§ 2957. Designation of primary care hospitals. 1. A general hospital
established pursuant to article twenty-eight of this chapter may request
the commissioner to exempt such hospital from particular services or to
authorize such hospital to offer additional special services. Such
hospital shall be designated a primary care hospital upon the
commissioner's approval of such request; provided, however, that nothing
herein contained shall be construed to restrict such hospital from
offering primary, specialty or acute inpatient services for which it is
able to provide appropriate technical and human resources, to respond to
community need, or to assure quality in the delivery of services.

2. The commissioner shall establish guidelines for the designation of
a general hospital as a primary care hospital pursuant to the provisions
of this section. In establishing such guidelines, the commissioner
shall solicit input from hospitals and physicians.