Terms Used In South Carolina Code > Title 44 > Chapter 61 - Emergency Medical Services

• Advanced life support: means an advanced level of prehospital, interhospital, and emergency service care which includes basic life support functions, cardiac monitoring, cardiac defibrillation, telemetered electrocardiography, administration of antiarrhythmic agents, intravenous therapy, administration of specific medications, drugs and solutions, use of adjunctive ventilation devices, trauma care, and other techniques and procedures authorized by the department pursuant to regulations. See South Carolina Code 44-61-310
• Allegation: something that someone says happened.
• Ambulance: means a vehicle maintained or operated by a licensed provider who has obtained the necessary permits and licenses for the transportation of persons who are sick, injured, wounded, or otherwise incapacitated. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• Amendment: A proposal to alter the text of a pending bill or other measure by striking out some of it, by inserting new language, or both. Before an amendment becomes part of the measure, thelegislature must agree to it.
• Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
• Attachment: A procedure by which a person's property is seized to pay judgments levied by the court.
• Attendant: means a trained and qualified individual responsible for the operation of an ambulance and the care of the patients, regardless of whether the attendant also serves as driver. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• Authorized agent: means any individual designated to represent the department. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• Basic life support: means a basic level of prehospital care which includes patient stabilization, airway clearance, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, hemorrhage control, initial wound care and fracture stabilization, and other techniques and procedures authorized by the department pursuant to regulations. See South Carolina Code 44-61-310
• Board: means the governing body of the Department of Health and Environmental Control or its designated representative. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• Board: means the governing body of the Department of Health and Environmental Control or its designated representative. See South Carolina Code 44-61-310
• Board: means the South Carolina Board of Occupational Therapy. See South Carolina Code 40-36-20
• Certificate: means official acknowledgment by the department that an individual has completed successfully one of the appropriate emergency medical technician training courses referred to in this article in addition to completing successfully the requisite examinations, which entitles that individual to perform the functions and duties as delineated by the classification for which the certificate was issued. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• Clerk of court: An officer appointed by the court to work with the chief judge in overseeing the court's administration, especially to assist in managing the flow of cases through the court and to maintain court records.
• Complaint: A written statement by the plaintiff stating the wrongs allegedly committed by the defendant.
• Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
• Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
• Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
• Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
• Department: means the administrative agency known as the Department of Health and Environmental Control. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• Department: means the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control. See South Carolina Code 44-61-510
• Department: means the Division of Emergency Medical Services and Trauma within the Department of Health and Environmental Control. See South Carolina Code 44-61-310
• Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
• Designation: means a formal determination by the department that a hospital or health care facility is capable of providing a specified level of trauma care services. See South Carolina Code 44-61-510
• Devise: To gift property by will.
• Director: means the Director of the Department of Health and Environmental Control. See South Carolina Code 44-61-310
• Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
• Driver: means an individual who drives or otherwise operates an ambulance. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• Emergency medical service system: means the arrangement of personnel, facilities, and equipment for the delivery of health care services under emergency conditions. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• Emergency Medical Services Advisory Council: means the emergency medical services council created in § 44-61-30(c). See South Carolina Code 44-61-510
• Emergency medical services personnel: means persons trained and certified or licensed to provide emergency medical care, whether on a paid or volunteer basis, as part of a basic life support or advanced life support prehospital emergency care service or in an emergency department or pediatric critical care or specialty unit in a licensed hospital. See South Carolina Code 44-61-310
• Emergency transport: means services and transportation provided after the sudden onset of a medical condition manifesting itself by acute symptoms of such severity including severe pain that the absence of medical attention could reasonably be expected to result in the following:
  
  (a) placing the patient's health in serious jeopardy;
  
  (b) causing serious impairment to bodily functions;
  
  (c) causing serious dysfunction of bodily organ or part; or
  
  (d) a situation that resulted from an accident, injury, acute illness, unconsciousness, or shock, for example, required oxygen or other emergency treatment, required the patient to remain immobile because of a fracture, stroke, heart attack, or severe hemorrhage. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• EMSC Program: means the Emergency Medical Services for Children Program established pursuant to this article and other relevant programmatic activities conducted by the department in support of appropriate treatment, transport, and triage of ill or injured children. See South Carolina Code 44-61-310
• EMT: means , when used in general terms for emergency medical personnel, an individual possessing a valid, emergency medical technician (EMT), advanced emergency medical technician (AEMT), or paramedic certificate issued by the State pursuant to the provisions of this article. See South Carolina Code 44-61-310
• Equitable: Pertaining to civil suits in "equity" rather than in "law." In English legal history, the courts of "law" could order the payment of damages and could afford no other remedy. See damages. A separate court of "equity" could order someone to do something or to cease to do something. See, e.g., injunction. In American jurisprudence, the federal courts have both legal and equitable power, but the distinction is still an important one. For example, a trial by jury is normally available in "law" cases but not in "equity" cases. ^{Source: U.S. Courts}
• Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
• Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
• Fee simple: Absolute title to property with no limitations or restrictions regarding the person who may inherit it.
• Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
• Freedom of Information Act: A federal law that mandates that all the records created and kept by federal agencies in the executive branch of government must be open for public inspection and copying. The only exceptions are those records that fall into one of nine exempted categories listed in the statute. ^{Source: OCC}
• Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
• Immediate family: means a person's spouse. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
• Investigative Review Committee: means a professional peer review committee that may be convened by the department in its discretion when the findings of an official investigation against an entity or an individual regulated by the department may warrant suspension or revocation of a license or certification. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
• Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). ^{Source: OCC}
• Legacy: A gift of property made by will.
• Legal guardian: means a person who is lawfully invested with the power, and charged with the obligation of, taking care of and managing the property and rights of a person who, because of age, understanding, or self-control, is considered incapable of administering his or her own affairs. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
• License: means an authorization to a person, firm, corporation, or governmental division or agency to provide emergency medical services in the State. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• Licensee: means any person, firm, corporation, or governmental division or agency possessing authorization, permit, license, or certification to provide emergency medical service in this State. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
• Manager: means the person coordinating the EMSC Program within the Department of Health and Environmental Control. See South Carolina Code 44-61-310
• Moral turpitude: means behavior that is not in conformity with and is considered deviant by societal standards. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
• Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
• Oversight: Committee review of the activities of a Federal agency or program.
• Participating providers: means those providers that have been approved by the department for participation in the trauma system and include, but are not limited to, designated trauma centers, designated rehabilitation facilities, and designated fee for service physicians who provide trauma care within a designated facility. See South Carolina Code 44-61-510
• Partnership: A voluntary contract between two or more persons to pool some or all of their assets into a business, with the agreement that there will be a proportional sharing of profits and losses.
• Patient: means an individual who is sick, injured, wounded, or otherwise incapacitated or helpless. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• Permit: means an authorization issued for an ambulance vehicle which meets the standards adopted pursuant to this article. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• Personal property: All property that is not real property.
• Power of attorney: A written instrument which authorizes one person to act as another's agent or attorney. The power of attorney may be for a definite, specific act, or it may be general in nature. The terms of the written power of attorney may specify when it will expire. If not, the power of attorney usually expires when the person granting it dies. ^{Source: OCC}
• Prehospital care: means the provision of emergency medical care or transportation by trained and certified or licensed emergency medical services personnel at the scene of an emergency and while transporting sick or injured persons to a medical care facility or provider. See South Carolina Code 44-61-310
• Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
• Prosecute: To charge someone with a crime. A prosecutor tries a criminal case on behalf of the government.
• Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
• Recess: A temporary interruption of the legislative business.
• Remainder: An interest in property that takes effect in the future at a specified time or after the occurrence of some event, such as the death of a life tenant.
• Reporter: Makes a record of court proceedings and prepares a transcript, and also publishes the court's opinions or decisions (in the courts of appeals).
• Revocation: means that the department has permanently voided a license or certificate and the holder no longer may perform the function associated with the license, or certificate. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
• Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.
• Standards: means the required measurable components of an emergency medical service system having permanent and recognized value that provide adequate emergency health care delivery. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• State Medical Control Physician: means a physician who shall be contracted with the department to oversee all medical aspects of the EMS Program. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• Statute: A law passed by a legislature.
• Subpoena: A command to a witness to appear and give testimony.
• Suspension: means that the department has temporarily voided a license, permit, or certificate and the holder may not perform the function associated with the license, permit, or certificate until the holder has complied with the statutory requirements and other conditions imposed by the department. See South Carolina Code 44-61-20
• Testify: Answer questions in court.
• Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
• Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
• Trauma: means a major injury or wound to a living person caused by the application of an external force or by violence and the requiring immediate medical or surgical intervention to prevent death or permanent disability. See South Carolina Code 44-61-510
• trauma center: means a hospital that has been designated by the department according to the rules and regulations set forth by the department to provide trauma care services at a particular level. See South Carolina Code 44-61-510
• Trauma system: means an organized statewide and regional system of care for the trauma patient, including the department, emergency medical service providers, hospitals, in-patient rehabilitation providers, and other providers who have agreed to participate in and coordinate with and who have been accepted by the department in an organized statewide system. See South Carolina Code 44-61-510
• Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
• Venue: The geographical location in which a case is tried.
• Verification: means the department's inspection of a participating facility in order to determine whether the facility is capable of providing a designated level of trauma care. See South Carolina Code 44-61-510