§ 2801. Definitions. The following words or phrases, as used in this article, shall have the following meanings, unless the context otherwise requires: 1. "Hospital" means a facility or institution engaged principally in providing services by or under the supervision of a physician or, in the case of a dental clinic or dental dispensary, of a dentist, or, in the case of a midwifery birth center, of a midwife, for the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of human disease, pain, injury, deformity or physical condition, including, but not limited to, a general hospital, public health center, diagnostic center, treatment center, dental clinic, dental dispensary, rehabilitation center other than a facility used solely for vocational rehabilitation, nursing home, tuberculosis hospital, chronic disease hospital, maternity hospital, midwifery birth center, lying-in-asylum, out-patient department, out-patient lodge, dispensary and a laboratory or central service facility serving one or more such institutions, but the term hospital shall not include an institution, sanitarium or other facility engaged principally in providing services for the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of mental disability and which is subject to the powers of visitation, examination, inspection and investigation of the department of mental hygiene except for those distinct parts of such a facility which provide hospital service. The provisions of this article shall not apply to a facility or institution engaged principally in providing services by or under the supervision of the bona fide members and adherents of a recognized religious organization whose teachings include reliance on spiritual means through prayer alone for healing in the practice of the religion of such organization and where services are provided in accordance with those teachings. No provision of this article or any other provision of law shall be construed to: (a) limit the volume of mental health, substance use disorder services or developmental disability services that can be provided by a provider of primary care services licensed under this article and authorized to provide integrated services in accordance with regulations issued by the commissioner in consultation with the commissioner of the office of mental health, the commissioner of the office of alcoholism and substance abuse services and the commissioner of the office for people with developmental disabilities, including regulations issued pursuant to subdivision seven of section three hundred sixty-five-l of the social services law or part L of chapter fifty-six of the laws of two thousand twelve; (b) require a provider licensed pursuant to article thirty-one of the mental hygiene law or certified pursuant to article sixteen or article thirty-two of the mental hygiene law to obtain an operating certificate from the department if such provider has been authorized to provide integrated services in accordance with regulations issued by the commissioner in consultation with the commissioner of the office of mental health, the commissioner of the office of alcoholism and substance abuse services and the commissioner of the office for people with developmental disabilities, including regulations issued pursuant to subdivision seven of section three hundred sixty-five-l of the social services law or part L of chapter fifty-six of the laws of two thousand twelve. 2. "Nursing home" means a facility providing therein nursing care to sick, invalid, infirm, disabled or convalescent persons in addition to lodging and board or health-related service, or any combination of the foregoing, and in addition thereto, providing nursing care and health-related service, or either of them, to persons who are not occupants of the facility. 3. "Residential health care facility" means a nursing home or a facility providing health-related service. 4. (a) "Hospital service" means the preadmission, out-patient, in-patient and post discharge care provided in or by a hospital, and such other items or services as are necessary for such care, which are provided by or under the supervision of a physician for the purpose of prevention, diagnosis or treatment of human disease, pain, injury, disability, deformity or physical condition, including, but not limited to, nursing service, home-care nursing and other paramedical service, ambulance service, service provided by an intern or resident in training, laboratory service, medical social service, drugs, biologicals, supplies, appliances, equipment, bed and board.

(b) "Health-related service" means service in a facility or facilities which provide or offer lodging, board and physical care including, but not limited to, the recording of health information, dietary supervision and supervised hygienic services incident to such service. 5. "Construction" means the erection, building, or substantial acquisition, alteration, reconstruction, improvement, extension or modification of a hospital, including its equipment; the inspection and supervision thereof; and the studies, surveys, designs, plans, working drawings, specifications, procedures and other actions necessary thereto. 6. "Council" and "public health council" mean the public health and health planning council. 7. "Government agency" means a department, board, bureau, division, office, agency, public benefit or other corporation, or any other unit, however described, of the state or a political subdivision thereof. 8. "Caretaker" means a person appointed pursuant to the provisions of section twenty-eight hundred six-b of this article, to act as a fiduciary responsible to the court which appoints him for the conserving and preserving of the rights and property of the operator of a residential health care facility, while also preserving and providing for the rights of the patients in such facility to care appropriate to their needs in a clean and wholesome environment in accordance with applicable federal and state laws and regulations. 9. "Out-patient lodge" means a facility affiliated with an institution providing hospital service, which provides therein food and overnight lodging to the chronically ill undergoing out-patient treatment for cancer at such institution. 10. "General hospital" means a hospital engaged in providing medical or medical and surgical services primarily to in-patients by or under the supervision of a physician on a twenty-four hour basis with provisions for admission or treatment of persons in need of emergency care and with an organized medical staff and nursing service, including facilities providing services relating to particular diseases, injuries, conditions or deformities. The term general hospital shall not include a residential health care facility, public health center, diagnostic center, treatment center, out-patient lodge, dispensary and laboratory or central service facility serving more than one institution. 11. "Midwifery birth center" means a hospital engaged principally in providing prenatal and obstetric care, where such services are provided principally by midwives.