As used in this act:

(a) “General hospital” means an establishment with an organized medical staff of physicians; with permanent facilities that include inpatient beds; and with medical services, including physician services, and continuous registered professional nursing services for not less than 24 hours of every day, to provide diagnosis and treatment for patients who have a variety of medical conditions.

(b) “Special hospital” means an establishment with an organized medical staff of physicians; with permanent facilities that include inpatient beds; and with medical services, including physician services, and continuous registered professional nursing services for not less than 24 hours of every day, to provide diagnosis and treatment for patients who have specified medical conditions.

(c) “Person” means any individual, firm, partnership, corporation, company, association, or joint-stock association, and the legal successor thereof.

(d) “Governmental unit” means the state, or any county, municipality, or other political subdivision thereof; or any department, division, board or other agency of any of the foregoing.

(e) “Licensing agency” means the department of health and environment.

(f) “Ambulatory surgical center” means an establishment with an organized medical staff of one or more physicians; with permanent facilities that are equipped and operated primarily for the purpose of performing surgical procedures; with continuous physician services during surgical procedures and until the patient has recovered from the obvious effects of anesthetic and at all other times with physician services available whenever a patient is in the facility; with continuous registered professional nursing services whenever a patient is in the facility; and which does not provide services or other accommodations for patient to stay more than 24 hours. Before discharge from an ambulatory surgical center, each patient shall be evaluated by a physician for proper anesthesia recovery. Nothing in this section shall be construed to require the office of a physician or physicians to be licensed under this act as an ambulatory surgical center.

(g) “Recuperation center” means an establishment with an organized medical staff of physicians, permanent facilities that include inpatient beds, medical services, including physician services, and continuous registered professional nursing services for not less than 24 hours of every day, to provide treatment for patients who require inpatient care but are not in an acute phase of illness, who currently require primary convalescent or restorative services and who have a variety of medical conditions.

(h) “Medical care facility” means a hospital, ambulatory surgical center or recuperation center, except that “medical care facility” does not include a hospice that is certified to participate in the medicare program under 42 C.F.R. § 418.1 et seq. and that provides services only to hospice patients.

(i) “Critical access hospital” means the same as defined in Kan. Stat. Ann. §§ 65-468 and amendments thereto.

(j) “Hospital” means general hospital, critical access hospital or special hospital.

(k) “Physician” means a person licensed to practice medicine and surgery in this state.

(l) “Rural emergency hospital” means the same as defined in Kan. Stat. Ann. 2023 Supp. 65-482, and amendments thereto.