G.S.90-181.1. Practice facility names and
levels of service.
(a) In order to
accurately inform the public of the levels of service offered, a veterinary
practice facility shall use in its name one of the descriptive terms defined in
subsection (b) of this section. The name of a veterinary practice facility
shall, at all times, accurately reflect the level of service being offered to
the public. If a veterinary facility or practice offers on-call emergency
service, that service must be as that term is defined in subsection (b) of this
section.
(b)
The following definitions are applicable to this section:
(1)
"Animal health center" or "animal medical center" means a
veterinary practice facility in which consultative, clinical, and hospital
services are rendered and in which a large staff of basic and applied
veterinary scientist perform significant research and conduct advanced
professional educational programs.
(2)
"Emergency facility" means a veterinary medical facility whose
primary function is the receiving, treatment, and monitoring of emergency
patients during its specified hours of operation. At this veterinary practice
facility a veterinarian is in attendance at all hours of operation and
sufficient staff is available to provide timely and appropriate emergency
care. An emergency facility may be an
independent veterinary medical after-hours facility, an independent veterinary
medical 24-hour facility, or part of a full-service hospital or large teaching
institution.
(3)
"Mobile facility" means a veterinary practice conducted from a
vehicle with special medical or surgical facilities or from a vehicle suitable
only for making house or farm calls; provided, the veterinary medical practice
shall have a permanent base of operation with a published address and telephone
facilities for making appointments or responding to emergency situations.
(4)
"Office" means a veterinary practice facility where a limited or
consultative practice is conducted and which provides no facilities for the housing
of patients.
(5)
"On-call emergency service" means a veterinary medical service at a
practice facility, including a mobile facility, where veterinarians and staff
are not on the premises during all hours of operation or where veterinarians
leave after a patient is treated. veterinarian shall be available to be reached
by telephone for after-hours emergencies.
(6)
"Veterinary clinic" or "animal clinic" means a veterinary
practice facility in which the practice conducted is essentially an out-patient
practice.
(7)
"Veterinary hospital" or "animal hospital" means a
veterinary practice facility in which the practice conducted includes the
confinement as well as the treatment of patients.
(c) If a veterinary
practice facility uses as its name the name of the veterinarian or
veterinarians owning or operating the facility, the name of the veterinary
practice facility shall also include a descriptive term from those listed in
subsection (b) of this section to disclose the level of service being offered.
(d) Those facilities
existing and approved by the Board as of
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