A hospital including a physical plant and personnel that provides multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment for diseases that have one or more of the following characteristics: is permanent; leaves residual disability; is caused by nonreversible pathological alteration; requires special training of the patient for rehabilitation; and/or may be expected to require a long period of supervision or care. In addition, patients require the safety, security, and shelter of these specialized inpatient or partial hospitalization settings. A chronic disease hospital can also be a hospital that provides medical and skilled nursing services to patients with long-term illnesses who are not in an acute phase but who require an intensity of services not available in nursing homes.