General

General. A listing of terms often used in connection with the rules and regulations and standards follows: 1. 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. 2. 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. 3. 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. 4. 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 Pediatric Skilled Nursing Facility. 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, PPEC or a Pediatric Skilled Nursing Facility. 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 Pediatric Skilled Nursing Facility. 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. 5. Direct Care Staff. For the purposes of these minimum standards, 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. 6. 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. 7. 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. 8. 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 Pediatric Skilled Nursing Center. 9. Licensing Agency. Shall mean Mississippi State Department of Health. 10. Medical Director. Shall mean a physician, licensed to practice in the State of Mississippi, certified by the American Board of Pediatrics or the American Osteopathic Board of Pediatrics, who serves as a liaison between the Pediatric Skilled Nursing Facility and the medical community. 11. Medical Records. Shall mean medical records maintained in accordance with acceptable standards and practices as specified by the rules implementing this act. 12. 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. (See Aging-in Place under admissions) 13. 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 Pediatric Skilled Nursing Facility services and manages the day-to-day operations of the Pediatric Skilled Nursing Facility. 14. Owner or Operator. Shall mean a licensee. 15. Physical Therapist. Shall mean, for purposes of these minimum standards, 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. 16. Premises. Shall mean those buildings, beds, facilities and fenced outdoor recreational/play area located at the main address of the licensee. 17. Pediatric Skilled Nursing Facility. 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 residential 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 Pediatric Skilled Nursing Facility must be ventilator dependent or otherwise medically dependant pediatric patients who require medical and nursing care or rehabilitative services; thus, having 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. 18. Prescribing Physician. Shall mean the physician, licensed to practice medicine in the State of Mississippi that signs the order admitting the child to the Pediatric Skilled Nursing Facility. 19. 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 Pediatric Skilled Nursing Facility. 20. Protocol of Care. The comprehensive plan for implementation of medical, nursing, psychosocial, developmental, and education therapies to be provided by the Prescribed Pediatric Skilled Nursing Facility. 21. Psychiatrist. Shall mean, for purposes of these minimum standards, a board- certified psychiatrist, licensed to practice in the State of Mississippi and who has at least two years of experience in child psychology. 22. Psychologist. Shall mean, for purposes of these minimum standards, 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. 23. Quality Assurance (QA) Committee. A group of individuals, including the Pediatric Skilled Nursing Facility Medical Director, Administrator, Director of Nursing, two other healthcare members and at least one consumer member with an interest in Pediatric Nursing Facility services who functions to conduct the duties, as outlined in Subchapter 18 of these minimum standards, 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 Pediatric Skilled Nursing Facility. 24. Social Worker. Shall mean, for purposes of these minimum standards, 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. 25. Speech Pathologist. Shall mean, for purposes of these minimum standards, 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. 26. Supportive Services or Contracted Services. Includes but are not limited to speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, respiratory therapy, social work, developmental, educational services.