A problem with broad classifications of anything, including CRE property, is that characteristics, conditions, and considerations can vary greatly across different levels of subcategorization. That points comes out strongly in two areas of healthcare real estate: long-term acute care hospitals (LTACHs) and skilled nursing facilities (SNFs).

Becker's Hospital Review, a respected trade publication, had run a 2023 piece highlighting the importance differences. They are worth reviewing.

Clinical and hospital facility design and planning can be based around the most common patient ailments and conditions the clinicians are likely to confront. Here are the top five for LTACHs:

• Pulmonary edema and respiratory failure
• Respiratory system diagnosis with ventilator for 96+ hours
• Septicema without ventilator support 96+ hours with major complication or comorbidity
• Respiratory system diagnosis with ventilator support ≤96 hours
• Respiratory infections and inflammations with major complication or comorbidity

And the top five for SNFs.

• COVID-19 (this may have changed since then)
• Urinary tract infection, site not specified
• Metabolic encephalopathy
• Sepsis, unspecified organism
• Encounter for other orthopedic aftercare

There are further medical complications. At LTACHs, often the most frequent conditions "include a major complication or comorbidity." And while small percentages of patients discharged to an SNF have high "extreme" conditions, "these patients make up over half the population transitioning to an LTACH." So, movement back and forth is something to anticipate.