§ 128. General powers and duties of managers. The board of managers
shall:

1. Elect from among its members annually a president, a
vice-president, and a secretary. It shall appoint a superintendent of
the hospital, who shall not be a member of the board of managers, and
who shall hold office at the pleasure of said board.

2. Erect all necessary buildings; make all necessary improvements and
repairs and alter any existing buildings, for the use of said hospital,
provided that all expenditures for new buildings or alterations, other
than ordinary repairs, shall first be authorized by the governing board
of the county, town, city or village and the plans therefor approved by
the state board of charities.

3. Fix the salary of the superintendent and the number and salaries of
all other employees, within the limits of the appropriation made
therefor by the governing board, and such salaries, together with
maintenance when provided, shall be compensation in full for all
services rendered. The board of managers may determine the amount of
time required to be spent at the hospital by said superintendent in the
discharge of his duties, and may also determine in what cases
maintenance shall be provided for nurses and other employees of the
hospital.

4. Provide for the medical care and treatment of all persons admitted
to the hospital; and shall appoint and may at pleasure remove resident,
visiting and consulting physicians and surgeons; and shall establish
rules and regulations governing the service thereof.

5. Have the general superintendence, management and control of the
said hospital and of the grounds, buildings, officers, employees and
inmates thereof; and of all matters relating to the government,
discipline, contracts and fiscal concerns thereof; and make such rules
and regulations as may seem to them necessary for carrying into effect
the purposes of such hospital; and may designate the purchasing agent of
any municipality as the purchasing agent of said board for the
purchasing of all necessary furniture, appliances, fixtures and other
needed facilities for the care and treatment of patients and for the use
of officers and employees thereof, and all necessary supplies, and said
purchasing agent shall render a monthly report of his activities to said
board.

5-a. Institute actions at law and in equity for the collection of
claims and obligations due to the hospital from any and all causes, and
to prosecute, compromise or settle such claims and obligations, and to
retain counsel to conduct such litigations, provided that a board of
managers may contract with a private collection agency for the
collection of overdue claims and obligations.

6. Maintain an effective inspection of said hospital, and keep itself
informed of the affairs and management thereof; shall meet at the
hospital at least once in every month, and at such other times as may be
prescribed in the by-laws; and shall hold its annual meeting at least
three weeks prior to the meeting of the governing board at which
appropriations for the ensuing year are to be considered.

7. Keep in a book provided for that purpose a proper record of its
proceedings, which shall be open at all times to the inspection of its
members, of the members of the governing board and of duly authorized
representatives of the state board of charities.

8. Notwithstanding the provisions of any other general law, and
subject to such rules and regulations as the governing board may
prescribe, audit all bills and accounts payable out of funds within its
jurisdiction and order their payment by the fiscal officer of the
county, town, city or village. Fixed salaries and the compensation for
services of employees or officers regularly engaged by the hospital at
agreed wages by the hour, day, week, month or year may be paid without
prior audit. When authorized by resolution of the governing board the
board of managers may appoint a treasurer in the manner provided in
subdivision four of section one hundred twenty-six of this chapter.
Notwithstanding the provisions of any other general law, the treasurer
shall pay the bills and accounts ordered paid by the board of managers
and at least once in each month shall transmit to the governing board an
itemized statement thereof, which statement shall also include all
payments made by the treasurer for fixed salaries and wages.

9. Make to the governing board of the county, town, city or village by
which the hospital is maintained, at such times as said board shall
direct, a detailed annual report of the operations of the hospital, the
number of patients received, the methods and results of their treatment,
and such other matters as may be required of them. Such reports, except
in the case of counties, shall include full and detailed estimates of
the appropriations required during the ensuing year for all purposes,
including maintenance, erection of buildings, repairs, improvements and
other necessary purposes.

10. Provide at their discretion ambulance service to bring patients to
or remove them from said hospital, and to adopt a schedule of
appropriate charges and collect the same for said service, and in so
doing to establish, own and operate said service itself or to contract
with a county in which said hospital is located, or with a city, town or
village included in the hospital district, or with a private concern,
for the supply and operation of such ambulance service for said hospital
and its district. Any such contract may include provisions for purchase
of equipment, hiring and payment of necessary employees, establishment
of a schedule of charges and collection of the same, payment by the
hospital of said collections or other costs to the county, city, town,
village or private concern, supplying the service, reimbursement to any
said county, city, town, village or private concern supplying said
service by the city, village or town using such service, and for
coverage with insurance or by existing provisions of law of all
employees engaged in, and persons using such service, and other
necessary matters.