A. A covered institution may acquire, plan, design, construct, own, rent as landlord or tenant, operate, control, remove, renovate, enlarge, equip, and maintain, directly or through stock or nonstock corporations or other entities, any project as defined in this subchapter. Such projects may be owned or operated by the institution or other persons, or jointly by such institution and other persons, and may be operated within or without the Commonwealth, so long as their operations are necessary or desirable to assist the institution in carrying out its public purposes within the Commonwealth, and so long as any private benefit resulting to any such other private persons from any such project is merely incidental to the public benefit of such project.

B. In the operation of any facility, including any veterinary facility or any hospital or other health care and related facilities owned or operated by a covered institution, such institution may continue in effect or adopt and enforce all policies necessary or desirable for such operation. Any such policies pertaining to the operation of veterinary, hospital, or other health care or related facilities may include, without limitation, rules relating to the conditions under which the privilege of practicing any health profession or veterinary medicine may be available therein, the admission and treatment of patients, the procedures for determining the qualification of patients for indigent care or other programs, and the protection of patients and employees, provided that such policies shall not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, national origin, or other factor prohibited by law.

History

2005, cc. 933, 945.