By Healthcare Facilities Today

The continued evolution of the healthcare market is expected to bring increased focus on personalized care, says George Chapman, chairman, CEO and president of Health Care REIT Inc. in a REIT: Real Estate Investment Today article. Health Care REIT is one of the 10 largest REITs in the U.S., with the bulk of its portfolio involved with senior housing facilities.

Among the trends in the market, Chapman says he expects the integration of services, and mergers and acquisitions to continue. The days of small independent facilities is over, he says in the article, but large 300 or more-bed hospitals are also no longer a good fit for the market, "except for the strongest tertiary systems in the larger cities." This leaves a sweet spot for smaller hospitals in the 100-bed range that can be built to be more closely focused on their customers.

There is pressure in the market to provide better care, with growing acceptance of the need for evidence-based care and facility design. "The design of a more efficient, customer friendly physical plant is an important key to improving health care," Chapman says. For example, medical office buildings off the hospital campus have increased services to the point that they're like "hospitals without beds."

Another trend in the healthcare market called out by Chapman is senior housing facilities with more integrated and robust amenities: larger common rooms, wellness centers and internet access. This evolution is driven by a savvier customer as baby boomers start to become a bigger part of the customer base for senior housing.

Read the article.