Health centers play varied roles in relation to nursing homes, from following existing patients, to having their physician serve as medical director of nursing homes, to owning and/or operating nursing homes. Community health centers that partner with skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) can enhance the well being of their patients, the community and their organizations. The health center may provide a range of services to help a patient remain in the community, but at times some patients will enter a SNF. In small rural communities without other long term care services, a SNF may be seen as very much a community-based.
