Article 1. Definitions And General Provisions of California Health And Safety Code >> Division 107. >> Part 6. >> Chapter 2. >> Article 1.

This chapter may be cited as the "California Hospital Survey and Construction Act."

As used in this chapter, the terms defined in this article have the meanings set forth in this article.

"The federal act" includes Public Law 725 of the 79th Congress, approved August 13, 1946, entitled the Hospital Survey and Construction Act, as amended by Public Law 482 of the 83d Congress, approved July 12, 1954, entitled the Medical Facilities Survey and Construction Act of 1954, Public Law 88-164 of the 88th Congress, approved October 31, 1963, entitled Mental Retardation Facilities and Community Mental Health Centers Construction Act of 1963, and any other law now enacted by Congress concerning hospitals as defined in this article.

"The Surgeon General" means the Surgeon General of the Public Health Service of the United States, or the Secretary of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare of the United States.

"Hospital" includes hospitals for the chronically ill and impaired, public health centers, community mental health centers, facilities for persons with intellectual disabilities, and general, tuberculosis, mental and other types of hospitals and related facilities, including laboratories, outpatient departments, nurses' home and training facilities, and central service facilities operated in connection with hospitals, diagnostic or treatment centers, nursing homes, and rehabilitation facilities, but except for facilities for persons with intellectual disabilities does not include any institution furnishing primarily domiciliary care.

"Public health center" means a publicly owned facility for the provision of public health services, including related facilities such as laboratories, clinics, provisions for bed care, and administrative offices operated in connection with public health centers.

"Nonprofit hospital," "nonprofit diagnostic or treatment center," "nonprofit rehabilitation facility," and "nonprofit nursing home" mean any hospital, diagnostic or treatment center, rehabilitation facility, and nursing home, as the case may be, that is owned and operated by one or more nonprofit corporations or associations no part of the net earnings of that inures, or may lawfully inure, to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual, or a hospital publicly owned or operated by a public entity or agency of this state.

"Construction" includes construction of new buildings, expansion, remodeling, and alteration of existing buildings, and initial equipment of any buildings; including architects' fees, but excluding the cost of off-site improvements and, except with respect to public health centers, the cost of the acquisition of land.

This chapter shall not apply to any sanatorium or institution conducted by or for the adherents of any well recognized church or religious denomination for the purpose of providing facilities for the care or treatment of the sick who depend upon prayer or spiritual means for healing in the practice of the religion of the church or denomination.

"Diagnostic or treatment center" means a facility for the diagnosis or diagnosis and treatment of ambulatory patients (1) that is operated in connection with a hospital, or (2) where patient care is under the professional supervision of persons licensed to practice medicine or surgery in the State, or, in the case of dental diagnosis or treatment, under the professional supervision of persons licensed to practice dentistry in the state.

"Hospital for the chronically ill and impaired" shall not include any hospital primarily for the care and treatment of mentally ill or tuberculous patients.

"Rehabilitation facility" means a facility that is operated for the primary purpose of assisting in the rehabilitation of disabled persons through an integrated program of medical, psychological, social, and vocational evaluation and services under competent professional supervision, and in the case of which (1) the major portion of the evaluation and services is furnished within the facility; and (2) either (a) the facility is operated in connection with a hospital, or (b) all medical and related health services are prescribed by, or are under the general direction of, persons licensed to practice medicine or surgery in the state.

"Nursing home" means a facility for the accommodation of convalescents or other persons who are not acutely ill and not in need of hospital care, but who require skilled nursing care and related medical services (1) that is operated in connection with a hospital, or (2) where nursing care and medical services are prescribed by, or are performed under the general direction of, persons licensed to practice medicine or surgery in the state.