As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.

1. Cooperative agreement. "Cooperative agreement" means an agreement among 2 or more hospitals or nonprofit mental health care providers for the sharing, allocation or referral of patients, personnel, instructional programs, mental health services, support services and facilities or medical, diagnostic or laboratory facilities or procedures or other services traditionally offered by hospitals or nonprofit mental other health care providers, or for the coordinated negotiation and contracting with payors, vendors or employers or for the merger of 2 or more hospitals or health care providers.

1-A.__Health care provider.__"Health care provider" means a physician and any other person that is certified, registered or licensed in the healing arts, including, but not limited to, a nurse, podiatrist, optometrist, chiropractor, physical therapist, dentist, psychologist, physician assistant and any corporation organized under the Maine Nonprofit Corporation Act or an organization recognized as exempt from federal income tax under 26 United States Code, Section 501(c)(3) that is engaged primarily in the provision of mental health services.

2. Hospital. "Hospital" means:

A. Any acute care institution required to be licensed as a hospital under section 1811; or

B. Any nonprofit parent of a hospital, hospital subsidiary or hospital affiliate that provides medical or medically related diagnostic and laboratory services or engages in ancillary activities supporting those services.

2-A. Merger. "Merger" means a transaction by which ownership or control over substantially all of the stock, assets or activities of one or more licensed and operating hospitals hospital or health care provider is placed under the control of another licensed hospital or hospitals or health care provider or providers or the parent organization of that hospital or hospitals or health care provider or providers.

3. Nonprofit mental health care provider. "Nonprofit mental health care provider" means a corporation organized under the Maine Nonprofit Corporation Act or an organization recognized as exempt from federal income tax under 26 United States Code,