Designation of primary care hospitals

§ 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.