This section creates four hospitals for emotionally disturbed children, limits each to 300 beds, and gives the health department secretary authority over conversion, rules, salaries, and superintendent appointments.
§2126. Hospitals for the care of emotionally disturbed children; creation; conversion to full range psychiatric hospitals with satellite community cottages; superintendents A. There are hereby created four hospitals for the care, treatment, and rehabilitation of emotionally disturbed children, to be located in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, and Alexandria. These hospitals may be converted to full range psychiatric hospitals with satellite community cottages providing services to adults as well as emotionally disturbed children by the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health upon his determination that there exists a need for such facilities. Each of the said hospitals shall be so limited in size as to allow for not more than three hundred beds. B. The priority for the construction of the said hospitals shall be in the following order, namely; New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Shreveport, and Alexandria. C. The secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health shall appoint a superintendent to control and manage each such hospital, subject to the provision of Subsection D hereof. Each superintendent shall be the executive officer of the hospital he is appointed to administer and shall be a classified state employee. D. Each superintendent, in accordance with law, may appoint necessary employees. The secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health may make rules and regulations for the operation and management of the said hospitals and, in accordance with the rules and regulations of the civil service commission, shall fix all salaries. E. The provisions of this Section are expressly made applicable to the subject matters embraced in R.S. 46:1751 through R.S. 46:1767 to the extent necessary to give full effect to this Section. Acts 1981, No. 673, §1.