In the last few decades, nonstructural elements (NEs) became object of paramount interest for worldwide structural and earthquake engineering researchers. Several observational, experimental, theoretical/analytical, and numerical investigation campaigns were carried out, developing significant knowledge regarding the seismic performance of NEs and defining seismic risk mitigation methods and engineering solutions. The following steps of the field research should overcome the element-based and purely structural/seismic assessment, by implementing more comprehensive and holistic evaluation/enhancement procedures. In particular, NEs should be considered as systems integrated within buildings and facilities and their functioning conditions should be accounted for with regard to the facility operativity. The concept of resilience has been implemented in several engineering fields, but this is not case of healthcare and hospital facilities (HHFs) and NEs regarding seismic events and emergencies. Resilience of HHFs does not only involve seismic performance of NEs but also their interaction with other elements and hosting facility and the functional adaptivity of both NEs and HHFs. This latter property can be defined as the capacity of NEs of HHFs to be adapted to alternative arrangement and functioning conditions, due to relatively rapid necessity changes. For example, in the aftermath of a moderate to severe earthquake event, or due to a sanitary emergency (such as current pandemic), it might be necessary to change the organization of HHFs by rearranging wards and spaces (i.e., mostly NEs). The (in)capability of HHFs and NEs to adapt to these changes potentially results in social, economic, and human losses, given the strategic task of HHFs. Indeed, it is public knowledge that Italian hospitals are quite poor in terms of functional adaptivity, as current sanitary emergency demonstrated. Furthermore, several recent post-earthquake events have shown that hospitals are highly vulnerable, with particular regard to seismic damage to NEs.