For the purposes of this chapter, the following definitions apply:

(a)  “Attending physician of the source patient” means any physician and surgeon licensed pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 2000) of Division 2 of the Business and Professions Code and any person licensed pursuant to the Osteopathic Initiative Act, who provides health care services to the source patient. Notwithstanding any other provision of this subdivision to the contrary, the attending physician of the source patient shall include any of the following persons:

(1)  The private physician of the source patient.

(2)  The physician primarily responsible for the patient who is undergoing inpatient treatment in a hospital.

(3)  A registered nurse or licensed nurse practitioner who has been designated by the attending physician of the source patient.

(b)  “Available blood or patient sample” means blood or other tissue or material that was legally obtained in the course of providing health care services, and is in the possession of the physician or other health care provider of the source patient prior to the release of the source patient from the physician’s or health care provider’s facility.

(c)  “Certifying physician” means any physician consulted by the exposed individual for the exposure incident. A certifying physician shall have demonstrated competency and understanding of the then applicable guidelines or standards of the Division of Occupational Safety and Health.

(d)  “Communicable disease” means any disease that was transferable through the exposure incident, as determined by the certifying physician.

(e)  “Exposed individual” means any individual health care provider, first responder, or any other person, including, but not limited to, any employee, volunteer, or contracted agent of any health care provider, who is exposed, within the scope of his or her employment, to the blood or other potentially infectious materials of a source patient.

(f)  “Health care provider” means any person licensed or certified pursuant to Division 2 (commencing with Section 500) of the Business and Professions Code, any person licensed pursuant to the Osteopathic Initiative Act or the Chiropractic Initiative Act, any person certified pursuant to Division 2.5 (commencing with Section 1797), any clinic, health dispensary, or health facility licensed or exempt from licensure pursuant to Division 2 (commencing with Section 1200), any employee, volunteer, or contracted agent of any group practice prepayment health care service plan regulated pursuant to the Knox-Keene Health Care Service Plan Act of 1975 (Chapter 2.2 (commencing with Section 1340) of Division 2), and any professional student of one of the clinics, health dispensaries, or health care facilities or health care providers described in this subdivision.

(g)  “First responder” means a police officer, firefighter, rescue worker, or any other person who provides emergency response, first aid care, or other medically related assistance either in the course of the person’s occupational duties or as a volunteer.

(h)  “Other potentially infectious materials” means those body fluids identified by the Division of Occupational Safety and Health as potentially capable of transmitting a communicable disease.

(i)  “Significant exposure” means direct contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials of a patient in a manner that, according to the then applicable guidelines of the Division of Occupational Safety and Health, is capable of transmitting a communicable disease.

(j)  “Source patient” means any person receiving health care services whose blood or other potentially infectious material has been the source of a significant exposure to an exposed individual.

(Added by Stats. 2002, Ch. 342, Sec. 1. Effective January 1, 2003.)