Rick Matros, chairman and CEO, Sabra Health Care REIT, Inc. (Nasdaq: SBRA), participated in a video interview in conjunction with Nareit’s REITworld: 2020 Annual Conference.
While fundamentals in the long-term health care sector face challenges, including some occupancy declines in senior housing, Matros said the one positive to emerge from the pandemic has been that “operators have gotten very, very good at taking care of patients and residents and adhering to protocols.” Only one facility out of 600 has had a big breakout, he observed.
Matros also commented on the challenges faced by certified nursing assistants (CNAs) in the long-term health care operating sector. Half of CNAs are people of color, and 14% live below the poverty line, he added.
Meanwhile, Matros said the pandemic has underscored for the first time ever the value that long-term care, senior housing, and even home health care, provide to the broader health care system.