The following words and terms, when used in this subchapter, shall have the following meanings:
"Acute care rehabilitation" means the provision of occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech-language pathology, as medically necessary, during the acute phase of a stroke patient's hospital stay.
"Acute stroke" means the rapid onset of a focal neurological deficit with signs or symptoms persisting longer than 24 hours and not otherwise attributable to another disease process. The term "acute stroke" includes the subtype acute hemorrhagic stroke and the subtype acute ischemic stroke.
"Complex stroke" means a stroke occurring in a person who also suffers from one or more of the following co-morbid conditions:
1. Any previous ipsilateral surgery or intervention;
2. Any previous ipsilateral stroke or intervention;
3. Known history of vascular disease or major vascular surgery within two years;
4. Severe (symptomatic) chronic obstructive pulmonary lung disease;
5. Class III or IV cardiac symptoms, or previous cardiac bypass surgery; or
6. History of radiation or any prior (even non-vascular) surgery to the neck.
"Comprehensive stroke center" means a licensed general hospital designated to evaluate, stabilize and provide emergency care to patients with acute stroke symptoms, that has the capability to provide specialized care to patients with complex strokes, including patients with acute stroke symptoms transferred from other general hospitals.
"Hospitalist" means a licensed physician whose primary professional focus is hospital medicine and who is board certified or board eligible in critical care, neurology, emergency medicine, family medicine, general internal medicine, surgery or anesthesiology.
"Primary stroke center" means a licensed general hospital designated to evaluate, stabilize and provide emergency care to patients with acute stroke symptoms, and to admit such patients for inpatient services as appropriate to the needs of the patient, but which has limited capacity to provide inpatient care to patients with a complex stroke.
N.J. Admin. Code § 8:43G-7A.2
See: 42 N.J.R. 1774(a), 42 N.J.R. 2561(a), 43 N.J.R. 401(b).
Added definition "Hospitalist".