These location descriptions should only be used to define chronic care units that share a CCN with the affiliated acute care hospital. NHSN does not specifically define “extended periods of time”, which is used to describe many of the chronic care units. NHSN leaves this to the facility’s discretion. Chronic care units are traditionally non-medical wards where dedicated care is given towards those patients with pre-existing or long term illness, as opposed to acute care which is concerned with short term or severe illness. Skilled nursing facility (SNF) units located within a hospital that have a CCN that is different from the acute care hospital should be enrolled as a separate NHSN facility within the NHSN Long Term Care Facility Component
