Section 120261 Of Chapter 3.5. Communicable Diseases Exposure Notification Act From California Health And Safety Code >> Division 105. >> Part 1. >> Chapter 3.5.
120261
. 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.