Medical Properties Trust, Inc. functions as a self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT). The company specializes in the financing, acquisition, and construction of healthcare properties, all structured under net-lease agreements. Its extensive property holdings encompass a diverse array of medical establishments, such as rehabilitation centers, extended-stay acute care hospitals, outpatient surgical facilities, hospitals catering to women and children, community and regional general hospitals, medical office complexes, and various other specialized care sites. The trust was established in 2003 by its co-founders, Edward K. Aldag Jr., R. Steven Hamner, Emmett E. McLean, and William Gilliard McKenzie, with its principal offices situated in Birmingham, Alabama.