Revamping Scheduling and Staffing Efficiency: Insights from MorningStar and Anthem
MorningStar Senior Living faced a pressing challenge: scheduling. Based in Denver, this operator is not alone; staffing issues and scheduling difficulties plague the entire industry.
To tackle this problem, MorningStar turned to AllieHealth, a solution that many leading operators are beginning to adopt. The AllieHealth platform leverages AI to optimize labor and enhance net operating income (NOI) by seamlessly aligning scheduling, budgeting, and performance within a single intelligent system, integrated with Electronic Health Records (EHR) and Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS). MorningStar quickly became a believer in this innovative approach.
“We started with six communities to test the waters,” says Chris Livesay, Chief Human Resources Officer at MorningStar. “It went like gangbusters, and now we’ve completed implementation across all 37 communities.”
Meanwhile, about 2,100 miles northwest in West Linn, Oregon, Anthem Memory Care is also piloting the AllieHealth scheduling platform. They began with five communities and have since expanded to their entire portfolio.
“(AllieHealth) makes visibility so much easier at all levels,” states Michael Zywicki, Vice President of Programs and Engagement at Anthem.
Both MorningStar and Anthem are now utilizing AllieHealth to optimize labor expenditures, enhance staff management, and automate scheduling processes.
“We’re all trying to address the same issue: how to manage our staffing situation effectively,” Zywicki explains. The ultimate goal is to reduce overtime and burnout, thereby minimizing turnover. Here’s how AllieHealth is helping these operators achieve their objectives.
“They just jumped right in” — what MorningStar and Anthem found
Change can be challenging, but working with AllieHealth has proven to be a smooth transition.
“Any time there is change, there’s bound to be some struggle because it’s new and people need to adapt,” Livesay notes. “However, AllieHealth became like our staff, taking the initiative to guide us.”
Livesay emphasizes that AllieHealth streamlined the scheduling process for both managers and team members who rely on those schedules.
“They asked the right questions and provided valuable feedback,” he adds. His role shifted to ensuring effective communication throughout the process. “They just jumped right in, making it super easy for us.”
“We have a structured level of care that guides our staffing, and now we have true visibility into our staffing needs,” Zywicki explains. “This information is updated daily and is live within our EHR, which has been a significant improvement.”
3 key takeaways for MorningStar and Anthem
Both MorningStar and Anthem turned to AllieHealth for scheduling support and have experienced several notable benefits.
1. Labor and staffing no longer go by the gut
Anthem’s initial concern during their pilot was whether their staff would embrace the platform. “That was the key metric: are they using the program?” Zywicki recalls.
The response was overwhelmingly positive, with Anthem achieving 80-90% participation from managers and staff.
“We can now focus on maximizing our staffing and ensuring we’re not overstaffing or overworking our team,” he explains. “We’re smarter in our labor management and more proactive.”
MorningStar shares a similar experience. “AllieHealth provides data-driven insights,” Livesay states. “Executives and department heads can easily track team member attendance. AllieHealth allows us to rely on data rather than gut feelings regarding staffing.”
2. Financial and operational stability are on the way
With access to real-time data and confirmation of platform usage, operators can address their most significant challenges.
“We implemented this scheduling tool to measure labor effectively,” Livesay explains. “Are we scheduling people into overtime? Are we missing lunch breaks? These issues can accumulate quickly.”
The AllieHealth system analyzes MorningStar’s scheduling and work data using AI to predict whether a staff member is likely to take a shift or call off, providing early indicators of performance or burnout.
“Overtime can severely impact your budget,” Livesay warns, “and their dashboard is incredibly user-friendly.”
3. The right technology partner is critical — and today, it’s possible
With the right technology partner, scheduling can be automated, not just relieving manual burdens but also optimizing labor expenditures to align with budgets. Real-time insights are crucial; managing staffing is akin to driving on a highway—you can’t rely on yesterday’s traffic patterns.
These capabilities define effective technology. The people behind the technology are what make a partnership truly valuable.
“AllieHealth? They listen,” Zywicki asserts. “Their team is dynamic and responsive to necessary changes. We’ve experienced one-week turnarounds, and they’re open to understanding our business needs.”
“This isn’t just a job for us; we genuinely care about this,” Livesay adds. “AllieHealth shares that passion. They’re invested in our success and continuously adapt their product based on our feedback. Those qualities—caring and adaptability—are what truly matter.”
This Views is sponsored by AllieHealth, an operational platform that captures NOI and delights staff, with AI scheduling and care revenue solutions, seamlessly integrated with EHR and HRIS to optimize care demand and labor spend. To learn more, visit alliehealth.com.
MorningStar Senior Living faced a pressing challenge: scheduling. Based in Denver, this operator is not alone; staffing issues and scheduling difficulties plague the entire industry.
To tackle this problem, MorningStar turned to AllieHealth, a solution that many leading operators are beginning to adopt. The AllieHealth platform leverages AI to optimize labor and enhance net operating income (NOI) by seamlessly aligning scheduling, budgeting, and performance within a single intelligent system, integrated with Electronic Health Records (EHR) and Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS). MorningStar quickly became a believer in this innovative approach.
“We started with six communities to test the waters,” says Chris Livesay, Chief Human Resources Officer at MorningStar. “It went like gangbusters, and now we’ve completed implementation across all 37 communities.”
Meanwhile, about 2,100 miles northwest in West Linn, Oregon, Anthem Memory Care is also piloting the AllieHealth scheduling platform. They began with five communities and have since expanded to their entire portfolio.
“(AllieHealth) makes visibility so much easier at all levels,” states Michael Zywicki, Vice President of Programs and Engagement at Anthem.
Both MorningStar and Anthem are now utilizing AllieHealth to optimize labor expenditures, enhance staff management, and automate scheduling processes.
“We’re all trying to address the same issue: how to manage our staffing situation effectively,” Zywicki explains. The ultimate goal is to reduce overtime and burnout, thereby minimizing turnover. Here’s how AllieHealth is helping these operators achieve their objectives.
“They just jumped right in” — what MorningStar and Anthem found
Change can be challenging, but working with AllieHealth has proven to be a smooth transition.
“Any time there is change, there’s bound to be some struggle because it’s new and people need to adapt,” Livesay notes. “However, AllieHealth became like our staff, taking the initiative to guide us.”
Livesay emphasizes that AllieHealth streamlined the scheduling process for both managers and team members who rely on those schedules.
“They asked the right questions and provided valuable feedback,” he adds. His role shifted to ensuring effective communication throughout the process. “They just jumped right in, making it super easy for us.”
“We have a structured level of care that guides our staffing, and now we have true visibility into our staffing needs,” Zywicki explains. “This information is updated daily and is live within our EHR, which has been a significant improvement.”
3 key takeaways for MorningStar and Anthem
Both MorningStar and Anthem turned to AllieHealth for scheduling support and have experienced several notable benefits.
1. Labor and staffing no longer go by the gut
Anthem’s initial concern during their pilot was whether their staff would embrace the platform. “That was the key metric: are they using the program?” Zywicki recalls.
The response was overwhelmingly positive, with Anthem achieving 80-90% participation from managers and staff.
“We can now focus on maximizing our staffing and ensuring we’re not overstaffing or overworking our team,” he explains. “We’re smarter in our labor management and more proactive.”
MorningStar shares a similar experience. “AllieHealth provides data-driven insights,” Livesay states. “Executives and department heads can easily track team member attendance. AllieHealth allows us to rely on data rather than gut feelings regarding staffing.”
2. Financial and operational stability are on the way
With access to real-time data and confirmation of platform usage, operators can address their most significant challenges.
“We implemented this scheduling tool to measure labor effectively,” Livesay explains. “Are we scheduling people into overtime? Are we missing lunch breaks? These issues can accumulate quickly.”
The AllieHealth system analyzes MorningStar’s scheduling and work data using AI to predict whether a staff member is likely to take a shift or call off, providing early indicators of performance or burnout.
“Overtime can severely impact your budget,” Livesay warns, “and their dashboard is incredibly user-friendly.”
3. The right technology partner is critical — and today, it’s possible
With the right technology partner, scheduling can be automated, not just relieving manual burdens but also optimizing labor expenditures to align with budgets. Real-time insights are crucial; managing staffing is akin to driving on a highway—you can’t rely on yesterday’s traffic patterns.
These capabilities define effective technology. The people behind the technology are what make a partnership truly valuable.
“AllieHealth? They listen,” Zywicki asserts. “Their team is dynamic and responsive to necessary changes. We’ve experienced one-week turnarounds, and they’re open to understanding our business needs.”
“This isn’t just a job for us; we genuinely care about this,” Livesay adds. “AllieHealth shares that passion. They’re invested in our success and continuously adapt their product based on our feedback. Those qualities—caring and adaptability—are what truly matter.”
This Views is sponsored by AllieHealth, an operational platform that captures NOI and delights staff, with AI scheduling and care revenue solutions, seamlessly integrated with EHR and HRIS to optimize care demand and labor spend. To learn more, visit alliehealth.com.
