Colorado § 12-240-104 - Definitions.

§ 12-240-104. Definitions.

As used in this article 240, unless the context otherwise requires:

(1) (a) "Approved fellowship" means a program that meets the following criteria:

(I) Is specialized, clearly defined, and delineated;

(II) Follows the completion of an approved residency;

(III) Provides additional training in a medical specialty or subspecialty; and

(IV) Is either:

(A) Performed in a hospital conforming to the minimum standards for fellowship training established by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education or the American Osteopathic Association, or by a successor of either organization; or

(B) Any other program that is approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education or the American Osteopathic Association or a successor of either organization.

(b) "Approved fellowship" includes any other fellowship that the board, upon its own investigation, approves for purposes of issuing a physician training license pursuant to section 12-240-128.

(2) (a) "Approved internship" means an internship:

(I) Of at least one year in a hospital conforming to the minimum standards for intern training established by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education or the American Osteopathic Association or a successor of either organization; or

(II) Approved by either of the organizations specified in subsection (2)(a)(I) of this section.

(b) "Approved internship" includes any other internship approved by the board upon its own investigation.

(3) (a) "Approved medical college" means a college that:

(I) Conforms to the minimum educational standards for medical colleges as established by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education or any successor organization that is the official accrediting body of educational programs leading to the degree of doctor of medicine and recognized for such purpose by the United States department of education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation;

(II) Conforms to the minimum education standards for osteopathic colleges as established by the American Osteopathic Association or any successor organization that is the official accrediting body of education programs leading to the degree of doctor of osteopathy; or

(III) Is approved by either of the organizations specified in subsections (3)(a)(I) and (3)(a)(II) of this section.

(b) "Approved medical college" includes any other medical college approved by the board upon its own investigation of the educational standards and facilities of the medical college.

(4) (a) "Approved residency" means a residency:

(I) Performed in a hospital conforming to the minimum standards for residency training established by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education or the American Osteopathic Association or any successor of either organization; or

(II) Approved by either of the organizations specified in subsection (4)(a)(I) of this section.

(b) "Approved residency" means any other residency approved by the board upon its own investigation.

(5) "Board" means the Colorado medical board created in section 12-240-105 (1).

(5.5) (a) "Conversion therapy" means any practice or treatment by a licensed physician specializing in the practice of psychiatry that attempts or purports to change an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity, including efforts to change behaviors or gender expressions or to eliminate or reduce sexual or romantic attraction or feelings toward individuals of the same sex.

(b) "Conversion therapy" does not include practices or treatments that provide:

(I) Acceptance, support, and understanding for the facilitation of an individual's coping, social support, and identity exploration and development, including sexual-orientation-neutral interventions to prevent or address unlawful conduct or unsafe sexual practices, as long as the counseling does not seek to change sexual orientation or gender identity; or

(II) Assistance to a person undergoing gender transition.

(5.6) "Distant site" has the meaning set forth in section 10-16-123 (4)(a).

(5.7) "International medical graduate" means a physician who received a basic medical degree or qualifications from a medical school outside of the United States or Canada.

(5.8) and (5.9) Repealed.

(6) "Licensed health-care provider" means an individual who is licensed or otherwise authorized by the state pursuant to this title 12 or article 3.5 of title 25 to provide health-care services.

(7) "Medical-aesthetic services" means therapeutic procedures used in aesthetics.

(8) "Originating site" has the meaning set forth in section 10-16-123 (4)(b).

(9) "Store-and-forward transfer" has the meaning set forth in section 10-16-123 (4)(c).

(10) "Telemedicine" means the delivery of medical services through technologies that are used in a manner that is compliant with the federal "Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996", Pub.L. 104-191, including information, electronic, and communication technologies, remote monitoring technologies, and store-and-forward transfers, to facilitate the assessment, diagnosis, consultation, or treatment of a patient while the patient is located at an originating site and the individual who provides the services is located at a distant site.

Source: L. 2019: Entire title R&RE with relocations, (HB 19-1172), ch. 136, p. 1171, § 1, effective October 1; (3)(a)(I) amended, (SB 19-193), ch. 406, p. 3587, § 9, effective October 1; (5.5) added, (HB 19-1129), ch. 378, p. 3411, § 5, effective October 1. L. 2021: (5.7), (5.8), and (5.9) added and (6) amended, (HB 21-1190), ch. 152, p. 874, § 1, effective May 18. L. 2022: (5.6) added and (5.7) amended, (HB 22-1050), ch. 379, p. 2696, § 3, effective June 7. L. 2025: (5.8) and (5.9) repealed, (6) amended, and (7), (8), (9), and (10) added, (HB 25-1024), ch. 59, p. 246, § 1, effective August 6.

Editor's note: (1) This section is similar to former § 12-36-102.5 as it existed prior to 2019.

(2) (a) Before its relocation in 2019, this section was amended in SB 19-193. Those amendments were superseded by the repeal and reenactment of this title 12, effective October 1, 2019. For those amendments to the former section in effect from July 1, 2019, to October 1, 2019, see SB 19-193, chapter 406, Session Laws of Colorado 2019.

(b) Before its relocation in 2019, this section was amended in HB 19-1129. Those amendments were superseded by the repeal and reenactment of this title 12, effective October 1, 2019. For those amendments to the former section in effect from August 2, 2019, to October 1, 2019, see HB 19-1129, chapter 378, Session Laws of Colorado 2019.

Cross references: For the legislative declaration in HB 22-1050, see section 1 of chapter 379, Session Laws of Colorado 2022.