10A NCAC 14C .2101. DEFINITIONS

The following definitions apply to all rules in this Section:

(1)           "Ambulatory surgical facility" means a facility as defined in G.S. 131E-176(1b).

(2)           "Operating room" means a room as defined in G.S. 131E-176(18c), which includes an inpatient operating room, an outpatient or ambulatory surgical operating room, or a shared operating room.

(3)           "Ambulatory surgical program" means a program as defined in G.S. 131E-176(1c).

(4)           "Dedicated cesarean section operating room" means an operating room as defined in the applicable State Medical Facilities Plan.

(5)           "Existing operating rooms" means those operating rooms in ambulatory surgical facilities and hospitals which were reported in the License Application for Ambulatory Surgical Facilities and Programs and in Part III of Hospital Licensure Renewal Application Form submitted to the Acute and Home Care Licensure and Certification Section of the Division of Health Service Regulation and which were licensed and certified prior to the beginning of the review period.

(6)           "Approved operating rooms" means those operating rooms that were approved for a certificate of need by the Certificate of Need Section prior to the date on which the applicant's proposed project was submitted to the Agency but that have not been licensed.

(7)           "Multispecialty ambulatory surgical program" means a program as defined in G.S. 131E-176(15a).

(8)           "Outpatient or ambulatory surgical operating room" means an operating room used solely for the performance of surgical procedures which require local, regional or general anesthesia and a period of post-operative observation of less than 24 hours.

(9)           "Related entity" means the parent company of the applicant, a subsidiary company of the applicant (i.e., the applicant owns 50 percent or more of another company), a joint venture in which the applicant is a member, or a company that shares common ownership with the applicant (i.e., the applicant and another company are owned by some of the same persons).

(10)         "Service area" means the Operating Room Service Area as defined in the applicable State Medical Facilities Plan.

(11)         "Shared operating room" means an operating room that is used for the performance of both ambulatory and inpatient surgical procedures.

(12)         "Specialty area" means an area of medical practice in which there is an approved medical specialty certificate issued by a member board of the American Board of Medical Specialties and includes the following: gynecology, otolaryngology, plastic surgery, general surgery, ophthalmology, urology, orthopedics, and oral surgery.

(13)         "Specialty ambulatory surgical program" means a program as defined in G.S. 131E-176(24c).

(14)         "Surgical case" means an individual who receives one or more surgical procedures in an operating room during a single operative encounter.

 

History Note:        Authority G.S. 131E-177(1); 131E-183(b);

Eff. November 1, 1990;

Amended Eff. March 1, 1993;

Temporary Amendment Eff. September 1, 1993 for a period of 180 days or until the permanent rule becomes effective, whichever is sooner;

Amended Eff. January 4, 1994;

Temporary Amendment Eff. January 1, 1999;

Temporary Eff. January 1, 1999 Expired on October 12, 1999;

Temporary Amendment Eff. January 1, 2000;

Temporary Amendment effective January 1, 2000 amends and replaces a permanent rulemaking originally proposed to be effective August 2000;

Amended Eff. April 1, 2001;

Temporary Amendment Eff. January 1, 2002; July 1, 2001;

Amended Eff. August 1, 2002;

Temporary Amendment effective January 1, 2002 amends and replaces the permanent rule effective August 1, 2002;

Amended Eff. April 1, 2003;

Temporary Amendment Eff. January 1, 2005;

Amended Eff. November 1, 2005;

Temporary Rule Eff. February 1, 2006;

Amended Eff. November 1, 2006;

Temporary Amendment Eff. February 1, 2008;

Amended Eff. November 1, 2008.