Breaking through operational barriers
The Arbors & The Ivy, a family-owned and operated portfolio of communities, was ready to embark on a radical transformation. The Arbors leadership team had decided to modernize community operations by adopting best-in-class care software, with the intention of becoming more data-driven, and advancing their overall operating strategy.
At the time, gathering basic data required onsite visits to communities, where information was trapped in binders and on paper. Acquiring current acuity data for the entire portfolio required three to five days of information gathering by clinical team members.
Routine practices such as completing resident assessments or creating service plans were time-consuming for staff, requiring family meetings and extensive writing, which put communities at risk of falling behind.
The Arbors leadership was looking for a way to streamline operations and carry its communities into the future. Knowing the transition would be challenging for staff, The Arbors selected August Health with the confidence that a platform designed for assisted living and memory care would be easier for staff to adopt.
“Most EHR software is created for hospital settings and is too clinical. August Health being specific to assisted living makes it very user-friendly,” said Ed Walters-Zucco, Regional Director of Resident Care at The Arbors & The Ivy.
An ambitious technology and care model transition
August Health and The Arbors kicked off an exacting implementation process. August Health worked with The Arbors’ leadership to ensure the platform would replicate existing community workflows, reducing friction for staff.
“We operate in a number of states and previously managed compliance with our own processes and best practices,” said The Arbors & The Ivy CEO, Sara Robertson. “August Health mirrored our processes in their platform, so it’s still what we do and what we know, just within their system.”
As The Arbors transitioned to August Health, communities also moved from all-inclusive pricing to a levels-based care model. Adopting both a new care framework and a new platform had a compounding impact: with standardized care levels and complete resident data centralized in August Health, The Arbors gained clearer insights into missed care revenue opportunities and improved visibility into staffing needs based on resident acuity. Since transitioning to August Health, The Arbors has experienced a 20% revenue increase.
Improving efficiency with actionable data
Thanks to August Health, reliable, real-time data is transforming operations at The Arbors & The Ivy. Routine workflows are streamlined, and teams can make smarter, data-driven decisions, including:
- Optimizing staffing with real-time acuity insights for each community.
- Enhancing accountability and retention through accurate occupancy and resident out-of-building tracking.
- Increasing productivity and compliance, with service plans now completed in just 15 minutes instead of an hour.
With comprehensive, up-to-date resident information, communities can take a more proactive approach—identifying at-risk residents and adjusting care levels and staffing plans as needed.
Instant access to data has empowered The Arbors & The Ivy to operate with agility. Everyday processes are significantly more efficient, allowing staff to focus on delivering exceptional care while leadership gains the critical insights needed to optimize community performance for the future.
“August Health has profoundly impacted both resident care and business operations at The Arbors & The Ivy. Moving from paper to this comprehensive EMR system has given our nursing department access to a wealth of information we simply couldn't visualize before. We can now accurately track resident care levels, ensuring precise billing, and critically, we're far more proactive with service assessment reviews and essential nursing documentation. This means we're providing care that's truly aligned with resident needs, not assumptions. August Health has brought an unparalleled level of organization and insight, allowing us to monitor our department's health from a global perspective."
- Sara Robertson, CEO, The Arbors & The Ivy
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