County laboratories; boards of managers; powers and duties

§ 525. County laboratories; boards of managers; powers and duties. The board of managers of each laboratory, or the county board of health in any county wherein an alternative form of government shall have established a county health district coterminous with the county, subject to the provisions of the county government law of such county, or a county board of health which has been vested with the powers and duties of a board of managers pursuant to subdivision five of section five hundred twenty-three of this chapter, shall have the following powers and duties:

(a) to appoint a director or other person in charge of the laboratory who shall have such qualifications as may be prescribed by the public health council;

(b) to exercise general management and control of the laboratory, of the grounds, buildings, rooms, employees and of all other matters relating to the government, discipline, contracts and fiscal concerns thereof;

(c) to make such rules and regulations as may be necessary in relation to the administration of the laboratory and the fees to be charged for laboratory service, not inconsistent with the provisions of this chapter;

(d) notwithstanding any other general or special law, to cause to be erected all additional buildings found necessary after the laboratory has been placed in operation and to cause to be made all necessary improvements and repairs within the limits of the appropriations made therefor; and,

(e) to establish branch laboratories if the area to be served by the laboratory is so large, if its topography is such as to make access to the laboratory difficult, or if for any other reason such action seems reasonable or desirable.

(f) to enter into an agreement annually with the governing board of any charitable corporation or municipality operating and maintaining a hospital to provide that the hospital collect fees for laboratory services for the patients in such hospital in the same manner that hospital charges are collected, and forward them to the laboratory, and to provide that the cost of collecting such fees to be paid by the county to the hospital in an amount mutually acceptable and in lieu of actual and necessary expenses. No agreement shall become effective unless and until approved by the commissioner and by resolution of the board of supervisors.