                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

DEFINITIONS (§ 54.1-2410)

As used in this chapter or when referring to the Department of Health
Professions regulatory authority therefor, unless the context requires a
different meaning:
		&#8220;Community&#8221; means a city or a county.
		&#8220;Demonstrated need&#8221; means (i) there is no facility in the
community providing similar services and (ii) alternative financing is not
available for the facility or (iii) such other conditions as may be established
by Department regulation.
		&#8220;Department&#8221; means the Department of Health Professions.
		&#8220;Entity&#8221; means any person, partnership, firm, corporation, or
other business, including assisted living facilities as defined in § 63.2-100,
that delivers health services.
		&#8220;Group practice&#8221; means two or more health care practitioners who
are members of the same legally organized partnership, professional corporation,
not-for-profit corporation, faculty practice or similar association in which (i)
each member provides substantially the full range of services within his
licensed or certified scope of practice at the same location as the other
members through the use of the organization&#8217;s office space, facilities,
equipment, or personnel; (ii) payments for services received from a member are
treated as receipts of the organization; and (iii) the overhead expenses and
income from the practice are distributed according to methods previously
determined by the members.
		&#8220;Health services&#8221; means any procedures or services related to
prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and care rendered by a health care worker,
regardless of whether the worker is regulated by the Commonwealth.
		&#8220;Immediate family member&#8221; means the individual&#8217;s spouse,
child, child&#8217;s spouse, stepchild, stepchild&#8217;s spouse, grandchild,
grandchild&#8217;s spouse, parent, stepparent, parent-in-law, or sibling.
		&#8220;Investment interest&#8221; means the ownership or holding of an equity
or debt security, including, but not limited to, shares of stock in a
corporation, interests or units of a partnership, bonds, debentures, notes, or
other equity or debt instruments, except investment interests in a hospital
licensed pursuant to Article 1 (§ 32.1-123 et seq.) of Chapter 5 of Title 32.1.
		&#8220;Investor&#8221; means an individual or entity directly or indirectly
possessing a legal or beneficial ownership interest, including an investment
interest.
		&#8220;Office practice&#8221; means the facility or facilities at which a
practitioner, on an ongoing basis, provides or supervises the provision of
health services to consumers.
		&#8220;Practitioner&#8221; means any individual certified or licensed by any
of the health regulatory boards within the Department of Health Professions,
except individuals regulated by the Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers or
the Board of Veterinary Medicine.
		&#8220;Referral&#8221; means to send or direct a patient for health services
to another health care practitioner or entity outside the referring
practitioner&#8217;s group practice or office practice or to establish a plan of
care which requires the provision of any health services outside the referring
practitioner&#8217;s group practice or office practice.

HISTORY: 1993, c. 869; 2000, c. 201; 2025, c. 341.