Providers Show Health Reform Preparations and Innovations at LeadingAge Annual Meeting

A group of 14 from our senior living practice convened in Washington DC for the LeadingAge Annual Meeting from October 16–19, 2011. Each year, this conference gives us an excellent opportunity to connect with people in the senior living field—both providers and other professionals—to discuss critical issues. It also lets us renew and nurture current relationships and friendships, while forging new ones. We sincerely appreciate and value these interactions, as they help us formulate our strategies on how to bring value to the field of senior living.

Although I'm not one of our regular health care bloggers, I wanted to share some of my takeaways from the conference. Here are some of the things I observed:

• Providers are becoming more interested in planning and executing health care reform changes. Some recent activity, such as the Bundled Payment for Care Improvement Initiative from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), has made the issues more real and actionable. I see a thirst for providers to have the tools and knowledge to convert theory into action.
• As health care reform continues to unfold, there is a heightened awareness and focus on embracing technology. We noticed this in discussions with our clients, other providers, and fellow industry professionals.
• Many providers have very proactive and creative strategies to make their operations more efficient. They have realized that no matter what happens in the future, cost-effective operations will be critical. We believe providers who have not focused on this need to make it an immediate priority.
• When looking at overall independent living occupancy, the housing market and general economic conditions continue to put pressure on most providers. This requires marketing creativity, and pushes providers to demonstrate and communicate their value to the market.
• If attendance at related sessions is any indication, campus-based providers are becoming more interested in expanding off-campus services. They are looking to serve older adults in their homes through a variety of traditional and innovative program options.
• For providers who offer significant health care services, the recent Medicare cuts are on everyone’s mind. They realize the cuts require them to make immediate changes in order to continue providing excellent care.
• Access to capital continues to be a challenge across the country. Even financially strong organizations are experiencing a unique financing landscape. All providers are looking at various avenues to capitalize reinvestment in their facilities and programs.
• A hot topic with many organizations revolved around preparing for the orderly transition of key leadership. There was a strong interest in succession planning, and how the board of directors can prepare for the predicted shortage of talent during very challenging times.

Despite all the challenges senior living providers face, I observed an overall confidence in the air that LeadingAge members are up to the task. They recognize the need for change, and leading providers are implementing strategies to remain strong and financially viable in the future.

Another significant event at the conference was the announcement of Deerfield Episcopal Retirement Community, Inc. as the Pathways to Greatness award recipient for 2011. Please join LarsonAllen and LeadingAge in congratulating the Deerfield management team, board of directors, and residents. Read the white paper to find out what made this organization stand out.

We hope your experience at the 2011 LeadingAge Annual Meeting was positive and productive. Please feel free to share your thoughts with us.