§ 5-37-1 - Definitions.
SECTION 5-37-1
§ 5-37-1 Definitions. – As used in this chapter:
(1) "Board" means the Rhode Island board of medical licensureand discipline or any committee or subcommittee thereof.
(2) "Chief administrative officer" means the administrator ofthe Rhode Island board of medical licensure and discipline.
(3) "Department" means the Rhode Island department of health.
(4) "Director" means director of the Rhode Island departmentof health.
(5) "Health care facility" means any institutional healthservice provider licensed pursuant to the provisions of chapter 17 of title 23.
(6) "Health maintenance organization" means a public orprivate organization licensed pursuant to the provisions of chapter 17 of title23 or chapter 41 of title 27.
(7) "Limited registrant" means a person holding a limitedregistration certificate pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.
(8) "Medical malpractice" or "malpractice" means any tort, orbreach of contract based on health care or professional services rendered, orwhich should have been rendered, by a physician, dentist, hospital, clinic,health maintenance organization or professional service corporation providinghealth care services and organized under chapter 5.1 of title 7, to a patientor the rendering of medically unnecessary services except at the informedrequest of the patient.
(9) "Medical practice group" means a single legal entityformed primarily for the purpose of being a physician group practice in anyorganizational form recognized by the state in which the group practiceachieves its legal status, including, but not limited to, a partnership,professional corporation, limited liability company, limited liabilitypartnership, foundation, not-for-profit corporation, faculty practice plan, orsimilar association.
(10) "Nonprofit medical services corporation" or "nonprofithospital service corporation" means any corporation organized pursuant tochapter 19 or chapter 20 of title 27 for the purpose of establishing,maintaining, and operating a nonprofit medical service plan.
(11) "Peer review board" means any committee of a state orlocal professional association or society including a hospital association, ora committee of any licensed health care facility, or the medical staff thereof,or any committee of a medical care foundation or health maintenanceorganization, or any committee of a professional service corporation ornonprofit corporation employing twenty (20) or more practicing professionals,organized for the purpose of furnishing medical service, or any staff committeeor consultant of a hospital service or medical service corporation, thefunction of which, or one of the functions of which is to evaluate and improvethe quality of health care rendered by providers of health care service or todetermine that health care services rendered were professionally indicated orwere performed in compliance with the applicable standard of care or that thecost of health care rendered was considered reasonable by the providers ofprofessional health care services in the area and shall include a committeefunctioning as a utilization review committee under the provisions of 42 U.S.C.§ 1395 et seq.(Medicare law) or as a professional standards revieworganization or statewide professional standards review council under theprovisions of 42 U.S.C. § 1301 et seq. (professional standards revieworganizations) or a similar committee or a committee of similar purpose, toevaluate or review the diagnosis or treatment of the performance or renditionof medical or hospital services which are performed under public medicalprograms of either state or federal design.
(ii) "Peer review board" also means the board of trustees orboard of directors of a state or local professional association or society, alicensed health care facility, a medical care foundation, a health maintenanceorganization, and a hospital service or medical service corporation only whensuch board of trustees or board of directors is reviewing the proceedings,records, or recommendations of a peer review board of the above enumeratedorganizations.
(12) "Person" means any individual, partnership, firm,corporation, association, trust or estate, state or political subdivision, orinstrumentality of a state.
(13) "Physician" means a person with a license to practiceallopathic or osteopathic medicine in this state under the provisions of thischapter.
(14) "Practice of medicine" includes the practice ofallopathic and osteopathic medicine. Any person is regarded as practicingmedicine within the meaning of this chapter who holds himself or herself out asbeing able to diagnose, treat, operate, or prescribe for any person ill oralleged to be ill with disease, pain, injury, deformity or abnormal physical ormental condition, or who either professes to heal, offer or undertake, by anymeans or method to diagnose, treat, operate, or prescribe for any person fordisease, pain, injury, deformity or physical or mental condition. In addition,one who attaches the title, M.D., physician, surgeon, D.O., osteopathicphysician and surgeon, or any other similar word or words or abbreviation tohis or her name indicating that he or she is engaged in the treatment ordiagnosis of the diseases, injuries or conditions of persons shall be held tobe engaged in the practice of medicine.