Terms Used In Iowa Code 229.16

  • Chief medical officer: means the medical director in charge of a public or private hospital, or that individual's physician-designee. See Iowa Code 229.1
  • Court: shall mean and include any court upon which jurisdiction has been conferred to determine the liability of persons for the support of dependents. See Iowa Code 252A.2
  • Hospital: means either a public hospital or a private hospital. See Iowa Code 229.1
  • Patient: means a person who has been hospitalized or ordered hospitalized to receive treatment pursuant to section 229. See Iowa Code 229.1
  • serious mental impairment: describes the condition of a person with mental illness and because of that illness lacks sufficient judgment to make responsible decisions with respect to the person's hospitalization or treatment, and who because of that illness meets any of the following criteria:
 When the condition of a patient who is hospitalized pursuant to a report issued under section 229.14, subsection 1, paragraph “b”, or is receiving treatment pursuant to a report issued under section 229.14, subsection 1, paragraph “c”, or is in full-time care and custody pursuant to a report issued under section 229.14, subsection 1, paragraph “d”, is such that in the opinion of the chief medical officer the patient no longer requires treatment or care for serious mental impairment, the chief medical officer shall tentatively discharge the patient and immediately report that fact to the court which ordered the patient’s hospitalization or care and custody. Upon receiving the report, the court shall issue an order confirming the patient’s discharge from the hospital or from care and custody, as the case may be, and shall terminate the proceedings pursuant to which the order was issued. Copies of the order shall be sent by regular mail to the hospital, the patient, and the applicant if the applicant has filed a written waiver signed by the patient.