OAR 333-265-0000: Definitions

(1) "Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT or Advanced EMT)" means a person who is licensed by the Oregon Health Authority (Authority) as an Advanced Emergency Medical Technician. (2) "Ambulance service" means any person, governmental unit, or other entity that operates ambulances and holds itself out as providing prehospital care or medical transportation to persons who are ill or injured or who have disabilities. (3) "Authority" means the Emergency Medical Services and Trauma Systems Program, within the Oregon Health Authority, Public Health Division. (4) "Continuing education" means education required as a condition of licensure under ORS chapter 682 to maintain the skills necessary for the provision of competent prehospital care. Continuing education does not include attending EMS related business meetings, EMS exhibits or trade shows. (5) "Criminal records check" means obtaining and reviewing criminal records and includes any or all of the following: (a) A check of criminal offender information and driving records conducted through use of the Law Enforcement Data System (LEDS) maintained by the Oregon State Police (OSP), in accordance with the rules adopted and procedures established by OSP; (b) A check of Oregon or other state criminal offender information, including through fingerprint identification or other means, conducted by OSP at the Authority's request; or (c) A nationwide check of federal criminal offender information, including through fingerprint identification, conducted by OSP through the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). (6) "Educational institution" means a degree-granting community college, college or university or a licensed vocational school accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities or other institutional accrediting body, that is authorized or licensed by the Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission to administer degree and certification programs. (7) "Emergency care" means the performance of acts or procedures under emergency conditions in the observation, care and counsel of persons who are ill or injured or who have disabilities; in the administration of care or medications as prescribed by a licensed physician, or naturopathic physician, insofar as any of these acts is based upon knowledge and application of the principles of biological, physical and social science as required by a completed course utilizing an approved curriculum in prehospital emergency care. However, "emergency care" does not include acts of medical diagnosis or prescription of therapeutic or corrective measures. (8) "EMS" means Emergency Medical Services. (9) "EMS medical director" has the same meaning as "supervising physician" in ORS 682.025. (10) "Emergency Medical Responder (EMR)" means a person who is licensed by the Authority as an Emergency Medical Responder. (11) "Emergency Medical Services (EMS) agency" means any person, governmental agency or unit, or other entity that utilizes emergency medical services providers to provide prehospital emergency or non-emergency care. An emergency medical services agency may be either an ambulance service or a nontransporting service. (12) "Emergency Medical Services provider (EMS provider)" means a person who has received formal training in prehospital and emergency care, and is licensed to attend to any person who is ill or injured or who has a disability. Police officers, fire fighters, funeral home employees and other persons serving in a dual capacity, one of which meets the definition of "emergency medical services provider" are "emergency medical services providers" within the meaning of ORS chapter 682. (13) "Emergency Medical Technician (EMT)" means a person who is licensed by the Authority as an Emergency Medical Technician. (14) "EMT-Intermediate" means a person who is licensed by the Authority as an EMT-Intermediate. (15) "Governmental unit" means the state or any county, municipality or other political subdivision or any department, board or other agency of any of them. (16) "In good standing" means a person who is currently licensed and who does not have any restrictions placed on their license, or who is not on probation with a licensing agency or the National Registry for any reason. (17) "Key party" means immediate family members and others who would be reasonably expected to play a significant role in the health care decisions of the patient or client and includes, but is not limited to, the spouse, domestic partner, sibling, parent, child, guardian and person authorized to make health care decisions of the patient or client. (18) "National Registry" means the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians. (19) "Nonemergency care" means the performance of acts or procedures on a patient who is not expected to die, become permanently disabled or suffer permanent harm within the next 24-hours, including but not limited to observation, care and counsel of a patient and the administration of medications prescribed by a physician licensed under ORS chapter 677, or naturopathic physician licensed under ORS chapter 685, insofar as any of those acts are based upon knowledge and application of the principles of biological, physical and social science and are performed in accordance with scope of practice rules adopted by the Oregon Medical Board or Oregon Board of Naturopathic Medicine in the course of providing prehospital care as defined by this rule. (20) "Paramedic" means a person who is licensed by the Authority as a Paramedic. (21) "Patient" means a person who is ill or injured or who has a disability and who receives emergency or nonemergency care from an EMS provider. (22) "Person" has the meaning give that term in ORS 174.100. (23) "Prehospital care" means care rendered by EMS providers as an incident of the operation of an ambulance and care rendered by EMS providers as incidents of other public or private safety duties, and includes, but is not limited to "emergency care" as defined in this rule. (24) "Protocols" has the same meaning as standing orders. (25) "Reciprocity" means the manner in which a person may obtain Oregon EMS provider licensure when that person is licensed in another state and certified with the National Registry. (26) "Scope of practice" means the maximum level of emergency or non-emergency care that an EMS provider may provide as set forth in rules adopted by the Oregon Medical Board. (27) "Standing orders" means the written protocols that an EMS provider follows to treat patients when direct contact with a physician is not maintained. (28) "These rules" means OAR 333-265-0000 through OAR 333-265-0170. (29) "Transitional Paramedic license" means a license issued to an individual who is currently certified by the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians as a Paramedic and who is working towards obtaining an associate degree or higher to obtain a Paramedic license. (30) "Unprofessional conduct" means conduct unbecoming a person licensed to perform emergency care, or detrimental to the best interests of the public and includes: (a) Any conduct or practice contrary to recognized standards of ethics of the medical profession or any conduct or practice which does or might constitute a danger to the health or safety of a patient or the public or any conduct, practice or condition which does or might impair an emergency medical services provider’s ability safely and skillfully to practice emergency or nonemergency care; (b) Willful performance of any medical treatment which is contrary to acceptable medical standards; and (c) Willful and consistent utilization of medical service for treatment which is or may be considered inappropriate or unnecessary. (31) "Volunteer" means a person who is not compensated for their time to staff an ambulance or EMS agency, but who may receive reimbursement for personal expenses incurred.