15 MAC Pt. 16, R. 2.2.1
A listing of terms often used in connection with the rules and regulations and
Cite as 15 Miss. Admin. Code Pt. 16, R. 2.2.1
A listing of terms often used in connection with the rules and regulations and
standards follows:
1. Administrator. For the purpose of this chapter, the PPEC Administrator shall
mean an individual who is responsible and accountable for the implementation
and supervision of all administrative and clinical policies as well as overall
operations and management of the PPEC center.
2. Basic Services. Include, but are not limited to development, implementation
and monitoring of a comprehensive protocol of care, developed in conjunction
with the parent or guardian, which specifies the medical, nursing, psychosocial
and developmental therapies required by the medically dependent or
technologically dependent child served as well as the caregiver training needs
of the child’s legal guardian.
3. Child Development Specialist. Shall mean an individual with a master’s
degree in child development or a related field with at least one year of
experience in trans-disciplinary evaluation and treatment planning for children
who are at risk of experiencing developmental delay.
4. Child Life Specialist.
Shall mean an individual with a baccalaureate
degree in child life, early childhood education or a related field and at least one
year of experience in planning and implementing developmental stimulation
programs for children.
5. Criminal History Record Check. For purposes of the requirement for a
criminal history record check:
a. Employee -For the purpose of fingerprinting and criminal background
history checks, employee shall mean any individual employed by a
covered entity. The term “employee” also includes any individual who by
contract with a covered entity provides patient care in a patient’s,
resident’s, or client’s room or in treatment rooms provides direct
care/services for clients currently enrolled in the PPEC Center.
b. The term employee does not include healthcare professional/ technical
students, as defined in Section 37-29-232, performing clinical training in a
licensed entity under contracts between their schools and the licensed entity,
and does not include students at high schools who observe the treatment and
care of patients in a licensed entity as part of the requirements of an allied
health course taught in the school if:
i. The student is under the supervision of a licensed healthcare provider;
and
ii. The student has signed the affidavit that is on file at the student’s school
stating that he or she has not been convicted of or plead guilty or nolo
contendere to a felony of possession or sale of drugs, murder,
manslaughter, armed robbery, rape, sexual battery, any sex offenses
listed in section 45-33-23 (g), child abuse, arson, grand larceny,
burglary, gratification of lust, aggravated assault, or felonious abuse
and/or battery of a vulnerable adult, or that any such conviction or plea
was reversed on appeal or a pardon was granted for the conviction or
plea.
iii. Further, applicants and employees of the University of Mississippi
Medical Center for whom criminal history record checks and
fingerprinting are obtained in accordance with Section 37-115-41 are
exempt from application of the term employee.
c. Covered Entity - For the purpose of criminal history record checks,
“covered entity” means a licensed entity or a healthcare professional
staffing agency.
d. Licensed Entity - For the purpose of criminal history record checks, the
term “licensed entity” means a hospital, nursing home, personal care home,
home health agency, hospice or PPEC center.
e. Health Care Professional/Vocational Technical Academic Program -
For purpose of criminal
history record checks,
“health care
professional/vocational technical academic program” means an academic
program in medicine, nursing , dentistry, occupational therapy, physical
therapy, social services, speech therapy, or other allied-health professional
whose purpose is to prepare professionals to render patient care services.
f. Health Care Professional/Vocational Technical Student - For purposes
of criminal history record checks, the term means a student enrolled in a
healthcare professional/vocational technical academic program.
g. Direct Patient Care or Services - For the purposes of fingerprinting and
criminal background history checks, the term “direct patient care” means
direct hands-on medical patient care and services provided by an individual
in a patient, resident or client’s room, treatment room, recovery room or
PPEC center. Individuals providing direct patient care may be directly
employed by the facility or provides patient care on a contractual basis.
h. Documented Disciplinary Action - For the purpose of fingerprinting and
criminal background history checks, the term “documented disciplinary
action” means any action taken against an employee for abuse or neglect of
a patient.
6. Direct Care Staff. For the purposes of this chapter, direct care staff shall
include certified nursing assistants, patient care technicians, medical assistants,
emergency medical technician (EMT), play assistants or any individual with
training and experience in child care related fields.
7. Functional Assessment. Refers to an evaluation of the child’s abilities and
needs related to self-care, communication skills, social skills, motor skills,
academic areas, play with toys or objects, growth and development appropriate
for age.
8. License. Shall mean the document issued by the Mississippi State Department
of Health and signed by the State Health Officer. Licensure shall constitute
authority to receive patients and perform the services included within the scope
of these rules, regulations and standards. A license shall be issued only for the
location as addressed on the license and is not transferable.
9. Licensee. Shall mean the individual, firm, association, partnership or
corporation to whom the license is issued and upon whom rests the
responsibility for the operation and all aspects of administrative/regulatory
compliance of the PPEC center.
10. Licensing Agency. Shall mean Mississippi State Department of Health.
11. Medical Director. Shall mean a physician, licensed to practice in the State of
Mississippi, board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics or the
American Osteopathic Board of Pediatrics, who serves as a liaison between the
PPEC center and the medical community.
12. Medical Records. Shall mean medical records maintained in accordance with
acceptable standards and practices as specified by the rules implementing this
act.
13. Medically Dependent or Technologically Dependent Child. Shall mean a
child, from birth up to 21 years of age who because of a medical
condition/disability whether acute, chronic or intermittent in nature requires on-
going physician prescribed, technologically-based skilled nursing supervision
and/or requires the routine use of a medical device to compensate for the deficit
of life-sustaining body function.
14. Nursing Director. Shall mean a licensed registered nurse, licensed in
accordance with the Mississippi Nurse Practice Act, who maintains
responsibility for providing continuous supervision of the PPEC services and
manages the day-to-day operations of the PPEC center.
15. Owner or Operator. Shall mean a licensee.
16. Physical Therapist. Shall mean, for purposes of this chapter, an individual,
licensed in the State of Mississippi, who has at least one year’s experience in
evaluating and designing therapeutic programs for children with developmental
disabilities.
17. Premises. Shall mean those buildings, beds, facilities and fenced outdoor
recreational/play area located at the main address of the licensee.
18. Prescribed Pediatric Extended Care Center or PPEC Center. Shall mean
any building or buildings, or other place, whether operated for profit or not,
which undertakes through its ownership or management to provide basic
nonresidential services to three (3) or more medically dependent or
technologically dependent children who are not related to the owner or operator
by blood, marriage or adoption and who require such services. Infants and
children considered for admission to a PPEC center must have complex medical
conditions that require continual care. Prerequisites for admission are a
prescription from the child’s physician and consent from a parent or guardian.
Exemption: A facility, institution or other place operated by the federal
government or an agency of the federal government is exempt from the
provisions of this chapter.
19. Prescribing Physician. Shall mean the physician, licensed to practice medicine
in the State of Mississippi that signs the order admitting the child to the PPEC
center.
20. Primary or Subspecialist Physician. Shall mean the physician, licensed to
practice medicine in the State of Mississippi, who maintains overall
responsibility for the medical management of the child and who is available for
consultation and collaboration with the PPEC center staff.
21. Protocol of Care. The comprehensive plan for implementation of medical,
nursing, psychosocial, developmental, and education therapies to be provided
by the PPEC center.
22. Psychiatrist. Shall mean, for purposes of this chapter, a board-certified
psychiatrist, licensed to practice in the State of Mississippi and who has at least
two years of experience in child psychology.
23. Psychologist. Shall mean, for purposes of this chapter, a licensed individual in
Mississippi with doctorial; preparation in child or developmental counseling
psychology, or a related field , and at least two years current experience in
evaluation and management of children.
24. Quality Assurance (QA) Committee. A group of individuals, including the
PPEC center Medical Director, Administrator, Director of Nursing, two other
healthcare members and at least one consumer member with an interest in PPEC
services who functions to conduct the duties, as outlined in Subchapter 18 of
this chapter, which includes but is not limited to, review of medical records,
review and approval of policies and procedures, treatment plans/procedures
and to evaluate the quality of care provided to children enrolled in the PPEC
center.
25. Social Worker. Shall mean, for purposes of this chapter, an individual,
licensed to practice social work in the State of Mississippi, and who has at least
one year of experience in assessing, counseling, and planning interventions for
children and their families or guardians.
26. Speech Pathologist. Shall mean, for purposes of this chapter, an individual
who attained a master’s degree in speech-language pathology from an
educational institution accredited by the American Speech-Language, Hearing
Association, licensed to practice speech-language pathology in the State of
Mississippi, and who has at least one year of experience in evaluating and
treating children at risk for, or experiencing problems with communication
skills.
27. Supportive Services or Contracted Services. Includes but are not limited to
speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, respiratory therapy,
social work, developmental, educational services.