2023 Connecticut General Statutes › Title 10a - State System of Higher Education › Chapter 187c - The University of Connecticut Health Center Finance Corporation › Section 10a-255. - Joint ventures. Shared service agreements. Contracts.

(a) To accomplish the purposes of sections 10a-250 to 10a-263, inclusive, the corporation may enter into joint ventures or shared service agreements to procure hospital facilities and to contract for services necessary or useful in connection with the procurement of hospital facilities. The corporation shall establish and adopt specific policies, rules and procedures on purchasing and contracting. Such policies, rules and procedures shall be approved by a two-thirds vote of its full board of directors. The corporation shall conduct its contracting and purchasing operations in accordance with such policies, rules and procedures. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the corporation may enter into joint ventures or shared service agreements and may procure hospital facilities and contract for any services necessary or useful in connection with such procurement either (1) pursuant to a process of open or competitive bidding, provided that (A) the corporation may determine the format, contents and scope of any joint venture or shared service agreement or any procurement of hospital facilities, and services in connection with such procurement, the conditions under which bidding shall take place and the schedule and stipulations for contract award, and (B) the corporation may select the contractor deemed to have submitted the most favorable bid, price and other factors considered, when, in the judgment of the corporation, such award is in the best interests of the hospital, or (2) if the corporation, in its discretion, determines that, due to the nature of the joint venture or shared service agreement or hospital facilities to be contracted for or procured, open or public bidding is either impracticable or not in the best interests of the hospital, through negotiation with such person or persons as the corporation may determine. The terms and conditions of joint ventures or shared service agreements or contracts for hospital facilities shall be determined by the corporation, as shall the fees or other compensation to be paid to such persons under such joint venture, shared service agreement or contract, provided any contract for construction by the corporation or a subsidiary of a hospital facility shall be subject to the provisions of section 31-53 and any joint venture agreement or shared service agreement of the corporation shall contain a neutrality clause signed by all parties to such joint venture agreement or shared service agreement prohibiting employer interference by such parties in union organizing and education campaigns, prohibiting discrimination in hiring based on past union activity and prohibiting harassment of employees engaged in labor organizing, all in compliance with section 31-104 and section 31-105. The joint venture, shared service agreement or contracts entered into by the corporation shall not be subject to the approval of any state department, office or agency other than as provided in this section. Copies of all contracts of the corporation shall be maintained by the corporation at its offices as public records, subject to the exemption provided in subsection (i) of section 10a-253. Nothing in this subsection shall be deemed to restrict the discretion of the corporation to utilize its own staff and workforce for the performance of any of its assigned responsibilities and functions whenever, in the discretion of the corporation, it becomes necessary, convenient or desirable to do so.
(b) Subject to the restrictions of subdivision (15) of section 10a-254 the corporation may contract with the hospital to provide services for the hospital through joint ventures or shared service agreements or to provide hospital facilities for the hospital, to provide insurance for the hospital as provided in section 10a-256 and to contract for claims management services, or to otherwise make hospital facilities or services provided by joint ventures or shared service agreements available for the hospital. For the hospital to enter into any contract for such services or hospital facilities or insurance or claims management services with the corporation, to pay any reasonable fees and charges established by the corporation for such services or hospital facilities or to pledge payment from any moneys made available by the state to the hospital including, but not limited to, resources of the hospital fund established and administered pursuant to sections 10a-127 and 10a-128, other funds of the state and proceeds of financings by the state for the payment of such fees and charges, it shall have the authorization of the Board of Trustees of The University of Connecticut. Such authorization shall be given by adoption of a resolution at a regularly or specially noticed meeting of said board of trustees. Any fees and charges so established shall be deemed to be direct expenses of the hospital for which the resources of the hospital fund may be used pursuant to section 10a-127 and the State Treasurer is authorized to make payments of such fees and charges upon warrants issued by the State Comptroller, upon the order of authorized officers of The University of Connecticut, pursuant to such a resolution. The provisions of section 4a-57 and any provision of law relating to contract approval other than sections 10a-250 to 10a-263, inclusive, shall not apply to such contracts between the hospital and the corporation. Any such contract or contracts shall be upon such terms and conditions as the corporation and the hospital shall determine to be reasonable including, but not limited to, the reimbursement of all costs of planning, financing, acquisition, construction, operation and maintenance, and any claims arising therefrom. All payments of fees and charges required under any contract or agreement entered into pursuant to the provisions of this section are considered expenditures for public purposes by the state. Any contract between the hospital and the corporation that provides for the procurement by the corporation of hospital facilities or services as authorized by sections 10a-250 to 10a-263, inclusive, shall provide that the hospital shall be required to pay, through service, lease, rental or installment sale payments for such hospital facilities or services, all project costs of such hospital facilities or services at such times and in such amounts as determined by the corporation and the hospital. Any such contract between the hospital and the corporation may contain provisions as to: (1) Pledging or assigning any part of moneys and revenues, including reimbursement allowances, derived by the hospital or the corporation, to secure payments required by such contract; (2) setting aside reserves and creating special funds and the disposition thereof; (3) defining the acts or omissions to act which shall constitute a default in the obligations and duties of the hospital or the corporation and providing for the rights and remedies of the hospital and the corporation in the event of such default; (4) any other matters which may be deemed necessary or desirable by the corporation to properly carry out its corporate purposes.
(P.A. 87-458, S. 6, 18.)