1. (a) “Birth facility” means the hospital or birthing center where the infant was born.
2. (b) “Commissioner” means the commissioner of the New Hampshire department of health and human services, or his or her designee.
3. (c) “Critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) screening” means screening for 7 different heart disorders that can be detected via pulse oximetry.
4. (d) “Department” means the department of health and human services, state of New Hampshire.
5. (e) “Diagnostic hearing evaluation” means comprehensive testing of infants to determine type and classification of hearing loss.
6. (f) “Dried blood spot (DBS)” means a specimen of blood obtained from an infant through the heel stick procedure, which is then applied to a filter paper and dried.
7. (g) “Early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) program” means a department program, which oversees the newborn hearing screening process in New Hampshire.
8. (h) “EHDI database” means the information collection system used by the department for the reporting of newborn hearing screening, diagnosis, and treatment information.
9. (i) “Filter paper” means the department-approved specimen collection card which is made specifically for the purpose of collecting an infant’s blood, and which is used by the laboratory for testing.
10. (j) “Healthcare provider” means the licensed medical doctor, licensed doctor of osteopathy, licensed advanced practice nurse, licensed physician’s assistant, or certified midwife, providing care to a person.
11. (k) “Laboratory” means the testing facility authorized by the state of New Hampshire to conduct DBS testing on its behalf.
12. (l) “Newborn hearing screening” means evaluating the hearing status of infants.
13. (m) “Newborn screening” means the DBS testing of infants.
14. (n) “Newborn screening program (NSP)” means the department program which has responsibility for managing all aspects of infant DBS screening pursuant to RSA 132:10-a.
15. (o) “Out of range (OOR) result” means a DBS test result that is outside of the reference range shown on the clinical laboratory report.
16. (p) “Pediatric audiologist” means a person who specializes in the assessment and rehabilitation of hearing loss in infants and children.
17. (q) “Unsatisfactory specimen” means a DBS specimen which is unacceptable for issuing a laboratory result interpretation on the formal laboratory report.

Source. #8529, eff 12-23-05; ss by #9725, eff 7-1-10; ss by #12632, eff 9-28-18; ss by #13530, eff 1-25-23