3062 - Definitions.

§ 3062. Definitions. As used in this article:    1.  "Emergency  medical care" means the initial management, treatment,  and transfer of suddenly ill or injured patients.    2. "Trauma care" means health care provided to patients at  high  risk  of death or disability from multiple and severe injuries.    3.  "Emergency  patient" means any patient making an unscheduled visit  to a hospital emergency facility for emergency medical care.    4. "Emergency department" means a hospital  department  consisting  of  staff,  facilities,  and resources to provide emergency medical care for  large numbers of emergency patients.    5. "Emergency service"  means  a  hospital  department  consisting  of  staff,  facilities,  and resources to provide emergency medical care for  small numbers of emergency patients.    6. "Emergency physician" means a staff physician  providing  emergency  medical care in an emergency department or emergency service.    7. "Emergency nurse" means a staff nurse providing nursing services in  an emergency department or emergency service.    8.  "Trauma  patient"  means  a  patient  at  high  risk  of  death or  disability from multiple and severe injuries.    9. "Trauma system" means an organized health care  system  to  provide  trauma  care  in,  or en route to, from, or between general hospitals or  other health care facilities.    10. "Trauma center" means a facility capable of  providing  definitive  trauma care.    11.   "Trauma   station"   means   a  facility  capable  of  providing  sustentative trauma care followed by expeditious transfer  to  a  trauma  center.    12.  "Trauma surgeon" means a staff surgeon providing trauma care in a  trauma center or trauma station or during aeromedical transport.    13. "Trauma nurse" means a staff nurse providing nursing services in a  trauma center or trauma station, or during aeromedical transport.    14. "Prehospital transport" means emergency ambulance  transport  from  the scene of a sudden illness or injury requiring emergency medical care  or  trauma  care  to  a  general hospital or other health care facility,  conducted in accordance with article thirty of this chapter.    15. "Interfacility transfer" means emergency ambulance transport from,  to, or between  general  hospitals  or  other  health  care  facilities,  conducted in accordance with article thirty of this chapter.    16.   "Aeromedical   transport"   means   prehospital   transport   or  interfacility transfer conducted in rotary wing or fixed wing aircraft.    17.  "Transport  system"  means   an   organized   health   care   and  transportation system to provide prehospital transport and interfacility  transfer to critically ill or injured patients.    18.  "Critically  ill  or  injured"  means  at high risk of dying from  illnesses or injuries.    19. "Disaster preparedness" means the state of readiness necessary  to  respond  to  natural or man-made disasters, including but not limited to  biologic, nuclear, incendiary, chemical, and explosive disasters.    20. "Interoperability" means the capacity of  all  emergency  medical,  trauma  care,  and disaster preparedness response systems to collaborate  and communicate during an emergency, trauma, or disaster response.    21. "State hospital review  and  planning  council"  means  the  state  hospital  review and planning council established by section twenty-nine  hundred four of this chapter.    22.  "State  emergency  medical  services  council"  means  the  state  emergency medical services council established by section three thousand  two of this chapter.23.  "State  emergency  medical  advisory  committee"  means the state  emergency  medical  advisory  committee  established  by  section  three  thousand two-a of this chapter.    24.  "State trauma advisory committee" means the state trauma advisory  committee continued by this article.    25. "Regional emergency medical services  council"  means  a  regional  emergency medical services council established by section three thousand  three of this chapter.    26.  "Regional  emergency medical advisory committee" means a regional  emergency  medical  advisory  committee  established  by  section  three  thousand four-a of this chapter.    27.  "Regional  trauma  advisory  committee"  means  a regional trauma  advisory committee continued or established by this article.    28. "Regional trauma program agency"  means  an  entity  that  may  be  contracted  by  the department to assist the department in providing the  ways and means necessary for a regional  trauma  advisory  committee  to  perform the duties specified under this article.