Section 101.4. Definitions

The following words and terms, when used in this subpart, have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

Act—Health Care Facilities Act (35 P. S. § § 448.101—448.904).

Advanced life support—The invasive prehospital and interhospital emergency medical care of serious illness or injury by trained health professional and allied health professional personnel under the medical command of a physician.

Anesthetist—A generic term used to identify anesthesiologists, other qualified physician anesthetists, or qualified nurse or dentist anesthetists.

Authenticate—To verify authorship, for example, by written signature, identifiable initials, or computer key; the use of rubber stamp signatures shall be acceptable under the following strict conditions:

(i) The practitioner whose signature the rubber stamp represents is the only one who has possession of the stamp and is the only one who uses it.

(ii) The hospital maintains in its administrative offices a signed statement by the practitioner to the effect that he is the only person who possesses the stamp and is the only one who will use it.

Certified medical records practitioner—Either an Accredited Records Technician or a Registered Records Administrator, approved by the American Medical Records Association.

Chairman, chief—The director of a medical, clinical service; the term always connotes a physician unless otherwise stated.

Chief executive officer—A job descriptive term used to identify the individual appointed by the governing body to act in its behalf in the overall management of the hospital.

Clinical privileges—Permission to render medical care in the granting institution rendered pursuant to Chapter 107 (relating to medical staff).

Compliance directive—A directive issued by the Department citing deficiencies which have come to the attention of the Department through the survey process or by on-site inspection and directing the hospital to take corrective action as the Department directs or to submit a plan of correction.

Consultant—One who provides professional advice or services on request.

Deficiency—Any condition which exists contrary to, in violation of, or in noncompliance with this subpart.

Department—The Department of Health of the Commonwealth. Where a provision of this subpart confers powers or imposes duties upon the Department, which under a statute may be exercised by or imposed on only the Secretary, the reference to the Department shall be construed to mean the Department acting by and through the Secretary, or the person for the time being acting as the Secretary, personally.

Dietetic assistant—A person who has completed a program in food service administration and nutritional care which meets the training standards established by the American Dietetic Association and provides at least 90 clock hours of coursework.

Dietetic technician—A person who has completed an associate degree program which meets the educational standards established by the American Dietitian Association; this person works under the direction of a qualified dietitian.

Direction—Authoritative policy or procedural guidance for the accomplishment of a function or activity.

Director—An individual with administrative responsibility for the direction of a division or service of the hospital. When this term is used in connection with a medical, clinical service, it is synonymous with chairman and does not necessarily imply a salaried or otherwise remunerated individual.

Division—An organizational division in the hospital.

Drug administration—An act in which a single dose of an identified drug is given to a patient.

Drug dispensing—The issuance of floor stocks or of one or more doses of a prescribed medication in containers that are correctly labeled to indicate the name of the patient, the contents of the container, and all other vital information needed to facilitate correct patient usage and drug administration.

Emergency contraception—

(i) A drug, drug regime or device approved by the Food and Drug Administration that is used after sexual intercourse to inhibit or prevent ovulation or fertilization.

(ii) The term also includes a drug, drug regime or device approved by the Food and Drug Administration that is used after sexual intercourse to inhibit or prevent the implantation of a fertilized ovum within the uterus.

Existing hospital—A facility erected or remodeled for use as a hospital prior to the effective date of this subpart.

Ex officio—Position by virtue of or because of an office, with no reference to specific voting power.

Facilities—Buildings, equipment, and supplies necessary for implementation of hospital services by personnel.

Full-time—The normal or standard working period established by the hospital.

General hospital—A hospital equipped and staffed for the treatment of medical or surgical conditions, or both, in the acute or chronic stages, on an inpatient basis of 24 or more hours.

Graduate nurse—A graduate of an approved program of professional nursing practicing his profession pursuant to and in accordance with The Professional Nursing Law (63 P. S. § § 211—225).

Graduate social worker—A person qualified by a graduate degree from a school of social work accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

Hospital—A facility having an organized medical staff and providing equipment and services primarily for inpatient care to persons who require definitive diagnosis or treatment, or both, for injury, illness, pregnancy, or other disability.

House staff/House staff officers—Physicians in training whose clinical privileges are delineated pursuant to Chapter 107.

Licensed practical nurse—A person licensed to practice practical nursing pursuant to The Practical Nurse Law (63 P. S. § § 651—667).

May—A term used to indicate an acceptable but not mandatory standard, method, process, or result.

Medical—Of, pertaining to, or dealing with the healing art and the science of medicine or osteopathy.

Must—Synonymous with shall.

New construction—New buildings, additions to existing buildings, conversion of existing buildings or portions thereof, or portions of buildings undergoing alterations other than repair.

Nuclear medicine—The scientific and clinical discipline concerned with diagnostic, therapeutic-exclusive of sealed radium sources, and investigative use of radionuclides.

Nursing care unit—An organized jurisdiction of nursing service in which nursing services are provided on a continuous basis.

Nursing service—Patient care services pertaining to the curative, restorative, and preventative aspects of nursing that are performed or supervised by a registered nurse pursuant to the medical care plan of the practitioner and the nursing care plan.

Nursing station—The physical area within a patient care unit from which nursing services are provided and where nursing records and supplies are maintained.

Organized—Administratively and functionally structured.

Organized medical staff—A formal organization of physicians, and dentists with the delegated responsibility and authority to maintain proper standards for medical care.

Outpatient service—An organizational unit of the hospital which is designed to support the provision of nonemergency health care services to patients who do not remain in the hospital overnight; the term includes a short-term procedure unit when applicable.

Paramedic—An emergency medical technician specifically trained in an advanced program of emergency cardiac and noncardiac care and certified by the Department as qualified to render the services enumerated in section 3 of the act of November 30, 1976 (P. L. 1205, No. 264) (35 P. S. § 6803) otherwise known as an emergency medical technician—paramedic or EMT—paramedic.

Patient care unit—A designated area of the hospital where nursing services are provided on a continuous basis.

Pharmacy—Any place where the practice of pharmacy is conducted pursuant to the Pharmacy Act (63 P. S. § § 390-1—390-13).

Physician—A person licensed to practice medicine or osteopathy. The term is more fully defined in 1 Pa.C.S. § 991.

Policy—A heading designating a section of this subpart which is a duty or responsibility only of the Department. Policy regulations carry the force of law when applied to the Department but do not apply to hospitals under this subpart.

Practice privileges—Synonymous with clinical privileges.

Practitioner—A licensed physician, dentist, or podiatrist.

Principle—A term used to indicate the general approach or objective to be accomplished by meeting the standards or other regulations appearing after the stated principle.

Professional nurse/registered professional nurse—A person licensed to practice professional nursing pursuant to The Professional Nursing Law (63 P. S. § § 211—225).

Provider—An individual; a trust or estate; a partnership; a corporation including associations, joint stock companies, and insurance companies; and the Commonwealth or a political subdivision or instrumentality thereof including a municipal corporation or authority that operates a health care facility.

Qualified dietitian—A person who:

(i) Is registered or eligible for registration by the Commission on Dietetic Registration and has at least one year of experience in clinical dietetics and nutrition; or

(ii) Has a baccalaureate degree or advanced degree with major studies in food or nutrition of dietetics and who has at least one year of clinical experience.

Qualified nurse anesthetist—A nurse who has been certified as a nurse anesthetist by the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists or who has the equivalent training and experience.

Qualified records administrator—Either an Accredited Records Technician or a Registered Records Administrator, approved by the American Medical Records Association.

Radiologic technologist—An individual who is a graduate of a program in radiologic technology approved by the Council on Medical Education of the American Medical Association or who has the equivalent of such education and training.

Rape crisis center—An office, institution or center that offers assistance to a sexual assault victim or the victim’s family through crisis intervention, medical and legal accompaniment and follow-up counseling.

Reportable communicable disease—Any disease for which reports are required pursuant to the provisions of the Disease Prevention and Control Law of 1955 (35 P. S. § § 521.1—521.21). Reference should also be made to Chapter 27, Subchapters B, E and F (relating to selected procedures for preventing disease transmission; and miscellaneous provisions).

Respiratory therapy—The provision of ventilatory support and associated services to patients.

Secretary—The Secretary of the Department.

Service—Used to indicate a functional division of the hospital or of the nursing or medical staff; also used to indicate the delivery of care.

Sexual assault—Any offense specified in 18 Pa.C.S. Chapter 31, Subchapter B (relating to definition of offenses), except that the term does not include indecent exposure as defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 3127 (relating to indecent exposure) or sexual intercourse with an animal as defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 3129 (relating to sexual intercourse with animal).

Sexual assault counselor—A person who is engaged or employed by a rape crisis center that arranges for the provision of services to a sexual assault victim, who has undergone at least 40 hours of sexual assault training and is under the control of a direct services supervisor of a rape crisis center, whose primary purpose is the rendering of advice, counseling or assistance to victims of sexual assault.

Sexual assault emergency services—A medical examination, forensic examination, or other procedure or service provided by a hospital to a sexual assault victim because of a sexual assault.

Sexual assault victim or victim—A person who has been sexually assaulted.

Short-term procedure unit—A unit organized for the delivery of nonemergency surgical services to patients who do not remain in the hospital overnight.

Small hospital—A hospital maintaining 100 beds or less, as licensed by the Department.

Special care unit—An appropriately equipped area of the hospital where provision has been made for a concentration of physicians, nurses, and others who have special skills and experiences to provide medical care for critically ill patients.

Special hospital—A hospital equipped and staffed for the treatment of disorders within the scope of specific medical specialties or for the treatment of limited classifications of diseases in their acute or chronic stages on an inpatient basis of 24 or more hours.

Survey—The process of evaluation or reevaluation of the compliance of a hospital with this subpart.

Undergraduate social worker—A person qualified by a bachelor’s degree from an undergraduate program in social work accredited by the Council on Social Work Education.

Unit—A functional facility of the hospital.

The provisions of this § 101.4 amended through December 3, 1982, effective December 4, 1982, 12 Pa.B. 4192 and 4281; amended January 25, 1985, effective March 27, 1985, 15 Pa.B. 250; amended January 25, 2008, effective January 26, 2008, 38 Pa.B. 573. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (244992) to (244994), (287187) to (287188) and (244997).

Notation

Authority

The provisions of this § 101.4 issued under section 2102(g) of The Administrative Code of 1929 (71 P. S. § 532(g)); and under 803 of the Health Care Facilities Act (35 P. S. § 448.803); amended under sections 102, 201(12), 801.1 and 803(2) of the Health Care Facilities Act (35 P. S. § § 448.102, 448.201(12), 448,801a and 448.803(2)); and under section 2102(a) and (g) of The Administrative Code of 1929 (71 P. S. § 532(a) and (g)).