Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 111-8-7-.01 - Definitions
Unless a different meaning is required by the context, the following terms as used in these rules and regulations shall have the meaning hereinafter respectively ascribed to them:
(a) "Administrator" means the individual who
is responsible for the day to day management of the center.
(b) "Birth Center", "Birthing Center" or
"Center" means a facility, other than the laboring woman's legal residence,
which admits persons for the purpose of childbearing and which facility has not
been classified and licensed by the Department as a hospital.
(c) "Birth Room" means any room within a
center which is provided as an area where births take place.
(d) "Certified Nurse Midwife" means an
individual who is a Registered Nurse currently licensed in the State of Georgia
and who is also certified by the American College of Nurse Midwives.
(e) "Department" means the Georgia Department
of Community Health.
(f) "General
Anesthesia" means any drug, element or other material which is administered to
eliminate all sensation and which, when administered, is accompanied by a state
of unconsciousness.
(g) "Governing
Body" or "Management" means the board of directors, trustees, partnership,
corporation, association, or person or group of persons who maintain and
control the operation of the center and who are legally responsible for its
operation.
(h) "Hospital" means any
facility which meets the requirements of and is currently licensed as a
hospital under the provisions of OCGA Chapter 31-7, Article 1, and is in
compliance with all rules and regulation of the Department pertaining to
Maternity, Obstetrics and Newborn services.
(i) "Local Anesthesia" means any drug which,
when administered, provides localized temporary loss of sensation, but not
accompanied by a state of unconsciousness.
(j) "Low Risk Patient" means an individual
who:
1. is in general good health with
uncomplicated prenatal course;
2.
is participating in an ongoing prenatal care and education program;
3. has no major medical problems;
4. has no significant signs or symptoms of
hypertension, toxemia, hydramnios, abruptio placenta, chorioamnionitis,
malformed fetus, multiple gestation, intrauterine growth retardation, fetal
meconium, fetal distress, alcoholism, or drug addiction, Rh or other blood
group antigen sensitization;
5. has
no history of fetal wastage or premature delivery;
6. has no previous significant obstetrical
complications likely to recur, nor previous uterine wall surgery or Caesarean
section;
7. has parity under six
unless a justification for a variation is documented by clinical
staff;
8. is not a nullipara of
greater than thirty six years of age;
9. is not less than sixteen years of age at
onset of pregnancy;
10. is
appropriate for a setting where anesthesia is limited to local infiltration of
the perineum, or a pudendal block, and analgesia is limited;
11. while in active labor:
(i) demonstrates no significant signs, or
symptoms, or evidence of anemia, significant hypertension, placenta previa,
malpositioned fetus or breech;
(ii)
is progressing normally;
(iii) is
without prolonged ruptured membranes; and
(iv) is not in premature labor.
12. is not postmature.
(k) "Patient" means any woman who
receives antepartum, intrapartum and postpartum care, or any newborn who
receives medical care, in facilities governed by these regulations.
(l) "Permit" or "License" means an
authorization granted by the Department to the Governing Board to operate a
birth center.
(m) "Physician" means
an individual who is currently licensed to practice medicine in the State of
Georgia and is board certified or board eligible in obstetrics, family practice
or pediatrics.
(n) "Plan of
Correction" means an acceptable written plan submitted to the Department by the
person or persons responsible for the center and which states proposed
procedures and methods to correct the areas of non-compliance within an
acceptable time frame.
(o)
"Practitioner" means a physician or a certified nurse midwife.
(p) "Professional Staff" means the group of
physicians, certified nurse midwives, other registered nurses, licensed
practical nurses and other health professionals who require special licensure,
certification or registration, who provide patient services at the
center.
(q) "Provisional Permit"
means an authorization granted by the Department to operate a birth center on a
conditional basis in order to allow a newly established center a reasonable but
limited period of time, as determined by the Department, to demonstrate that
operational procedures are in satisfactory compliance with these rules and
regulations, or to allow an established and operating center a specific length
of time to comply with these regulations, provided said center shall first
present an acceptable plan of correction.
(r) "Regional Anesthesia" means any drug,
element or other material which, when administered, is accompanied by temporary
sectional loss of sensation.
(s)
"Special Care Capability" means availability of on-site equipment for use in
providing emergency care to adult and newborn patients.
Notes
State regulations are updated quarterly; we currently have two versions available. Below is a comparison between our most recent version and the prior quarterly release. More comparison features will be added as we have more versions to compare.
No prior version found.