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HomeHealth and Safety CodeDiv. 101Pt. 4Ch. 2.5Art. 1§ 101656 Natividad Medical Center Governance

§ 101656 Natividad Medical Center Governance

Health and Safety Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 101656 Natividad Medical Center Governance

This law lets Monterey County create a separate public hospital authority to run Natividad Medical Center and link it with other local health facilities, giving the hospital more flexibility and better service for the community.

Key Takeaways

  • •Natividad Medical Center is officially a public hospital and part of the state’s safety‑net system.
  • •The county can create a separate public hospital authority to manage the hospital.
  • •That authority can link the hospital with other health‑care facilities to improve service and flexibility.
  • •A special act is needed because no existing general law allows this kind of authority.

Example

Monterey County wants to improve health care for low‑income residents, so it sets up a new public hospital authority that will manage Natividad Medical Center and partner it with a nearby clinic.

The county forms the authority, moves control of the hospital to that authority, and can then join the hospital with other health providers to give people more affordable, high‑quality care.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 101656 Natividad Medical Center Governance

The Legislature finds and declares the following: (a) Natividad Medical Center, currently a constituent department of the County of Monterey, is a designated public hospital, as defined in subdivision (d) of Section 14166.1 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, and a critical component of the state’s health care safety net. (b) In an era of health care reform and a constantly evolving competitive health care environment, in order to carry out its mission of improving the health status of the people of the county through access to affordable, high-quality health care services, it is necessary that the medical center continues to improve its ability to function with flexibility, responsiveness, and innovation. (c) The Board of Supervisors of the County of Monterey has determined that the needs of the citizens of the county would best be served if the medical center, while continuing as a designated public hospital and maintaining its mission, is affiliated or consolidated with one or more health care facilities in the County of Monterey and operated by a separate and distinct public hospital authority that is separate and apart from the county. (d) The board of supervisors has also determined that the creation of a public hospital authority, to be charged with the management, administration, and control of the medical center as a designated public safety net hospital, and the affiliation or consolidation of the medical center with one or more health care facilities in the County of Monterey is the best way to fulfill the county’s commitment to its residents, including the low income, medically indigent, and special needs populations of the county. (e) Because there is no general law under which this public hospital authority could be formed for these purposes, the adoption of a special act and formation of a special authority by the Legislature are required, and the Board of Supervisors of the County of Monterey has requested that the Legislature act. (Added by Stats. 2012, Ch. 686, Sec. 1. (AB 276) Effective January 1, 2013.)

Last verified: January 11, 2026

Key Terms

Natividad Medical Centerdesignated public hospitalpublic hospital authorityhealth care safety netBoard of Supervisors of the County of Monterey

Related Statutes

  • § 101655 Central Coast Hospital Authority
  • § 101657 Central Coast Hospital Definitions
  • § 101658 Central Coast Hospital Authority
  • § 127400 Financially Qualified Patient Definitions
  • § 127400.5 Charity Care Discounted Payment Definitions

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Health and Safety Code. Section 101656.
View Official Source