St. Louis Municipal Code
St. Louis Code > Hospitals and physicians > Hospital Staffs
Term.The members of the visiting staff shall serve for a term of two years and until their successors have been appointed. Appointments to vacancies from whatever cause shall be for the unexpired term. (1948 C. Ch. 31 § 28 (part): 1960 C. § 436.020 (part).)
Powers--Duties.
The members of the visiting staff shall have full authority and, under the rules and regulations of the hospital commissioner, be responsible for the treatment of patients in the city hospital and other institutions, excepting that the visiting staff at the sanitarium shall be advisory only to the superintendent and resident physician and shall not be superior to him in authority therein. The visiting staff shall appoint an examining committee, no two members of whom shall be connected with the same medical college, for the purpose of conducting examinations for junior interns and other members of the resident staffs, on request of the hospital commissioner. The visiting staffs of the various institutions, working under rules and regulations of the hospital commissioner, shall treat directly or supervise and direct the treatment of all patients in any institution having a visiting staff, except in the sanitarium and in cases of emergency, as emergencies may be defined by the visiting staff and approved by the hospital commissioner. The members of the resident staffs of physicians, except at the sanitariums, shall be directly responsible to the visiting staffs and shall work under their direction. No treatment shall be given and no surgical operation shall be performed upon any patient except in accordance with rules and regulations drawn by the visiting staff and approved by the hospital commissioner. (1948 C. Ch. 31 § 28 (part): 1960 C. § 436.020 (part).)
Patients not to be subject of lectures against their will.
No patient shall be made the subject of a clinic, lecture or demonstration against his will, or who would be injured thereby. (1948 C. Ch. 31 § 29: 1960 C. § 436.030.)
Resident staffs.
The resident staffs of the various institutions shall comprise the resident physicians, senior interns and junior interns, except at the sanitarium and Robert Koch hospital. They shall work under the direction of and be responsible to the visiting staff for the care of all patients, under rules approved by the hospital commissioner. No member of any resident staff shall be permitted to accept private practice or professional fees during his period of appointment. Resident physicians or senior interns shall be either physicians licensed to practice medicine and surgery in Missouri, or physicians who are eligible for, and who will obtain, a license to practice medicine and surgery in Missouri, by examination or reciprocity, within ninety days after completing an accredited junior internship. (1948 C. Ch. 31 § 30: 1960 C. § 436.040.)
Students permitted to attend lectures.
Undergraduate students of medicine and dentistry in attendance at any of the colleges in the city in good standing with the state board of health may be admitted to the institutions at hours and days of the week as may be designated by the hospital commissioner. Such students shall have the privilege of attendance without cost at lectures and clinics conducted by the visiting staff. (1948 C. Ch. 31 § 31 (part): 1960 C. § 436.050.)
Clinics--Lectures.
No person not a member of the visiting staff shall be permitted to conduct clinics or lectures in the institution except by the consent of the visiting staff and with the approval of the hospital commissioner.
Patients’ records.
The superintendent of the city hospital shall maintain a modem and complete individual record of patients, concerning the history, condition on admission, all examinations made, all treatments and operations, condition from time to time and at time of discharge, and reasons for discharge. He shall keep in a safe place the record of each patient for at least ten years after discharge. (1948 C. Ch. 31 § 32: 1960 C. § 435.090.)
Psychopathic department.
There shall be a suitable psychopathic department maintained at the city hospital for the detention and observation of persons of suspected unsound mind. The hospital commissioner shall admit persons to the psychopathic ward on request of responsible relatives, friends or the chief of police. (1948 C. Ch. 31 § 33: 1960 C. § 437.010.)
Sending physician to home of person suspected insane.
The hospital commissioner shall be authorized to send a physician from the hospital division to the home of anyone suspected of being insane by his relatives or friends or the police, to assist in determining what disposition will be advisable. (1948 C. Ch. 31 § 34: 1960 C. § 437.020.)
Written report for all psychopathic patients.
The resident alienist, visiting alienists and all physicians connected with the psychopathic department shall carefully observe all patients admitted and shall make a written report, without undue delay, to the hospital commissioner regarding each person found to be of unsound mind and whose admission to the sanitarium is recommended. (1948 C. Ch. 31 § 35: 1960 C. § 437.030.)