2014 Oklahoma Statutes
Title 63. Public Health and Safety
§63-1-1708.1C. Definitions.

As used in the Affordable Access to Health Care Act, the following words, terms, or phrases shall have the following meanings, unless the context otherwise clearly indicates:

1. “Health care provider” means any person or other entity who is licensed pursuant to the provisions of Title 59 or Title 63 of the Oklahoma Statutes, or pursuant to the laws of another state, to render health care services in the practice of a profession or in the ordinary course of business;

2. “Health care services” means any services provided by a health care provider, or by an individual working for or under the supervision of a health care provider, that relate to the diagnosis, assessment, prevention, treatment or care of any human illness, disease, injury or condition;

3. “Medical liability action” means any civil action involving, or contingent upon, personal injury or wrongful death brought against a health care provider based on professional negligence;

4. “Noneconomic damages” means all subjective, nonmonetary losses including, but not limited to, pain, suffering, inconvenience, mental anguish, emotional distress, loss of enjoyment of life, loss of society and companionship, loss of consortium, injury to reputation and humiliation; provided, however, “noneconomic damages” do not include exemplary damages, as defined in Section 9.1 of Title 23 of the Oklahoma Statutes;

5. “Professional negligence” means a negligent act or omission to act by a health care provider in the rendering of health care services, provided that such services are within the scope of services for which the health care provider is licensed, certified, or otherwise authorized to render by the laws of this state, and which are not within any restriction imposed by a hospital or the licensing agency of the health care provider; and

6. “Qualified expert” means a health care provider who has knowledge of standards of care for the diagnosis, assessment, prevention, treatment or care of the illness, disease, injury or condition involved in the medical liability action. In a case involving a claim for negligent credentialing or corporate negligence, a “qualified expert” means a physician or administrator who has or has had responsibility for credentialing or served on a medical staff committee involved in a credentialing process at the licensed health care entity.

Added by Laws 2003, c.390, § 3, eff. July 1, 2003.