PURPOSE: This rule defines terminology used throughout this chapter.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: The secretary of state has determined that the publication of the entire text of the material which is incorporated by reference as a portion of this rule would be unduly cumbersome or expensive. Therefore, the material which is so incorporated is on file with the agency who filed this rule, and with the Office of the Secretary of State. Any interested person may view this material at either agency’s headquarters or the same will be made available at the Office of the Secretary of State at a cost not to exceed actual cost of copy reproduction. The entire text of the rule is printed here. This note refers only to the incorporated by reference material.

1. (1) ACLS—The American Heart Association’s advanced cardiac life support program.
2. (2) Anesthetizing location—An area or room in which it is intended to administer any flammable or nonflammable inhalation anesthetic agents in the course of examination or treatment.
3. (3) APLS—The American College of Emergency Physician’s advanced pediatric life support program. APLS may be used interchangeably with PALS where required.
4. (4) ATLS—The American College of Surgeon’s advanced trauma life support program.

5. (5) Authenticate—To prove authorship, for example, by written signature, identifiable initials or computer key. The use of rubber stamp signatures is acceptable only under the following conditions:

   1. (A) The individual whose signature the rubber stamp represents is the only one who has possession of the stamp and is the only one who uses it; and
   2. (B) The individual places in the administrative office of the hospital, with a copy to the medical records director, a signed statement to the effect that s/he is the only one who has the stamp and is the only one who will use it.
6. (6) Biological safety cabinet—A containment unit suitable for the preparation of low to moderate risk agents where there is a need for protection of the product, personnel and environment, according to National Safety Foundation, Standard 49.
7. (7) Board-admissible—That a physician has applied to a specialty board and has received a ruling that s/he has fulfilled the requirements to take the certification examinations. Board certification must be obtained within five (5) years after completion of the residency.
8. (8) Board-certified—That a physician has fulfilled all requirements, has satisfactorily completed all written and oral examinations and has been awarded a board diploma in a specialty field.
9. (9) Certified registered nurse anesthetist—A registered nurse who has graduated from a school of nurse anesthesia accredited by the Council on Accreditation of Educational Programs of Nurse Anesthesia or its predecessor and has been certified or is eligible for certification as a nurse anesthetist by the Council on Certification of Nurse Anesthetists.
10. (10) Chief executive officer—The individual appointed by the governing body to act in its behalf in the overall management of the hospital. Job titles may include administrator, superintendent, director, executive director, president, vice president and executive vice president.
11. (11) Chief operating officer—The individual appointed by the chief executive officer on behalf of the governing body or the individual who is responsible for the management of one (1) hospital in a multi-hospital organization under the direction of the chief executive officer of the organization.
12. (12) Class II biological safety cabinet—A ventilated cabinet for personnel, product and environmental protection having an open front with inward airflow for personnel protection, high-efficiency-particulate-air (HEPA)- filtered laminar airflow for product protection and HEPA-filtered exhausted air for environmental protection.
13. (13) Class 100 environment—An atmospheric environment which contains less than one hundred (100) particles five-tenths (0.5) 19 CSR 30-20

microns or larger in diameter per cubic foot of air, according to federal standard 209E.

1. (14) Dentist—An individual who has received a Doctor of Dental Surgery or Doctor of Dental Medicine degree and is currently licensed to practice dentistry in Missouri.
2. (15) Department—Missouri Department of Health.
3. (16) Hospital emergency transfer policy—A document that represents the usual and customary practices of a hospital with respect to the transfer of patients. The department uses objective indicators of patient status in relation to hospital capabilities to identify general classifications of patients who should be considered for transfer to a hospital with the necessary capabilities, and indicates the general classifications of patients the hospital has the capabilities to receive through emergency transfer from another hospital. The hospital emergency transfer policy does not supersede the authority of a physician to determine whether patients should be transferred on a case-by-case basis, but serves as an institutional baseline to assist physician staff in providing consistent care decisions and is utilized for quality assurance review.
4. (17) Independent licensed practitioner—An individual who is a graduate of a professional school and is licensed to practice as a health care provider in Missouri.

5. (18) Infectious waste—Waste capable of producing an infectious disease. For a waste to be infectious, it must contain pathogens with sufficient virulence and quantity so that exposure to the waste by a susceptible host could result in an infectious disease. Infectious waste shall include the following categories:

   1. (A) Blood and blood products—All human blood and blood products including serum, plasma and other components known or suspected to be contaminated with a transmissible infectious agent;
   2. (B) Contaminated surgical, dialysis and laboratory wastes—Wastes generated by surgery, dialysis and laboratory departments in the process of caring for hospital patients who have communicable diseases capable of being transmitted to others via those wastes;
   3. (C) Cultures and stocks of infectious agents and associated biologicals—Cultures and stocks of infectious agents shall be designated as infectious waste because of the high concentrations of pathogenic organisms typically present in these materials. Included in this category are all cultures and stocks of infectious organisms as well as culture dishes SENIOR SERVICES

and devices used to transfer, inoculate and mix cultures. Also included are animal carcasses, body parts and bedding from animals contaminated with infectious agents;

1. (D) Isolation wastes—Wastes generated by hospitalized patients who have communicable diseases capable of being transmitted to others via those wastes;
2. (E) Pathology wastes—Autopsy wastes which consist of tissues, organs, body parts and body fluids that are removed during surgery and autopsy. All these wastes shall be considered infectious waste; and
3. (F) Sharps—All discarded sharps including hypodermic needles, syringes and scalpel blades. Broken glass or other sharp items that have come in contact with material defined as infectious are included.

1. (19) Inpatient—A person admitted into a hospital by a member of the medical staff for diagnosis, treatment or care.
2. (20) Medical services—Those preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic measures performed by, or at the request of, members of the medical staff or an independent licensed practitioner in outpatient services.

3. (21) Operator—Shall mean any person as defined by section 197.020, RSMo who is licensed or required to be licensed under the provisions of sections 197.020–197.120, RSMo to establish, conduct or maintain a hospital. The term person shall mean any person determined by the department to have the following:

   1. (A) Ultimate responsibility for making and implementing decisions regarding the operation of the hospital; and
   2. (B) Ultimate financial control of the operation of the hospital.
4. (22) PALS—The American Heart Association’s pediatric advanced life support program. PALS may be used interchangeably with APLS where required.
5. (23) Pharmacist—An individual who is a graduate of a school or college of pharmacy and is currently licensed to practice pharmacy in Missouri.
6. (24) Physician—An individual who has received a Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathy degree and is currently licensed to practice medicine in Missouri.
7. (25) Podiatrist—An individual who has received a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree and is currently licensed to practice podiatry in Missouri.
8. (26) Psychologist—An individual who is currently licensed by the State Committee of Psychologists under the provisions of Chapter 337, RSMo.
9. (27) Qualified dietitian—An individual who is registered by the Commission on Dietetic Registration of the American Dietetic Association or who has the documented equivalent in education, training and experience, with evidence of relevant continuing education.
10. (28) Qualified medical record administrator—A registered record administrator who has successfully passed an appropriate examination conducted by the American Medical Record Association or who has the document equivalent in education and training.
11. (29) Qualified medical record technician—An accredited record technician who has successfully passed the appropriate accreditation examination conducted by the American Medical Record Association or who has the documented equivalent in education and training.
12. (30) Qualified occupational therapist—An individual who is a graduate of an occupational therapy program approved by a nationally recognized accrediting body, or who currently holds certification by the American Occupational Therapy Association as an occupational therapist or who has the documented equivalent in training or experience and is currently competent in the field.
13. (31) Qualified physical therapist—An individual who is licensed to practice professional physical therapy in Missouri.
14. (32) Qualified 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 documented equivalent in education and training.
15. (33) Qualified social worker—A licensed clinical social worker or a person who has a bachelor’s degree in social work or a master’s degree in social work.
16. (34) Registered nurse—An individual who is a graduate of an approved school of nursing and who is licensed to practice as a registered nurse in Missouri.
17. (35) Registered or certified respiratory therapist—An individual who has been registered or certified by the National Board for Respiratory Therapy, Inc. after successfully completing all education, experience and examination requirements or an individual who has been registered or certified prior to November 11, 1982, by an organization acceptable to the Department of Health.
18. (36) Special care unit—An appropriately equipped area of the hospital where there is a concentration of physicians, nurses and others who have special skills and experience to provide optimal medical care for critically-ill patients.
19. (37) Transfer agreement—A document which sets forth the rights and responsibilities of two (2) hospitals regarding the interhospital transfer of patients.
20. (38) Unit—A functional division or facility of the hospital.

21. (39) Diversion—a plan to temporarily close a hospital emergency department to ambulance traffic. This may be due to the Emergency Department being overwhelmed with significantly critically ill or injured patients, or an overwhelming number of minor emergency patients, to the extent that the hospital is unable to provide quality care or protect the health or welfare of the patients it serves. A diversion also may be implemented if the hospital has resource limitations, such as, no available beds in specialty care units or general acute care, no surgical suites or shortages of equipment or personnel.

    1. (A) Defined service area—The geographic area served by a defined group of hospitals and emergency services. In areas where there is a community-based emergency medical services diversion plan, the service area(s) defined as the catchment area by the plan will be the defined service area(s). In areas where there is not a community–based emergency medical services diversion plan, the defined service area will be a twenty (20)–mile radius from a hospital.
22. (40) Immediate and serious threat—Having caused, or is likely to cause, serious injury, harm, impairment, or death to a patient.

AUTHORITY: sections 192.006, 197.080 and 197.293, RSMo 2000.* This rule was previously filed as 13 CSR 50-20.011. Original rule filed June 2, 1982, effective Nov. 11, 1982. Amended: Filed June 2, 1987, effective Sept. 11, 1987. Amended: Filed Aug. 16, 1988, effective Dec. 29, 1988. Amended: Filed Nov. 21, 1995, effective July 30, 1996. Amended: Filed Oct. 6, 1998, effective April 30, 1999. Amended: Filed June 28, 2001, effective Feb. 28, 2002. *Original authority: 192.006, RSMo 1993; amended 1995; 197.080, RSMo 1953, amended 1993, 1995; and 197.293, RSMo 2000.