Title 19. Health Care Facilities — Subtitle 5. Chronic Disease Centers

In this subtitle the following words have the meanings indicated.

“Board” means a citizens’ advisory board for a center.

“Center” means a chronic disease center.

There are chronic disease centers in the State for individuals who:

One center shall be located in each of the following places:

The Secretary also shall operate any other centers established by law and placed under the jurisdiction of the Secretary for the care of individuals who have chronic diseases.

The services to be provided by centers; and

The qualifications and standards for admission to and discharge from the centers.

Establish any outpatient clinic for preadmission evaluation, aftercare, or other home health care service;

Further medical knowledge by having a facility to explore new ways of treating problems peculiar to chronically ill and disabled individuals;

Conduct any educational and training program to improve the knowledge and skills of physicians and ancillary professional, scientific, and other staff of the center and other treatment facilities and, thus, to improve a high standard of patient care; and

Add a unit to treat chronic diseases of children.

Admission of an individual to a center shall be based on:

If an individual cannot be placed in a special facility in this State that can treat the condition of the individual, the individual may be admitted to a center.

A center may not admit an individual who has:

If the medical staff of a center determines that an individual cannot receive any further benefit at the center, the individual shall be discharged on the written order of a medical staff member.

If, after a competent authority directs a discharged individual to leave the center, the individual fails to do so, the administrative head of the center may take any legal step needed to remove the individual from the center, under an adequate plan for treatment and care.

If this State is paying any of the costs of an individual at a center, the individual may be transferred to another facility that is approved under a federal program.

If the individual refuses to apply for assistance from any applicable State, federal, or local program, the administrative head of the center or the designee of the administrative head may apply for the assistance and transfer the individual to another facility.

Each member of the board for a center:

From among its members, each board shall elect a chairman and other officers that the board considers necessary.

The manner of election of officers and their terms of office shall be as the board determines.

Each board shall meet at least 4 times a year, at the times and places that the board determines.

A member of a board may not receive compensation.

Each board may adopt rules and regulations for the conduct of its meetings.

Except with the approval of the administrative head of a center, a person other than an employee of the center may not bring any alcoholic beverage into any area of the center that is used by individuals under treatment in the center.

An employee of the center may not:

A person who violates any provision of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor and on conviction is subject to a penalty not exceeding $100 or imprisonment not exceeding 60 days or both.