(a) Any person, partnership, association or corporation and any local governmental unit or any division, department, board or agency thereof which establishes, conducts, manages or operates a hospice without first obtaining a license therefor as herein provided, or which violates any provisions of this article or any rule or regulation lawfully promulgated thereunder, shall be assessed a civil penalty by the Secretary not to exceed $50 for each violation. Each day of continuing violation after conviction shall be considered a separate violation.

Terms Used In West Virginia Code 16-5I-6

  • board: means a board of health serving one or more counties or one or more municipalities or a combination thereof. See West Virginia Code 16-1-2
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
  • Department: means the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources: Provided, That beginning January 1, 2024, as used in this chapter, "department" and "Department of Health and Human Resources" means the Department of Health. See West Virginia Code 16-1-2
  • Hospice: means a coordinated program of home and inpatient care provided directly or through an agreement under the direction of an identifiable hospice administration which provides palliative and supportive medical and other health services to terminally ill individuals and their families. See West Virginia Code 16-5I-2
  • Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
  • Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
  • Secretary: means the Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources. See West Virginia Code 16-5I-2
  • State: when applied to a part of the United States and not restricted by the context, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" also include the said district and territories. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10

(b) Notwithstanding the existence or pursuit of any other remedy, the Secretary may, in the manner provided by law, maintain an action in the name of the state for an injunction against any person, partnership, association, corporation or any governmental unit or any division, department, board or agency thereof to restrain or prevent the establishment, conduct, management or operation of any hospice or violation of any provisions of this article or any rule or regulation lawfully promulgated thereunder without first obtaining a license therefor in the manner hereinbefore provided.