, preliminary plans for construction and alterations and
programs and activities of the facility.

6. The board or any member of the board may visit and inspect the
facility at any time without prior notice and may report on conditions
to the local legislative body or the county executive and the
commissioner of the New York state department of health. In addition,
the board shall insure that a member or a committee of members shall
inspect the facility once every three months without prior notice. A
member of a board of visitors who has failed to visit and inspect the
facility at least twice a year shall be considered to have vacated his
office unless otherwise ordered by the board.

7. The board shall have the power to investigate all charges against
the administrator of the facility, all cases of alleged patient abuse or
mistreatment, and any other complaint filed against the facility. The
board shall receive from the facility copies of all accident reports and
any reports of abuse or neglect involving patients of the facility. The
board or any member of the board shall have the right to examine any
books or papers of the facility at anytime, except that access to
patient medical records shall be with the written consent of the patient
or his legal representative. Unless provided otherwise by local law, the
board shall have the power, in accordance with the civil practice law
and rules, to require the production of any books or papers deemed
relevant to the investigation. The board or a member may include in the
report of their investigation or separately at any time, any matter
pertaining to the management and affairs of the facility and may make
recommendations to the county executive, or in the absence of such, the
county legislative body and to the commissioner.

8. Once each year, the board shall make an independent assessment of
conditions at the facility and shall submit a report on the assessment
and recommendations to the commissioner and to the county executive, or
in the absence of such, the county legislative body.

9. The county executive or the local legislative body shall notify the
board of visitors of a residential health care facility of the proposed
appointment of a head administrator to such facility with a request that
the board report an expression of its opinion of the appointment and, if
it objects thereto, the reasons for such an objection.

10. The board may establish by-laws which shall be available for
public inspection at the facility and the office of the county attorney.

11. Members of the board of visitors shall be considered officers of
the county by which they are compensated for purposes of section four
hundred nine of the county law. The county legislative body shall
establish a code of ethics for the members of such board, including but
not limited to provisions on conflict of interest and course of conduct.