California Code, Welfare and Institutions Code - WIC § 14000.2

During the time this chapter is effective and notwithstanding other provisions of the Welfare and Institutions Code and Health and Safety Code, the board of supervisors of each county may prescribe rules which authorize the county hospital to integrate its services with those of other hospitals into a system of community service which offers free choice of hospitals to those requiring hospital care. The intent of this section is to eliminate discrimination or segregation based on economic disability so that the county hospital and other hospitals in the community share in providing services to paying patients and to those who qualify for care in public medical care programs. In prescribing rules under which the county hospital may provide community hospital services described in this section, the board of supervisors shall provide a basis under which patients may be attended by their own personal physicians who are professionally qualified for staff membership in the county hospital.

Notwithstanding any other provisions of law or provisions contained in a county charter, the board of supervisors of any county may transfer the maintenance, operation and management or ownership of the county hospital to the University of California or any other public agency or community nonprofit corporation empowered to operate a hospital facility upon a finding that the community services provided by the hospital could be more efficiently, effectively or economically provided by the transferee than the county. If such transfer be made to the University of California or to any other public agency empowered to operate a hospital facility the transfer of control or ownership may be made with or without the payment of a purchase price by the transferee and otherwise upon such terms and conditions as the parties may mutually agree, but if the transfer be to a community nonprofit corporation, the board of supervisors shall comply with all other provisions of law relating to the sale, lease, or transfer of public property by a county; and provided that in any event the transaction shall include such terms and conditions as the board of supervisors find necessary to insure that the transfer will constitute an ongoing material benefit to the county and its residents.

The intent of this section is to permit the implementation of programs for the consolidation of public hospital services in order to permit the more effective use of existing hospital facilities and retard the spiraling costs of medical care.