§ 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.