Senior living operator and tech firm team up to build

A senior living operator and a cloud-based electronic health record provider are working together to develop AI-driven tools designed specifically for front-line care teams. This collaboration could transform how technology is created for long-term care environments.

The Springs Living, which manages communities in Oregon, Montana, and Washington, has formed a co-development agreement with PointClickCare. This is the first time the EHR vendor has partnered directly with a senior living operator to design and test new features before their official release.

Brenda Connelly, president of The Springs Living, explained that the partnership resolves a persistent issue: technology often lacks direct input from daily users.

The urgency for an advanced system grew after The Springs announced its partnership with SCAN Health Plan to launch a Medicare Advantage plan in January. With open enrollment underway, the operator needed a platform capable of linking clinicians, staff, and data in ways traditional EHRs could not.

Though The Springs has used PointClickCare’s platform for a decade, this new arrangement takes collaboration further. For the past month, PointClickCare’s product team has worked alongside The Springs’ front-line staff, incorporating their feedback directly into development.

AI and real-time data transform long-term care

Dave Wessinger, co-founder and CEO of PointClickCare, described the shift as a move toward an AI-focused approach. Unlike previous development cycles that took years, the company now builds features in weeks by validating designs with end-users first.

One key focus is ambient AI and automated data collection. Currently, most health data is entered manually, but sensors and AI agents could soon provide real-time insights. PointClickCare’s Community Advisor tool, for example, helps identify at-risk residents by analyzing trends before problems worsen. The Springs is testing how such tools can integrate into daily routines.

Wessinger emphasized that the biggest efficiency gains will come from automating administrative tasks—coding, billing, and quality reporting—so clinicians can focus on patient care.

For Connelly, the partnership addresses two major challenges: a nationwide care staff shortage and the need for better data to support value-based care.

The co-development process has progressed quickly, with iterations now occurring in days instead of months.

Wessinger added that successful adoption depends on starting with front-line needs rather than imposing external solutions.

Front-line tools streamline overnight care coordination

One early application is a tool designed to present critical resident information before clinicians begin shifts. Instead of searching for scattered data, staff now receive a consolidated view of overnight events and priorities.

The partnership’s focus on front-line engagement has extended beyond workflow improvements to tackle deeper operational issues. PointClickCare’s team has worked directly with The Springs’ clinical and administrative staff to pinpoint care coordination challenges. A major concern was the manual tracking of overnight events, where staff previously relied on paper logs or fragmented digital entries. The new tool now aggregates these records into a single dashboard, prioritizing urgent issues, such as medication changes or falls, before each shift begins. Staff reported this reduces time spent cross-referencing records and minimizes delays in responding to critical alerts.

Another priority has been integrating real-time data into quality reporting for The Springs’ Medicare Advantage plan with SCAN Health Plan. Under value-based care models, providers must demonstrate measurable outcomes, but traditional EHR systems often lack the detail needed to track conditions like comorbidities or early warning signs of decline. The co-development team is testing an AI-driven module that flags residents with high-risk trends, such as unexplained weight loss or frequent hospitalizations, before they require acute care. Clinicians have begun using these alerts to adjust care plans proactively, though long-term health outcomes remain under review.