A New Form of Healthcare CRE: CloudClinics
In August 2021, bizjournals.com announced that Rezilient Health had raised $2.5 million toward their new type of healthcare delivery. Their “CloudClinics” are small buildings with the staff and technology to offer primary, urgent, or mental health care. To follow through with their initiative, Rezilient Health partnered with ReefTechnology to present a hybrid between in-person and telehealth services.
In the Rezilient care model, when a patient visits a CloudClinic, they will be greeted by an on-site nurse. But their face-to-face time with a doctor is done virtually via an on-site telehealth visit. The company plans to partner with major employers and set up these small facilities in their parking lots.
Unique Outpatient Care and Shipping Container Clinics
At the start of the pandemic, we saw plenty of unique medical clinics. At first, hotels became quarantine locations. Convention centers became secondary COVID-19 treatment buildings. And drug stores began using smaller outbuilding testing sites. The pandemic became a catalyst for healthcare delivery change. Telehealth visits skyrocketed while building design endured significant changes.
Much has changed over the last two years, and the creative ideas regarding healthcare delivery have only expanded. Modular design, lightweight materials, and adaptive reuse have become a more significant part of the conversation. With the trendiness behind using shipping containers for residential projects, the idea of adapting these structures for medical use seems like a natural fit.
Who Uses Shipping Container Clinics?
The concept of a medical office in a shipping container is not a new one. Shipping container clinics are often used in poor, rural areas. Over the years, one company has sent thousands of medically supplied containers to Ghana, and they\’ve recently begun sending them to Haiti. But, as we have seen over the last two years in the U.S., these containers can also serve well as pop-up testing sites and may be able to sustain a variety of medical uses.
The Egyptian start-up Qubix is exploring the use of shipping containers as medical spaces and believes these compact, versatile clinics can serve urban areas very well. Their small footprint provides easy access to quick, basic medical care in new locations.
Naturally, shipping container clinics aren’t ideal for most health practices. Their size significantly limits the number of patients or types of procedures that can function in that space. But these spaces might work for physicians who do not have the funds to purchase or lease a larger clinic space. And doctors who do not have access to an existing medical building might also look into opening their practice in a shipping container clinic.
Healthcare Real Estate and Shipping Container Clinics
Shipping container clinics are not yet a widespread form of medical care delivery. And they may continue to hold a narrow portion of the healthcare real estate model. But their importance to their communities is still worth noting.
As with any medical transaction, the terms of a lease or purchase agreement would have to reflect each specific property. The location, property, and interior of the unique structure would be points of discussion before a deal is final.
Unique properties like shipping container clinics open the door of creativity regarding healthcare CRE. As we have seen the expansion of outpatient facilities over the last several years, we may see new forms of healthcare emerge. Rezilient Health’s CloudClinics are a prime example of healthcare innovation. Health professionals seeking new and unique properties for their healthcare practices should strongly consider partnering with healthcare real estate brokers like HBRE to assist them as they evolve to serve their patients.
If you are interested in learning more about investing in commercial real estate, or if you have questions about buying, selling, or leasing a commercial property, please contact an HBRE advisor. Our team of experienced CRE professionals have the skills and insight to assist with all property transactions. To reach out to us directly, email [email protected] or call 615-564-4133.
