Anyone who has seen the “Terminator” movies may be predisposed to have a healthy skepticism of artificial intelligence. However, the work being done at Swift Medical might cause them to reconsider a bit. 

Thanks to its use of artificial intelligence in wound care, the organization was awarded Gold in the Tech Partner of the Year category at the 2023 McKnight’s Tech Awards. 

Swift Skin and Wound, is a digital, AI-powered wound care solution with advanced, high-precision imaging, compliant documentation, clinical analytics and remote care. The FDA-registered technology is easily accessible through a smartphone, helping clinicians deliver effortless wound care to any patient in any care environment — from large, urban academic hospitals to remote, fly-in, remote communities.

“We are so proud and honored to see Swift Skin and Wound prevail as the Gold Award winner in one of McKnight’s most competitive categories,” said Brian Litten, Swift Medical’s CEO. “Our AI-powered digital wound management platform continues to demonstrate its ability to improve the lives of both clinicians and patients whether they are receiving care in the hospital, at home, or any setting in between. Our hope is that more organizations and clinicians start to utilize our technology to revolutionize their wound care programs.” 

Other award winners in the Skilled Nursing track’s Tech Partner of the Year category:

Silver: ShiftKey + OnShift for its SAMI scheduling technology, which led to an 89% reduction in unfilled shifts at Touchstone Communities.

Bronze: MatrixCare for its Clinical Advanced Insights (CAI) patient data dashboard, which saw a pilot group of customers using CAI register a decrease in falls of at least 50%.

Read about other 2023 McKnight’s Excellence in Technology award winners in the Skilled Nursing track on the McKnight’s Long-Term Care News website, in the Senior Living track on McKnight’s Senior Living website and in the Home Care track on the McKnight’s Home Care website.

Sponsors of the 2023 McKnight’s Tech Awards + Summit include LifeLoop, IntelyCare, MatrixCare, PointClickCare and ShiftKey + OnShift.To view the virtual awards presentation and recordings of the Summit webinars, visit mcknightstechawards.com (free registration required)

In senior living communities across the country, fall prevention always remains a top priority. RiverSpring Living aimed to improve its fall prevention efforts through the use of the NexStride gait device. 

For its efforts, and corresponding positive results, it was awarded Gold in the Keep It Super Simple category at the 2023 McKnight’s Excellence in Technology awards. 

The NexStride device is an advanced neurological tool that can be attached to walkers or canes to provide both auditory and visual cuing while ambulating. Since inception of the partnership, the Hebrew Home at Riverdale has trialed this assistive device with both short- and long-term care patients with various diagnosed neurologic conditions.

The results included increases in gait speed, longer stride length and an overall improvement in balance and function. 

“A 73-year-old resident with a long history of Parkinson’s was noted with a significant decline in function, resulting in four falls in less than a one month period. The NexStride device was applied to her rollator and she was educated on the use by the therapy team over three sessions,” RiverSpring wrote in its application. 

“Over the next three-week period, subsequent standardized balance and gait assessments were conducted on the patient. During this time, her gait speed increased by 200%. She has had no subsequent falls since we have introduced the NexStride device to her daily routine.”

Other award winners in the Keep It Super Simple category:

Silver: Juniper Communities for its use of Amazon Dots voice technology. It started with an initial deployment of 100 and finished with 1,046 devices deployed by Jan. 31, 2023.

Bronze: Ingleside at King Farm for its use of remote temperature sensors across 66 refrigerators, freezers and coolers, saving employees from performing the task manually for 11 to 12 hours per day.

Read about other 2023 McKnight’s Excellence in Technology award winners in the Skilled Nursing track on the McKnight’s Long-Term Care News website, in the Senior Living track on the McKnight’s Senior Living website, and in the Home Care track on the McKnight’s Home Care website.

Sponsors of the 2023 McKnight’s Tech Awards + Summit include LifeLoop, IntelyCare, MatrixCare, PointClickCare and ShiftKey + OnShift.

To view the virtual awards presentation and recordings of the Summit webinars, visit mcknightstechawards.com (free registration required).

Making a patient feel comfortable and at ease is imperative when it comes to end-of-life care. Being able to hear and see a loved one is an important part of this. RiverSpring Living caregivers used digital picture frames to make loved ones more accessible to their residents. 

For their efforts, they were awarded Gold in the Building Bridges category in the Skilled Nursing track at the 2023 McKnight’s Excellence in Technology Awards. 

The Building Bridges category recognized the use of technology that improved connections between staff members and residents and/or their families.

Circumstances like travel and employment can make it difficult for family members to visit their loved ones. By using the AURA Digital Picture Frame, families can upload a meaningful song, picture, prayer, poem or any kind of personal message that will provide the strongest connection and be the most meaningful. It is also an opportunity for staff members to connect with their patients by learning about their personal lives and loved ones. 

“At RiverSpring Living, we view our role at the end of life as a sacred obligation. Each of our residents deserve tenderness and attention, coupled with the best in clinical care,” the organization wrote in its nominating application. “These uniquely difficult moments require a special kind of support and a special type of interaction. We want to be sure our residents never feel alone and that their families are able to feel connected to them.”

Other award winners in the Skilled Nursing track’s Building Bridges category:

Silver: LCS for its UKG workforce management solution which gives employees the ability to access a scheduling app where they can easily view schedules, set scheduling preferences, manage availability, swap shifts, request coverage, stay up to date as schedules change, and more.

Bronze: Cypress Cove CCRC for its Bloomerang donor management system which enabled 739 transactions with a total of $373,825 raised from September 30 through December 15, 2022.

Read about other 2023 McKnight’s Excellence in Technology award winners in the Skilled Nursing track on the McKnight’s Long-Term Care News website, in the Senior Living track on McKnight’s Senior Living website and in the Home Care track on the McKnight’s Home Care website.

Sponsors of the 2023 McKnight’s Tech Awards + Summit include LifeLoop, IntelyCare, MatrixCare, PointClickCare and ShiftKey + OnShift.

To view the virtual awards presentation and recordings of the Summit webinars, visit mcknightstechawards.com (free registration required).

Editor’s note: McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, McKnight’s Senior Living and McKnight’s Home Care are publishing focused articles on the 2023 winners of the McKnight’s Excellence in Technology awards Nov. 29 through Dec. 5. Look for the nomination period for the 2024 awards program to open in May.

It is no secret that workforce shortages have had a massive impact on the skilled nursing sector. To reduce their effect, Tutera implemented SAMI (Schedule Automation Marketplace Integration) in its communities. 

The effort lifted the organization to a Gold Award in the Innovator of the Year category in the Skilled Nursing track of the 2023 McKnight’s Excellence in Technology awards.

SAMI integrates OnShift’s scheduling software with ShiftKey, which calls itself the industryʼs largest and most powerful marketplace for independent healthcare professionals. It prioritizes the scheduling needs of the internal team members and completes the schedule proactively and cost effectively. This has led to a 90% reduction in unfilled shifts.

“As we celebrate our own achievements with SAMI, we also want to extend a warm congratulations to one of our SAMI clients, Tutera Senior Living & Health Care, for earning a Gold Award in McKnight’s Innovator of the Year Award in the Skilled Nursing track,” ShiftKey said in a statement. “Tutera has showcased dedication, innovation and a commitment to providing exceptional care over several decades in business.”

Other award winners in the Skilled Nursing track’s Innovator of the Year category:

Silver: PruittHealth for its use of MatrixCare fall prevention tech, which enables caregivers to confidently prioritize care based on accurate and up-to-date information without manually sifting through extensive amounts of data.

Bronze: Miami Jewish Health for its use of VSTAlert fall prevention software that utilizes LIDAR sensors and AI computing to monitor bed or chair exits and alerts the care team before the resident rises.

Read about other 2023 McKnight’s Excellence in Technology award winners in the Skilled Nursing track on the McKnight’s Long-Term Care News website, in the Senior Living track on McKnight’s Senior Living website and in the Home Care track on the McKnight’s Home Care website.

Sponsors of the 2023 McKnight’s Tech Awards + Summit include LifeLoop, IntelyCare, MatrixCare, PointClickCare and ShiftKey + OnShift.To view the virtual awards presentation and recordings of the Summit webinars, visit mcknightstechawards.com (free registration required)

Editor’s note: McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, McKnight’s Senior Living and McKnight’s Home Care are publishing focused articles on the 2023 winners of the McKnight’s Excellence in Technology awards Nov. 29 through Dec. 5. Look for the nomination period for the 2024 awards program to open in May.

Patient safety is a top priority when it comes to skilled nursing. With falls being a significant hazard for seniors, Wesley Enhanced Living Main Line turned to VirtuSense Technologies for help with prevention. This led to Wesley Enhanced Living Main Line being named the Gold winner in the Quality category of the Skilled Nursing track at the 2023 McKnight’s Excellence in Technology awards. 

VSTAlert is a monitoring platform for fall prevention that utilizes LIDAR sensors, artificial intelligence computing and machine learning. This technology allows care teams to be more present and ready to help residents who need assistance by covering time-consuming and limiting monitoring tasks. 

VSTAlert detects the intent to exit a bed and alerts staff members to assist the resident 30 to 65 seconds before they get up. This allows staff time to arrive at the resident’s room to assist just when they are needed. Wesley Enhanced Living Main Line currently has 13 VSTAlert sensors in use on site.

“This award validates the hard work we have put into training and initiating the use of the VST to promote the safety of our residents. It also highlights the great care our staff is providing to our residents,” said Director of Nursing Kim Ratliff. 

“The implementation of the VST allowed the staff more flexibility especially at night. Before the VST, the staff would be stationed outside of the room of a resident who would frequently fall out of bed, but now they are able to go from room to room more frequently because they have the assurance that they will be alerted if the resident attempts to get out of bed.”

Other award winners in the Skilled Nursing track’s Quality category:

Silver: RiverSpring Living for its use of AccuVein technology, which is near-infrared (NIR) vein visualization technology that projects a vivid map on the skin of underlying superficial veins often invisible to the naked eye.

Bronze: Provectus LTC for Hucu.ia, a tool that promotes better communication among staff members and contributed to doubling staff size and more than tripling the number of patients supported. 

Read about other 2023 McKnight’s Excellence in Technology award winners in the Skilled Nursing track on the McKnight’s Long-Term Care News website, in the Senior Living track on McKnight’s Senior Living website and in the Home Care track on the McKnight’s Home Care website.

Sponsors of the 2023 McKnight’s Tech Awards + Summit include LifeLoop, IntelyCare, MatrixCare, PointClickCare and ShiftKey + OnShift.

To view the virtual awards presentation and recordings of the Summit webinars, visit mcknightstechawards.com (free registration required).

RiverSpring Living from the Bronx, NY, was a big winner Wednesday when medalists were announced in the 2023 McKnight’s Tech Awards competition.

RiverSpring had a hand in three separate honored entries, a feat believed to be unequaled for a single awards cycle over the 13-year history of the esteemed program.

Overall, more than 40 medalists were given out Wednesday across the Skilled Nursing, Senior Living and Home Care tracks.

RiverSpring scored right away with the Gold Award in the Building Bridges category for its entry, “Digital Photo Frame for End-of-Life Care.” 

Staff at RiverSpring Living said they make it a point to minimize loneliness. For the resident at end of life, in particular, hearing the voice of a loved one or familiar song can be invaluable, they maintain.

Using the AURA Picture Frame has allowed staff to be a bridge between the family and resident when they cannot be there in person, leaders noted

• The Silver Award went to Des Moines, Iowa’s Life Care Services for “Using UKG to Advance Workforce Management.” 
• The Bronze Award was given to Cypress Cove, Cypress Living, Cypress at Home from Fort Myers, FL, for “Successful Employee Disaster Fund Campaign Aided by Technology.”

In the Quality category, Wesley Enhanced Living Main Line, located in Media, PA, was the Gold winner for “Fall Prevention with VST.”

Wesley Enhanced Living instituted VirtueSense’s VSTAlert to bring team members greater awareness of their residents at highest risk of falls and take home the category’s top prize.

Wesley leaders said the results of using VSTAlert “speak for themselves” — with rooms that had VSTAlert monitoring registration ZERO falls in the five months of this year, which has led to better care for all patients.

• The Silver Award winner was RiverSpring Living from the Bronx with “AccuVein Technology Results in Better Phlebotomy Results.
• Columbus, OH-based Provectus LTC, meanwhile, was the Bronze medalist with “Medical Director Group Improving Quality of Life in Skilled Nursing.”

RiverSpring’s Hebrew Home at Riverdale emerged as the Gold Award winner in the Keep It Super Simple (KISS) category.

It partnered with NexStride earlier this year to use the company’s gait assistance device, an advanced neurological device that can be attached to walkers or canes to provide both auditory and visual cuing while ambulating. That cuing has proved essential for patients suffering from many neurologic conditions.

As a result, patients have decreased their fall risk, increased their gait speed, lengthened their stride and shown overall improvement in balance and function, building leaders reported. 

• Judges gave the Silver Award to Bloomfield, NJ-based Juniper Communities, which entered “Voice-Enabled Technology Bridges Residents and Families, Residents and Community.”
• The Bronze Award went to Ingleside at King Farm from Rockville, MD, for … “Cool at Rock Creek.”

The Innovator of the Year category was a popular one, and it was topped by Gold medalist Tutera Senior Living & Health Care. The Kansas City-based provider’s entry was titled “Tutera Nearly Eliminates Unfilled Shifts, Drives Census Growth.”

Tutera leaders said they were looking for help scheduling and filling work shifts at its 71 communities. That’s where SAMI — which is delivered by ShiftKey + OnShift —came in handy. 

They explained that with it they are able to see a complete view of schedules of both internal team members and independent healthcare professionals in one system. This led to more effective scheduling and greater engagement by employees themselves, they said. “SAMI has helped dramatically decrease open shifts,” the winning entry noted.

• The Silver Award went to PruittHealth, of Norcross, GA, with “PruittHealth’s Fall Prevention Feat.”
• The Bronze Award was won by Miami Jewish Health & VirtuSense for “Maintaining Dignity and Safety with AI Monitoring.” 

The Tech Partner of the Year category was extremely competitive, and in the end, Swift Medical Inc. came out on top with “Advancing Patient Outcomes with AI in Wound Care.”

Swift Skin and Wound is a digital, artificial intelligence-powered wound care solution that helps healthcare providers deliver standardized, accessible and equitable wound care for every patient, company leaders explained. It accomplishes this with advanced, high-precision imaging, compliant documentation, clinical analytics and remote care, they added. 

The product is an FDA-registered technology that is easily accessible through a smartphone. That functionality helps clinicians deliver effortless wound care to any patient in any care environment, including skilled nursing.

• The Silver Award was given to ShiftKey + OnShift for its entry based on “SAMI Provides Organizations Total Workforce Visibility & Optimization.”
• The Bronze Award was won by Bloomington, MN-based MatrixCare for “MatrixCare’s Clinical Advanced Insights: Partnering Data and Efficiency.” 

An independent, national judging panel of 23 key stakeholders adjudicated entries, which were submitted in late spring. Entries were assessed on their overall value in improving resident care and services, impact, relevance, execution and creativity.

Articles summarizing the Senior Living and Home Care track winners can be found on their respective McKnight’s websites. In addition, the Best of Show winner is featured in today’s McKnight’s Tech Daily newsletter news stack.

Finalists were announced in August in separate Skilled Nursing– , Senior Living– and Home Care-focused articles.

Winners were feted during Wednesday afternoon’s ceremony, which will remain available for online viewing in archive for the next 12 months. Medalists also will be celebrated at an in-person ceremony Oct. 2 in Denver, which is open to anyone interested. Anyone planning to attend can RSVP here.

In addition, each Gold Medal winner will be featured in upcoming McKnight’s newsletter coverage.

Wednesday’s announcements concluded a full day of activity. Three thought-leadership webinars preceded the ceremony at the McKnight’s Technology Summit. Session titles were: “How emerging technologies and AI are transforming senior care,” “Staffing in the automation era: Right and wrong ways to use AI,” and “Creating senior living communities that flourish.”

The sessions also will be available for online viewing in archive for a year.

Sponsors of the 2023 McKnight’s Tech Awards + Summit include LifeLoop (formerly iN2L + LifeLoop), IntelyCare, MatrixCare, ShiftKey + OnShift, and PointClickCare.

During Session 1, beginning at 10:30 a.m. ET, attendees will learn “How emerging technologies and AI are transforming senior care.” This session will be moderated by McKnight’s Long-Term Care News Executive Editor James M. Berklan.

In Session 2, at noon ET, attendees will learn about “Staffing in the automation era: Right and wrong ways to use AI.” This session will be moderated by McKnight’s Long-Term Care News Senior Editor Kim Marselas.

Session 3, at 1:30 p.m. ET, offers attendees lessons in “Creating senior living communities that flourish.”  This session will be moderated by McKnight’s Senior Living Editor Lois A. Bowers.

Attendees will have the opportunity to earn up to two continuing education credits by attending sessions 2 and 3.

The virtual presentation of 2023 McKnight’s Excellence in Technology Awards will begin at 3 p.m. ET, with Berklan, Bowers and McKnight’s Home Care Editor Liza Berger co-hosting the ceremony with Haymarket Media Senior Producer Bill Fitzpatrick. See the list of Skilled Nursing track finalists here, Senior Living track finalists here and Home Care track finalists here.

For more information or to register for the virtual McKnight’s Tech Awards + Summit, visit this page.

Additionally, award winners also will be celebrated in person at a cocktail reception from 6 – 9 p.m. MT Oct. 2 in Denver. Those planning to attend can RSVP here.

Anyone with questions about the events should contact Events Manager Jackie Testa at jackie.testa@haymarketmedia.com. Sponsors of the 2023 McKnight’s Tech Awards + Summit include iN2L + LifeLoop, IntelyCare, MatrixCare and PointClickCare.

A pair of skilled nursing-oriented lists were released. One represents the finalists across four categories in the Skilled Nursing track that accepted nominations from providers: Building Bridges, Innovator of the Year, Keep It Super Simple and Quality. Another reveals finalists in the Skilled Nursing track for the Tech Partner of the Year category, which accepted nominations from vendor companies serving the industry.

Building Bridges, Innovator of the Year, Keep It Super Simple and Quality finalists, Skilled Nursing track:

• Cypress Cove, Cypress Living, Cypress at Home
• Ingleside at King Farm
• Juniper Communities
• Life Care Services
• Miami Jewish Health
• Provectus LTC
• PruittHealth
• RiverSpring Living
• Tutera Senior Living & Health Care
• Wesley Enhanced Living Main Line

Tech Partner of the Year finalists, Skilled Nursing track:

• American HealthTech
• Cliniconex
• Enspire 
• Essity HM North America
• Health Services Management
• Hireology
• Linet Americas / wissner bosserhof
• MatrixCare
• ShiftKey + OnShift
• SNF Clinic
• Swift Medical Inc.
• Viventium

Organizers also released lists of finalists in the awards program’s Senior Living and Home Care tracks.

A group of 23 long-term care stakeholder experts judged all nominations, assessing them for their overall value in improving resident care and services, impact, relevance, execution and creativity.

“We once again we’re excited to see examples of how technology is being used in complex and simple ways to improve the lives of older adults and those who serve and care for them, and we can’t wait to share information about the winning entries and celebrate the winners with everyone,” McKnight’s Editorial Director and Associate Publisher John O’Connor said.

Award winners will be announced Wednesday, Sept. 20, at 3 p.m. ET in a virtual ceremony capping the third annual McKnight’s Tech Awards + Summit. The awards ceremony will be preceded by three webinars — at 10:30 a.m., noon and 1:30 p.m. ET. The awards ceremony and accompanying educational sessions are free and open to everyone, but registration is required at mcknightstechawards.com.

Award winners also will be celebrated at an in-person reception Oct. 2 in Denver. More details on that gathering will be announced soon.

To see finalists in the Senior Living and Home Care tracks of the competition, visit the websites of sister brands McKnight’s Senior Living and McKnight’s Home Care, respectively.

For more information about the McKnight’s Tech Awards + Summit or for answers to any questions, contact Events Manager Jackie Testa at jackie.testa@haymarketmedia.com. Sponsors of the 2023 McKnight’s Tech Awards + Summit include iN2L + LifeLoop, IntelyCare, MatrixCare and PointClickCare.

The 13-year-old competition recognized good caregiving programs and processes, plain and simple. 

Whatever methods are used — supported by either high-tech or low-tech — McKnight’s is celebrating them with online and in-person awards ceremonies, as well as online and print publications. 

There is no cost for care providers to enter. Free submissions are being accepted in these categories: Quality, Innovator of the Year, KISS (Keep It Super Simple), Building Bridges and Tech Partner of the Year. Winners will be named in each of three tracks — skilled nursing, senior living and home care. Winning entries will be recognized for technology uses that improve efficiency, demonstrate innovative thinking or harness new tools to benefit residents and staff members.

Also back again, with an entry fee, is the Technology Partner of the Year award, an all-division award that covers skilled nursing, senior living or home care.

Learn details and enter here.

Finalists in each category will be announced Aug. 23, with a virtual summit and awards ceremony to follow Sept. 20. An in-person celebration will take place Nov. 6  in Chicago.

This annual showcase is a free opportunity for providers to demonstrate leadership and outside-the-box thinking when it comes to today’s tech. Submissions don’t have to involve complicated or costly devices or programs. The national, independent panel of judges is interested in clever approaches that lead to smarter workflows and better quality of life.

See this site for more details on categories and rules. Vendors are eligible to enter only the Tech Partner of the Year category.

The Sept. 20 virtual McKnight’s Technology Summit will feature educational webinars. A full agenda will be announced at a later date.

Winners will be recognized across McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, McKnight’s Senior Living and McKnight’s Home Care and all their social and traditional media platforms.Learn more about last year’s Skilled Nursing track finalists on the McKnight’s Long-Term Care News website.

The entry period for the 2023 McKnight’s Excellence in Technology Awards competition is now Wednesday, June 28. Organizers announced the expanded deadline late Friday to allow providers more time to put finishing touches on entry preparations.

The 13th annual edition of the sector’s most distinguished competition celebrates providers delivering quality care, plain and simple. Whatever methods used — supported by either high-tech or low-tech — McKnight’s celebrates them with online and in-person awards ceremonies, as well as online and print publications.

It doesn’t take too much to fill out an entry form — and there’s no cost to enter four of the five categories.

The no-cost entries are being accepted in these categories: Quality, Innovator of the Year, KISS (Keep It Super Simple), Building Bridges and Tech Partner of the Year. Winners will be named in each of three tracks — skilled nursing, senior living and home care. Winning entries will be recognized for technology uses that improve efficiency, demonstrate innovative thinking or harness new tools to benefit residents and staff members.

Also back again is the Technology Partner of the Year award, an all-division award covering skilled nursing, senior living or home care.

Learn details and enter here.

Finalists in each category will be announced Aug. 23, with a virtual summit and awards ceremony to follow Sept. 20. An in-person celebration will take place Nov. 6  in Chicago.

This annual showcase is a free opportunity for providers to demonstrate leadership and outside-the-box thinking when it comes to today’s tech. Submissions don’t have to involve complicated or costly devices or programs. The national, independent panel of judges is interested in clever approaches that lead to smarter workflows and better quality of life.

See this site for more details on categories and rules. Vendors are eligible to enter only the Tech Partner of the Year category.

The Sept. 20 virtual McKnight’s Technology Summit will feature educational webinars. A full agenda will be announced at a later date.

Winners will be recognized across McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, McKnight’s Senior Living and McKnight’s Home Care and all their social and traditional media platforms.

Learn more about last year’s Skilled Nursing track finalists on the McKnight’s Long-Term Care News website.