Pennsylvania Act 1961-691 — AUTHORIZING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND COUNTY BORDS OF HEALTH TO PROVIDE HOME NURSING CARE

Act text

AUTHORIZING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND COUNTY BORDS OF HEALTH TO
                        PROVIDE HOME NURSING CARE
                 Act of Sep. 26, 1961, P.L. 1660, No. 691             Cl. 35
                                  AN ACT

     To authorize the Department of Health and County Departments of
        Health to render home nursing care services and to charge
        fees therefor.

        The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
     hereby enacts as follows:

        Section 1.  The following words and phrases shall have the
     meanings ascribed to them in this section, unless the context
     clearly indicates otherwise:
        "County Department," a County Department of Health
     established pursuant to the provisions of the Local Health
     Administration Law, the act of August 24, 1951 (P.L.1304):
        "Department," the Department of Health of the Commonwealth.
        "Home Nursing Care," physical care of the ill and disabled
     rendered at home including, but not limited to, bedside care and
     treatment and rehabilitative services.
        Section 2.  The department is hereby authorized to provide
     home nursing care to those persons living in areas of the
     Commonwealth in which adequate home nursing care is not
     available otherwise. For such services the department shall, and
     is hereby authorized to, charge fees to individuals to whom it
     renders such service or to any governmental agency purchasing
     such service for individuals, except for demonstration and
     public health program activities.
        In order that it may effectively render home nursing care
     services, the department is authorized to employ the necessary
     personnel, including nursing and supervisory personnel, and
     shall have the authority further to purchase equipment and
     materials necessary to maintain an effective program of home
     nursing care service.
        The department shall, wherever possible, assist and advise
     nonprofit agencies or associations in the development of a home
     nursing care program to be carried out by such agencies or
     associations, and, for that purpose, may enter into agreements
     with these agencies or associations specifying the type of
     assistance and advice it will render them.
        Section 3.  County departments are hereby authorized to enter
     into written agreements with the department for the purpose of
     rendering home nursing care services to persons within their
     respective counties. Such agreements shall provide for the
     maintenance of standards established by the department for home
     nursing care by the county departments and for such supervision
     by the department as is deemed necessary to implement an
     effective program of home nursing care on the part of the county
     departments.
        Whenever any county department has entered into an agreement
     with the department as is herein provided, it may render such
     home nursing care services as are authorized by this act and for
     that purpose may charge fees and expend moneys to the same
     extent as this act authorizes for the department. Any county
     department may render such service anywhere within the county or
     counties which it serves.
        Section 4.  The department and county departments are
     authorized to receive moneys from any source for home nursing
     care. All such moneys as the department and county departments
     may receive as a "Reimbursement of Expenditure" for this service
     shall be used to carry out the provisions of this act and are
     hereby specifically appropriated for that purpose.
        Section 5.  The department is hereby authorized to expend
     such moneys as is necessary, appropriated to it for general
     government operations, to carry out the provisions of this act.
        Section 6.  The department and county departments are
     authorized to maintain legal action through the Department of
     Justice or the county solicitor for the collection of fees
     charged for home nursing care services which have been rendered
     to any person.
        Section 7.  This act shall become effective immediately.