As used in this article unless the context requires a different meaning:

“Board” means the State Board of Health.

“Commissioner” means the State Health Commissioner.

“Consumer” means a person who is not a provider of health care services.

“Department” means the Virginia Department of Health.

“Health planning region” means a contiguous geographical area of the Commonwealth with a population base of at least 500,000 persons, which is characterized by the availability of multiple levels of medical care services, reasonable travel time for tertiary care, and congruence with planning districts.

“Provider” means a licensed or certified health care practitioner, a licensed health care facility or service administrator, or an individual who has a personal interest in a health care facility or service as defined in the Virginia Conflict of Interests Act (§ 2.2-3100 et seq.).

“Regional health planning agency” means the regional agency, including the regional health planning board, its staff and any component thereof, designated by the Board to perform the health planning activities set forth in this chapter within a health planning region.

“Regional health planning board” means the governing board of the regional health planning agency as described in § 32.1-122.05.

“Secretary” means the Secretary of Health and Human Resources of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

“State Health Plan” means the document so designated by the Board, which may include analysis of priority health issues, policies, needs, methodologies for assessing statewide health care needs, and such other matters as the Board shall deem appropriate.

“Tertiary care” means health care delivered by facilities that provide specialty acute care including, but not limited to, trauma care, neonatal intensive care and cardiac services.