Section 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.