For the purposes of this article:

1. "Hospital" means any institution, place, building or agency, public or private, whether organized for profit or not, devoted primarily to the maintenance and operation of facilities for the diagnosis, treatment or care of patients admitted for overnight stay or longer in order to obtain medical care, surgical care, obstetrical care, or nursing care for illness, disease, injury, infirmity, or deformity. Except as otherwise provided by paragraph 5 of this subsection, places where pregnant females are admitted and receive care incident to pregnancy, abortion or delivery shall be considered to be a "hospital" within the meaning of this article, regardless of the number of patients received or the duration of their stay. The term "hospital" includes general medical surgical hospitals, specialized hospitals, critical access and emergency hospitals, and birthing centers;

2. "General medical surgical hospital" means a hospital maintained for the purpose of providing hospital care in a broad category of illness and injury;

3. "Specialized hospital" means a hospital maintained for the purpose of providing hospital care in a certain category, or categories, of illness and injury;

4. "Critical access hospital” means a hospital determined by the State Department of Health to be a necessary provider of health care services to residents of a rural community;

5. “Emergency hospital” means a hospital that provides emergency treatment and stabilization services on a 24-hour basis that has the ability to admit and treat patients for short periods of time;

6. "Birthing center" means any facility, place or institution, which is maintained or established primarily for the purpose of providing services of a certified midwife or licensed medical doctor to assist or attend a woman in delivery and birth, and where a woman is scheduled in advance to give birth following a normal, uncomplicated, low-risk pregnancy. Provided, however, licensure for a birthing center shall not be compulsory; and

7. "Day treatment program" means nonresidential, partial hospitalization programs, day treatment programs, and day hospital programs as defined by subsection A of Section 175.20 of Title 10 of the Oklahoma Statutes.

Added by Laws 1963, c. 325, art. 7, § 701, operative July 1, 1963. Amended by Laws 1978, c. 207, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 1978; Laws 1991, c. 306, § 7, emerg. eff. June 4, 1991; Laws 1995, c. 231, § 5, eff. Nov. 1, 1995; Laws 1999, c. 93, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 1999.