Section 31-3603 - MEMBERS OF BOARD(1) The board of county commissioners shall, within thirty (30) days after the adoption of the order creating such board, appoint an odd number, not less than five (5) nor more than fifteen (15) persons, as members of such hospital board and shall make such appointments a matter of record in the minutes of the board. Provided however, if the appointed county commissioner member of the hospital board is appointed with voting privileges as provided in subsection (4) of this section, the board of county commissioners shall appoint another member to ensure that the county hospital board members appointed as provided in this subsection comprise an even number of members of not less than six (6) nor more than fourteen (14) persons.(2) The county hospital board may, in its discretion, later change the number of members of the board, within the prescribed limits, but no such change in the number of members of the hospital board shall serve to terminate any terms to be served by present members of the hospital board.(3) Vacancies on the county hospital board shall be filled by the board of county commissioners. In filling vacancies, the board of county commissioners shall review and consider, but shall not be bound by, a list of three (3) nominees for each position to be filled and submitted to them by the county hospital board. The members of the board shall be selected as nearly as practicable from the several localities of the county and shall qualify by taking and subscribing the usual oath of office. The county hospital board shall file with the board of county commissioners a blanket bond covering all of its members in the sum of not less than ten thousand dollars ($10,000) to be approved by the board of county commissioners, which bond shall have the conditions usually included in the bonds of public officers. The members of the county hospital board shall be selected without regard for partisan political affiliations.(4) One (1) member of the board of county commissioners shall be appointed to the board either as an ex officio member without vote, or as a voting member, as determined by the board of county commissioners at the time of the appointment. If the county commissioner member is appointed as a voting member, the board of county commissioners shall also appoint another member to the hospital board as provided in subsection (1) of this section to ensure the board is comprised of an odd number of voting members.(5) In addition to the appointed members of the county hospital board, the chief executive officer shall be an ex officio member of the county hospital board, but without vote.[31-3603, added 1946 (1st E.S.), ch. 38, sec. 3, p. 75; am. 1957, ch. 57, sec. 1, p. 98; am. 1973, ch. 98, sec. 1, p. 166; am. 1975, ch. 58, sec. 1, p. 122; am. 1977, ch. 139, sec. 1, p. 300; am. 1982, ch. 340, sec. 2, p. 852; am. 1997, ch. 147, sec. 1, p. 423.]