§ 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.