South Dakota Administrative Rules
Title 44 - Department of Health
Article 44:69 - Birth centers
Chapter 44:69:01 - Rules of general applicability
Section 44:69:01:01 - Definitions

(1) "Abuse," an intentional act toward an individual indicating that one or more of the following has occurred:

(2) "Adequate staff," a sufficient number of qualified personnel to perform the duties required to meet the performance criteria established by this article;

(3) "Administrator," a person appointed by the owner or governing body of a birth center who is responsible for managing the birth center and who maintains an office on the premises of the birth center;

(4) "Birth center," any health care facility licensed under this article at which a woman is scheduled to give birth following a normal, uncomplicated pregnancy, but does not include a hospital or the residence of the woman giving birth;

(5) "Certified nurse midwife," a provider duly authorized under this chapter to practice the nursing specialty of nurse midwifery as defined in SDCL 36-9A-1;

(6) "Client," a woman who is scheduled to give birth at a birth center and the newborn of that birth;

(7) "Client advocates," agencies responsible for the protection and advocacy of clients, including the department, the state ombudsman, the protection and advocacy network, and the Medicaid fraud control unit;

(8) "Department," the South Dakota Department of Health;

(9) "Dietary manager," a person who is a dietitian, a graduate of an accredited dietetic technician or dietetic manager training program, a graduate of a course that provides 120 or more hours of classroom instruction in food service supervision, or a certified dietary manager recognized by the National Certifying Board of Dietary Managers and who functions with consultation from a dietitian;

(10) "Dietitian," a person who is registered with the Commission on Dietetic Registration of the American Dietetic Association and holds a current license to practice in South Dakota pursuant to SDCL chapter 36-10 B;

(11) "Distinct part," an identifiable unit, such as an entire ward or contiguous wards, wing, floor, or building, which is licensed at a specific level. The term includes all beds and related facilities in the unit;

(12) "Emergency care," professional health services immediately necessary to preserve life or stabilize health due to the sudden, severe, and unforeseen onset of illness or accidental bodily injury;

(13) "Exploitation," the wrongful taking or exercising of control over property of a person with intent to defraud that person;

(14) "Facility," the place of business used to provide health care for clients;

(15) "Governing body," an organized body of persons that is ultimately responsible for the quality of care in a health care facility, credentialing of and granting privileges to the medical staff, maintaining the financial viability of the facility, and formulating institutional policy;

(16) "Healthcare worker," any paid person working in a health-care setting;

(17) "Legend drug," any drug that requires the label bearing the statement "Caution: Federal law prohibits dispensing without prescription";

(18) "Neglect," harm to a person's health or welfare, without reasonable justification, caused by the conduct of someone responsible for the person's health or welfare, including but not limited to offensive behavior made to or directed at a client, and the failure to provide timely, consistent, and safe services, treatment, or care necessary to avoid physical harm, mental anguish, or mental illness to the person;

(19) "Nurse," a registered nurse or a licensed practical nurse who holds a current license to practice in South Dakota pursuant to SDCL chapter 36-9;

(20) "Nurse aide," a person providing nursing or nursing-related services who is not a licensed health care worker, or someone who volunteers to provide such services without pay;

(21) "Nurse practitioner," a provider duly authorized under this chapter to practice the specialty of nurse practitioner as defined in SDCL 36-9A-1;

(22) "Nursing personnel," staff which includes registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, certified nurse midwife, nurse aides, restorative aides, and orderlies;

(23) "Nursing unit," a client unit that is limited to one floor of a birth center and has all client room entrances and exits within sight or control of nursing personnel;

(24) "Pharmacist," a person registered to practice pharmacy pursuant to SDCL chapter 36-11;

(25) "Physician," a person who is licensed or approved to practice medicine pursuant to SDCL chapter 36-4;

(26) "Practitioner," a person who is:

(27) "Practitioner staff," an organized staff composed of practitioners that operates under bylaws approved by the governing body and which is responsible for reviewing the qualifications of practitioners applying for clinical privileges and for the provision of medical care to clients in a birth center;

(28) "Qualified personnel," persons with the specific education, license, and training to provide the health service for which they are employed;

(29) "Regular diet," a nutritionally adequate diet using food items and written recipes that can be prepared and correctly served by a staff person;

(30) "Self-administration of medications," the removal of the correct dosage from the pharmaceutical container and self-injecting, -ingesting, or -applying the medication with no assistance or with assistance from qualified personnel of the birth center for the correct dosage or frequency;

(31) "Social worker," a person who is licensed pursuant to SDCL chapter 36-26;

(32) "Therapeutic diet," any diet other than a regular diet that is ordered by a physician as part of the treatment for a disease or clinical condition to increase, decrease, or to eliminate certain substances in the diet, and to alter food consistency; and

(33) "Transfer or discharge," the movement of a client to a bed outside the distinct part or outside the birth center.