Section 250.01. Definitions.

  In chs. 250 to 257 , unless the context requires otherwise:

(1)  “Chief medical officer" means a physician who is appointed by the state health officer under s. 250.02 (2) .

(2)  “Department" means the department of health services.

(3)  “Local board of health" means the policy-making body for a local health department.

(4)  “Local health department" means any of the following:

(a) In a county with a population of less than 500,000, any of the following:

1. A county health department established under s. 251.02 (1) , including a county health department whose powers and duties are transferred to a county department of human services under s. 46.23 (3) (b) 1. c.

2. A city-county health department established under s. 251.02 (1m) .

3. A city health department that was established before January 1, 1994, or that withdraws under s. 251.15 (2) or, as a city-city local health department established under s. 251.02 (3t) , that withdraws under s. 251.15 (2m) .

4. A village or town health department under s. 251.02 (3m) .

5. A multiple municipal local health department established under s. 251.02 (3r) .

6. A city-city health department established under s. 251.02 (3t) .

(b) In a county with a population of 500,000 or more, a city, village, or multiple municipal health department established under s. 251.02 (2) .

(c) A multiple county health department established under s. 251.02 (3) .

(5)  “Local health officer" means the health officer who is in charge of a local health department.

(6)  “Physician" has the meaning given in s. 448.01 (5) .

(6g)  “Public health authority" means the department, if the governor declares under s. 323.10 a state of emergency related to public health and designates the department as the lead state agency to respond to that emergency.

(6r)  “Public health emergency" has the meaning given in s. 323.02 (16) .

(7)  “Registered nurse" means a registered nurse who is licensed under s. 441.06 or in a party state, as defined in s. 441.50 (2) (j) , or permitted under s. 441.08 .

(8)  “Secretary" means the secretary of health services.

(9)  “State health officer" means the individual who is appointed by the secretary to develop public health policy for the state and direct state public health programs.