For the purposes of Title IV, subtitle 2, excluding chapter 146, unless otherwise defined:

1. 1. “Director” means the director of health and human services.
2. 2. “Health officer” means the physician, physician assistant, advanced registered nurse practitioner, or advanced practice registered nurse who is the health officer of the local board of health.
3. 3. “Local board” means the local board of health.
4. 4. “Physician” means a person licensed to practice medicine and surgery, osteopathic medicine and surgery, chiropractic, podiatry, or optometry under the laws of this state; but a person licensed as a physician and surgeon shall be designated as a “physician” or “surgeon”, a person licensed as an osteopathic physician and surgeon shall be designated as an “osteopathic physician” or “osteopathic surgeon”, a person licensed as a chiropractor shall be designated as a “chiropractor”, a person licensed as a podiatrist shall be designated as a “podiatric physician”, and a person licensed as an optometrist shall be designated as an “optometrist”. A definition or designation contained in this subsection shall not be interpreted to expand the scope of practice of such licensees.
5. 5. “Rules” include regulations and orders.
6. 6. “State department” or “department” means the department of health and human services.

[S13, §2583-b; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, §2181; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, §135.1] 86 Acts, ch 1245, §1101; 88 Acts, ch 1199, §1; 94 Acts, ch 1023, §10; 95 Acts, ch 108, §2; 96 Acts, ch 1036, §1; 96 Acts, ch 1212, §15; 2008 Acts, ch 1058, §14; 2008 Acts, ch 1084, §10; 2008 Acts, ch 1088, §141; 2009 Acts, ch 133, §30; 2012 Acts, ch 1113, §16; 2020 Acts, ch 1083, §1; 2023 Acts, ch 19, §125; 2024 Acts, ch 1043, §52

Referred to in §10A.533, 135C.1, 144.26, 237A.12, 514.21