Explore New Functionality

The newest improvements in the Yardi Senior Living Suite are here! This release (7.18) includes enhancements in RentCafe Senior CRM, Yardi EHR and eMAR. As always, each enhancement was powered by feedback from our amazing senior living clients.  To learn about what’s new and improved in 7.18, read the highlights below. We’re also sharing links to informative webinars, crafted for clients, which explain the new functionality in detail. For a complete list of new features documentation, clients can also visit the help center in Client Central and select new features. What’s new in RentCafe Senior CRM RentCafe Senior CRM, our mobile-friendly CRM solution, is packed with fresh functionality courtesy of the 7.18 release. From simplified workflows to completely new features, the enhancements equip you to: Track your competitive analysis with new options to create custom configurations that automatically save for future use Store marketing collateral in one centralized location, the document center, allowing staff to quickly grab attachments to email to prospects Enjoy expanded options for automated correspondences including those produced by birthdays, anniversaries, email templates, lead status and prospect status change — plus apply filters to individual rows to ensure you send the prospect’s preferred correspondence type Sync your Outlook calendar with your RentCafe Senior CRM calendar, enabling items to instantly populate in Outlook as they’re updated in RentCafe Senior CRM Build savable templates that automatically generate common tasks, conducted before or after an event, to avoid starting from scratch when creating future events Access a simplified digital signature invitation that enables copying and pasting a verification pin sent via email, or via SMS mobile phone when you have RentCafe Conversations Watch the RentCafe Senior CRM New Features Webinar. Watch the RentCafe Senior CRM Set Up New Features Webinar. What’s new in Yardi EHR and eMAR Now for Yardi EHR and Yardi eMAR, solutions built to help you enhance care at every level, here’s what’s possible thanks to the 7.18 release: Benefit from a redesigned service plan screen that clearly presents every action, making it easier to manage plans and identify what’s missing prior to activation Utilize new order direction templates that allow you to set the direction for an order with the click of a single button Enjoy an updated variable/sliding scale feature that auto-selects the correct quantity based on the vital information entered Save time with new bulk charting options in Care Stream that allow staff to chart multiple medications at one time, and apply specific notes to everything at once Streamline assessments with enhanced dynamic profile sections, which enable staff to update the resident’s profile while performing an assessment Watch the Yardi EHR New Features Webinar. Watch the Yardi EHR Set Up New Features Webinar. Have questions? If you have any questions about what’s offered with the 7.18 release, visit the help center in Client Central. If you’re new to Yardi senior living solutions and want more information on the success they create, get in touch with...

Vitality Living Success Story

“We use Yardi as our source of truth for everything.” That insight comes from Nick Byrd, chief financial officer at Vitality Living, in a recent interview discussing Vitality’s successes with the Yardi Senior Living Suite. With a focus on Yardi Voyager Senior Housing, the story spotlights the challenges Vitality faced prior to working with Yardi — and shares how they’ve found success since then.   Read the highlight below, then head to the success story to get all the insights: The Challenge: Manual Processes & Disparate Systems Vitality used to rely on manual processes and disparate systems — taking time away from priorities, generating errors and causing confusion among teams. From monthly ACH pulls to building financial reports, key tasks became increasingly arduous. Vitality searched for a dependable, integrated solution to serve as their source of truth and alleviate the challenges they were facing. The Solution: Yardi Voyager Senior Housing Designed for senior living providers of all types and sizes, Yardi Voyager Senior Housing delivers property management and financial accounting on a powerful, cloud-based platform. By adding solutions across the Yardi Senior Living Suite, operators take full control of the senior living spectrum from marketing to operations to care. The Story: Gaining One Source of Truth, Eliminating Errors & Saving Time Prior to implementing Voyager Senior Housing and accompanying tools in the Yardi Senior Living Suite, Vitality used a mix of siloed technology and manual processes. The lack of a single connected solution — built to unite all data and workflows in one place — meant Vitality didn’t have true visibility or a reliable method for retrieving important information. By moving forward with Yardi, Vitality now has a single source of truth — a solution that integrates all aspects of its business into one database. “When you’re running a report in Voyager, you’re getting real time data,” shares Byrd in the success story. “The system is integrated with all of these pieces which allows us to get a true picture.” With Voyager automating tasks Vitality previously did manually, errors have now been eliminated across the board. “When we would run our monthly ACH pulls in the old system, the community’s business director would have to prepare the file, send it to accounting and we would manually enter all the ACH transactions, and update the amounts,” explained Byrd. “You can only imagine what kind of errors that could create, and it created a ton.” Vitaly also said goodbye to time drainers when they partnered with Yardi. Since Voyager acts as their complete general ledger system, Vitality has drastically reduced time spent on key financial accounting tasks, allowing team members to shift and focus on other priorities. “We gained two days back just around the ACH process,” said Byrd. “It was a manual lift before, but now things are getting updated in real time.” Read the full success story Ready to see all the ways Vitality is finding success with Voyager Senior Housing? Read the full success story! If you have any questions for us — or you’d like to book a demo based on what you read — reach out to connect with our senior living...

Recognizing Doris-Ellie Sullivan

“Change is always tough, even when it’s good for you.” Those words come from Doris-Ellie Sullivan, a 2023 Changemaker and dedicated Yardi senior living client! As president of Retirement Unlimited, Inc. — a 21-community organization with living options across Virginia and Florida — Sullivan knows a thing or two about skilled, innovative leadership. We’re proud to join Senior Housing News (SHN) in recognizing Sullivan as the Changemaker she is — spotlighting her extraordinary advice and insights (gathered in a detailed interview). It’s an honor to be part of this special series, sharing inspiration from leaders like Sullivan, as sponsor for the fifth year in a row.    Yardi client Doris-Ellie Sullivan named 2023 Changemaker Through her conversation with SHN as part of this year’s Changemakers series, Doris-Ellie Sullivan shares how her background has shaped her leadership style today. Coming to the senior living industry by way of the U.S. Armed Services, where she was a nurse, Sullivan’s career has been guided by a passion for service and a dedication to helping others. Keep reading for a look at her insightful interview: SHN: How have you changed as a leader since starting in this industry? Sullivan: I came into senior living from the military, so that was quite a big difference. Empathy and servant leadership is definitely at the core of my leadership style. The discipline and systems came across from the military, but I think it was more of the residents-centered focus – believing in the mission. Of course, our mission at Retirement Unlimited is to provide a lifestyle that our residents have earned and deserve. I think it’s a different mission. I think that you have to evolve, and that’s what sets me apart is evolving and always being open to learning. SHN: How do you think about timing, so that your company can innovate without getting so far ahead of the market that a new idea doesn’t work? Sullivan: We launched the MyRUI app in 2019 before the pandemic. We also partnered up with a lot of companies to prepare for the pandemic, not knowing that the pandemic was coming. I don’t think you can ever be early. I think innovation equates to adoption: What is the adoption at the community level? What is the adoption at the resident and family level? What is the adoption to the general public? I think that if you can create adoption and not distraction in anything that you’re innovating, whether it’s AI or ChatGPT or some new software product or some hardware or some new system. One of the things that we’ve learned with the MyRUI app — and with any innovation that we’ve put out there — is that it’s not a one-time, “Let’s have this big party and launch it.” It’s every three months, you have to almost do a soft launch to keep the adoption rates going. More showing us as shoulder-to-shoulder versus telling people that it’s going to make your lives easier, that is a big difference that we have at RUI. SHN: Can you talk about how you see the need for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the industry, and what you are doing to drive change in this regard? Sullivan: I am a female of Asian descent and started this business in the 1990s. I and several other women out there had the great opportunity of being on an all-female panel a month ago with some other pioneers like Shelley Edsen from Sonata Senior Living and Sevy Petras from Priority Life Care. It’s just important to find the right candidate for the position. If everybody has that focus and they’re looking for the right candidate with no judgment, I think that that blossoms into opportunity. As I said, we looked for the right candidates and created a very diverse home office, a very diverse community operations side, and a very diverse region. That comes...

Eliminate Paper Waste May19

Eliminate Paper Waste...

Paper has long been a mainstay of virtually every business. But amid cost and environmental concerns, many companies are starting to examine alternative approaches that can reduce paper use and waste. Worldwide consumption of paper has risen by 400% in the last 40 years, with 35% of harvested trees being used for paper manufacturing. Every year, U.S. offices use more than 12 trillion sheets of paper, according to The World Counts, an advocate for sustainable natural resources consumption. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reports that office paper products such as handouts, copy paper, and notebooks make up the largest percentage of landfill waste. Even with the business world becoming more digitized, the EPA says the average office worker generates approximately 2 pounds of paper and paperboard products every day: “From mistakes printed on the laser printer, bad photocopies, old memos and reports, to old periodicals, 90% of all office waste is paper.” But new technologies and approaches can help break the reliance on paper. “Until recently, there was no doubt that we needed to use paper on a daily basis. However, we now have alternatives at our disposal that can help us reduce paper consumption in the office, and by applying digital tools and new work habits,” says ACCIONA, a Madrid-based chronicler of workplace trends. Here are some tips from sustainable experts for making better use of paper and reducing waste: Consider advanced software solutions such as the Yardi Procure to Pay Suite, which cuts paper costs with online purchasing, electronic invoice processing and payment and centralized vendor management; Yardi Payment Processing, a complete solution for commercial property management accounts receivable and accounts payable; and Yardi Document Management for SharePoint, which replaces uncoordinated storage on local drives and networks with a single source of...

Introducing Changemakers 2023...

The annual Changemakers series has officially begun! This year is particularly exciting for us at Yardi, as it’s our fifth consecutive year as sponsor. The series celebrates the most innovative and dynamic leaders in the industry today — recognizing those who have created leaner operations, improved efficiency and transformed the way they do business. From technology and staffing to mergers and acquisitions, these Changemakers are taking risks and embracing innovation, and you get an inside look at their stories through exclusive interviews. We’re proud to join Senior Housing News (SHN) in presenting the 2023 Changemakers class — a group of dynamic leaders who are breaking the status quo and driving positive change today. With that, meet the first Changemaker: Sevy Petras, CEO and co-founder of Priority Life Care. Through her in-depth interview with SHN, Petras talks about her background in senior living and the ways she believes the industry is evolving. Enjoy the following snapshot before heading to her full interview (linked below): Sevy Petras named 2023 Changemaker   SHN: What are some ways you think senior living needs to change in the next five years? Petras: I feel that senior housing right now is in a bit of an enlightenment period. We’ve been around for 40 years now. We’ve been around long enough to have a decent data set. The reason I feel that it’s enlightenment is because we’re really trying to utilize science and automation to figure out how we can take that data and really apply it to be forward-thinking and proactive. Now, whether it’s active adult, independent assisted living or in your individual home, the consumer or resident family members are able to decide where they want to have that care delivered to them. That is a swift change. Part...

Canadian Rental Data May11

Canadian Rental Data

The Canadian rental housing market has been growing and shifting rapidly. According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), the annual average growth rate of purpose-built rentals has moved closer to 2% over the last decade, reaching almost 2.2 million units in 2020. Unfortunately, the long-term deficit will take years of building to fix, especially with Canada’s population expected to increase by 1 million in 2023. Supply is simply not keeping up with demand. Fortunately, the recent increase in national and regional rental data is helping Canadians gain a better understanding of these developments. This article examines key takeaways from a recent Yardi-sponsored virtual panel discussion, which covered the latest rental data and explored how it’s being used to make sense of the current rental market. Existing Reports One of the longest-established means of benchmarking rental market data, is collected and distributed by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). Their process involves conducting annual surveys using telephone calls, site visits and information from owners. The results are shared every year in January and show a snapshot of vacancy, available units, turnover rates and average rents in primary and secondary rental markets. Peter Altobelli, a panelist and vice president of sales and general manager for Yardi Canada, highlighted Yardi’s Canadian National Multifamily Report, which analyzes in-place rents, rent growth, vacancy rates and other fundamentals across 13 Census Metropolitan Areas. The quarterly report aggregates and anonymizes data from Yardi clients and divulges increasingly rich information. The data “enables Yardi to offer more transparency into the rental market and expands the scope and uniqueness of the report,” Altobelli said. He added that the number of units used to compile the report will increase by 60% in the near future. Other panelists favour comparing online rental listings data with CMHC and Yardi reports, to capture a holistic view of the market throughout the year. Rental Challenges Data is more critical than ever, as Canadians face the current housing crisis. The existing rental market reports are intended to equip renters and real estate professionals with data to make informed decisions about rental housing options. Although online rental listing reports are released more frequently, these types of reports incorporate average asking rents rather than in market rents. This information makes for “excellent for shock headlines” but should be regarded cautiously, according to webinar panelist Alexandra Baird Allen, an economic intelligence unit manager for Turner Drake & Partners. The panelists also discussed the most recent Yardi Canadian multifamily report, which documents rising in-place rents, tight vacancy rates and declining turnover rates. “These trends are expected to continue”, said Altobelli and with rent controls in place in most jurisdictions, “owners of older inventory may be well-served to focus on value-add scenarios to provide better homes for renters and drive market rents in those units when opportunity presents” he added. Making Decisions For markets to stay competitive, property owners and managers should leverage these reports to help attract investors that will support redesigning their properties. Changes such as converting office space into residential or coworking spaces are hidden treasures for investors, depending on the market. For more of these experts’ insights into Canadian multifamily housing market data, view the complete...

Senior Living Video

Can one solution power multiple facets of an organization? The answer is yes for clients like Shannex, who uses the Yardi Senior Living Suite to save time, boost efficiency and optimize resident services. Take it from Heidi Leavitt-Hornmoen, director of business systems analysis at Shannex, who speaks to these successes in our newest testimonial video! It’s just under two and a half minutes but packed with valuable insights (including statistics) from Heidi. Read the quick snapshot below — or watch the video now. How Shannex boosts efficiency with the Yardi Senior Living Suite In choosing Yardi, Shannex had the goal of eliminating manual workflows and errors, centralizing data and boosting satisfaction among residents, as well as their family members. All these successes — plus more — were made possible when Shannex said yes to the Yardi Senior Living Suite.   “The time efficiencies we found were significant,” shares Heidi in the video. “We were able to reduce our [accounts payable] processes by 76%. We also found a 54% reduction in accounts receivable.” Describing the billing processes with Yardi as “amazing” — Heidi notes that with approximately 5,000 residents across their communities, these efficiencies have made a significant, positive impact. With less time spent on tasks that are now automated and streamlined with Yardi, Shannex can focus on serving residents. There’s more shared by Heidi in the video, so watch now to hear all the insights. The power of a single connected solution Not familiar with the Yardi Senior Living Suite? This integrated solution combines resident care, marketing, sales, finance, business intelligence, operations and more on a cloud-hosted, HIPAA and SOX-compliant software platform. Mobile, intuitive and efficient, this single connected solution has everything you need to manage your communities and drive growth. Learn more about...

Cities Step Up May08

Cities Step Up

The ENERGY STAR® initiative, which certifies businesses and consumer products that conform with energy-efficient solutions that protect the climate and public health, launched more than 20 years ago. It remains a key U.S. Environmental Protection Agency initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote carbon pollution-free electricity and achieve net-zero emissions targets. An EPA report in November 2022 noted that energy benchmarking enabled by ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager® has grown from 2,000 office buildings in 1999 to more than 280,000 buildings encompassing over 27 billion square feet of space. ENERGY STAR-certified buildings use an average of 35% less energy and produce 35% fewer carbon dioxide emissions than typical buildings. As part of its focus on commercial buildings, which account for 16% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions and $190 billion in annual energy spending, the EPA compiles an annual Top Cities list that measures the achievements of metros’ ENERGY STAR performance. Here are highlights from this year’s list, which encompasses commercial and multifamily properties: Most certified buildings. Los Angeles came in first in this category, as it did the previous three years, with 748, followed by Washington, D.C., with 555, Atlanta (376) and San Francisco (343). New York City, Denver, Riverside, Calif., Chicago, Dallas and Boston rounded out the top 10. Most total floor area. Los Angeles and Washington led in this ranking as well with 162.8 million square feet and 149.1 million square feet, respectively. New York and Chicago each exceeded 100 million square feet, with Atlanta and San Francisco close behind with 93.7 million square feet and 92.7 million square feet, respectively. Most greenhouse gas emissions prevented (measured by metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent). San Francisco was far ahead in this category, with 2,007,000 metric tons. Washington came in second with 517,200 metric tons, followed by Chicago, New York, Houston and Denver. Biggest cost savings. Los Angeles was the champion in this category, saving $226 million through ENERGY STAR-related initiatives. Washington was second with $180.7 million, with New York ($170.3 million) and San Francisco ($141.5 million) the other metros to achieve nine-digit savings. Mid-size and small cities. EPA also ranked smaller metros’ ENERGY STAR performance. In the mid-size category, Milwaukee was the leader in the total floor area, emissions prevented and cost savings categories, while Raleigh, N.C., was the building count leader. Among small cities, Punta Gorda, Fla., led in total floor space and cost savings, while Jackson, Mich., topped the building count and Sioux City, Iowa, set the pace for emissions prevention. “I applaud this year’s top cities, as well as the owners and managers of each ENERGY STAR-certified building in them, for taking real action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help America address the climate crisis,” EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan said in a news release. See the complete 2023 ENERGY STAR Top Cities report. Yardi recently received the 2023 ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year Sustained Excellence Award from the EPA and the U.S. Department of Energy after being named Partner of the Year for five consecutive years. Read the...

Effective Waste Management May04

Effective Waste Management

Like pest control, waste management is an unglamourous yet essential aspect of property management that, applied properly, can benefit owners of office properties, stores, hotels, restaurants and other commercial properties. In 2018, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, municipal solid waste in the country totaled 292.4 million tons, or 4.9 pounds per person per day. Of this total, about 69 million tons were recycled and 25 million tons were composted, a 32.1% recycling and composting rate. Effective waste management, including proper disposal and recycling, gives commercial property owners opportunities to create sustainable practices, improve health and safety, and reduce pollution. Understanding the amount and types of wastes generated on the premises can also help a property management company negotiate for favorable terms for waste and recycling services. Improving the organization’s sustainability can also boost a company’s image, attract quality tenants and positively engage employees. How can how facility managers, building owners, tenants and other stakeholders turn waste – which includes paper, packaging, food wrappers, cans, cardboard and paperboard, and sometimes leftovers from construction and demolition – into opportunities to improve sustainability, prevent greenhouse gas emissions and reduce costs? Here are some tips from experts including the EPA, solid waste and recycling services provider Waste Away Systems of Heath, Ohio, and Atlanta commercial waste disposal specialist Southern Waste and Recycling: Perform an assessment. Tracking the amount of recyclables and wastes hauled from your building gives important data for understanding how a waste management program is performing and identifying areas for improvement. Track your waste with ENERGY STAR® Portfolio Manager®, a free online tool for tracking waste, energy and water data for one building or an entire portfolio. EPA’s Waste Reduction Model (WARM) helps quantify waste management activities’ impact on greenhouse gas emissions. Create a team responsible for planning, designing and executing waste reduction activities. The team should set waste reduction and management goals and implement a tracking system for the company. A broad-based team is most likely to offer a variety of perspectives, create problem-solving techniques and identify more opportunities for improvement. Adopt a recycling program, the best option when waste can’t be prevented. Recycling saves energy and money, helps keep materials out of landfills and incinerators and provides raw materials for the production of new products. Look for ways to reduce the amount of waste generated in the first place by examining the purchase and use of materials like paper and metal. Prolong the useful life of products and packaging by repairing and reusing them when possible. This applies to appliances, furniture and building materials, among other things. Donate unneeded products or materials to organizations that can use them. Engage a waste analytics service that provides data about waste production patterns, and the type of waste that is disposed of. This can make waste disposal services much more efficient. Such a service can help modify waste disposal practices to reduce waste, reuse salvageable supplies and recycle valuable materials. All these tools can lower waste management costs and produce a positive environmental impact. Enhance your waste management program with prizes such as gift cards for teams that collect the most recyclables or come up with the best ideas. See how Yardi empowers real estate companies to meet energy and sustainability...

See you at Argentum 2023

The Argentum Senior Living Executive Conference is nearly here — an annual gathering of industry professionals, operators, owners, executives and community leaders! You can find our senior living team in attendance throughout the three-day event, stationed at booth 3100 and ready to share the latest innovations in the Yardi Senior Living Suite.    With this can’t-be-missed opportunity on the horizon, here are the details to know: About the Argentum Senior Living Executive Conference The Argentum Senior Living Executive Conference & Expo, the official meeting of Argentum, is a must-attend event for senior living professionals. It offers the chance to connect with the leaders of today, discuss the challenges facing the industry and help shape what the future looks like. According to Argentum, no matter your role, title or job responsibilities, you will discover relevant sessions and education tracks designed for you at this year’s conference. Event details for Argentum 2023 Ready to see exactly what this year’s event has in store? View the details on Argentum’s site. We’ll share the high-level details here: Dates: May 8-10, 2023 Location: New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana In addition to our booth presence (details below), we’re excited to contribute to Argentum 2023 by sponsoring the registration. Once again, you can find important details and instructions to register on Argentum’s official conference page. Visit Team Yardi We know everyone wants to make the most out of Argentum 2023, and that requires networking and building connections as much as possible. Luckily, you’ll have the chance to meet with us — and thousands of your peers — throughout the three days. By meeting with us, you get a closer look at our evolving technology solutions designed specifically for senior living. You can find us at booth 3100 — we’ll be ready to show you all around the Yardi Senior Living Suite! From business intelligence to electronic health records, our amazing solutions unite on a single platform to help providers build success. You can get something on the books in advance by scheduling time to meet us at the conference, or simply stop by whenever you’d like. We look forward to connecting!  See you in May! We hope to see you at the 2023 Argentum Senior Living Executive Conference. If you have any questions for us prior to the three-day event, or you want to schedule a meeting time, don’t hesitate to reach...

Watch Now!

Eager to spend less time on manual processes and more time serving senior living residents? In the words of Joanie Williams, principal and chief financial officer at Watercrest Senior Living, “You need a system like Yardi.” That quote comes from our brand-new testimonial video which you guessed it, features Joanie Williams speaking about Watercrest’s successes with the Yardi Senior Living Suite. It’s a quick, informative video — only two minutes — so watch now to see Watercrest’s successes for yourself.   How Watercrest Senior Living thrives with Yardi With communities across independent living, assisted living and memory care, Watercrest Senior Living puts its focus on enhancing resident lives. That’s achieved with help from the Yardi Senior Living Suite, which replaces time-consuming tasks with integrated, automated workflows that allow Watercrest’s staff to shift their time toward what matters most — residents.   “There’s huge value because everything talks to one another, everything’s integrated,” shares Joanie in her testimonial.   To tease the video further, Joanie explains how that integration made Yardi stand out when it came time to select a technology partner — describing the choice as a “no-brainer.” She shares that when staff aren’t tied to manually building reports or inputting data, thanks to a platform that readily updates and centralizes information in one secure place, they can spend more time helping residents. And at the end of the day, that’s what Watercrest is empowered to do. With hours gained back from using Yardi software, time is now devoted to “making a better experience for our residents, and our associates,” notes Joanie.   We could tease the video further, but hearing directly from Watercrest is most impactful. Watch the two-minute video for more insights from Joanie.   More on the Yardi Senior Living Suite...

Interoperability In Senior Living

Ready to succeed with an interoperable platform for senior living? Our newest infographic shares how you can optimize connections, streamline workflows and maximize resident safety with Yardi EHR, our interoperable electronic health record solution designed for senior living. With verified interface partners, Yardi EHR securely collects and transfers resident data around the clock. Defining interoperability Interoperability allows information systems to seamlessly exchange data with one another. In senior living, interoperable EHRs help operators: Access real-time health information Save time across teams Eliminate data-entry errors Support resident safety Enhance operations and care Connect the entire care team in and out of the community How do EHRs differ from EMRs? Familiar with EHRs, not EMRs? Or vice versa? Here’s the difference between the two: An EHR (electronic health record) such as Yardi EHR is a digital record of a resident’s chart — plus much more — stored in a dynamic online platform. EHRs connect all aspects of care by allowing multiple providers to access real-time resident data, submit updates and communicate from anywhere. An EMR (electronic medical record), on the other hand, is a digital record of a resident’s chart stored in a computer and accessible by a single provider. Interoperability in action Taking a look at exactly how things work with Yardi EHR, this full-service solution channels interoperability through verified interface partners. Not only does data automatically flow to and from Yardi EHR, support teams actively monitor to ensure the highest level of accuracy — equipping you to deliver the best care. Explore Yardi EHR interface partners You can connect Yardi EHR to all outside providers, HIEs and health systems via Kno2, a health information platform that offers access to unlimited cloud faxing, direct secure messaging and referral networks. Depending on your license, additional features available may include Kno2-to-Kno2 messaging, online identify verification, Kno2 and national provider directories, message handling, unstructured document QC tools, configuration/interoperability settings, third-party and esign connector capabilities, third-party proprietary referral network connections, HIE connector (submission only, or submission & query), Kno2 Conversations, query initiator/respond and 360X. Onto the next interface partner: You can instantly transfer EMR data — captured from supported equipment — to Yardi EHR through DS smart, a simplified connectivity solution built to capture, protect and connect resident information. Learn more about what’s possible with DS smart. Note that Yardi EHR supports a wide variety of additional health interfaces including a nurse call system, dietary management platform, infection control solution and more. Learn more about Yardi EHR We encourage you to learn more by exploring all Yardi EHR interface partners. Want a more detailed tour of Yardi EHR? Head to the infographic and select “get in touch” to schedule a personalized...

Exceptional Events Apr24

Exceptional Events

Event and conference season is charged with fresh energy for 2023. With so many conferences to attend and/or host, decisions must be made on which are the most important. Whether attending several or just one, the same rules apply to all. Here are some do’s and don’ts to remember at your next conference. DO: Take many notes. Come prepared with a pen and a journal or smart tablet. Be ready to write anything that you think is important. Repeated information is essential, so write it down. Explore the floor. Many conferences have an exhibition hall with vendors showcasing products or services. Explore the opportunities for products or services you didn’t know existed and won’t know until you see a live demonstration. Network. Conferences are an excellent networking opportunity. Sit with new people when you can. Attend different sessions when possible. It’s best not to repeat the same things if you want the most out of any conference, and yes, that includes hanging out with the same people you see every day. This is your chance to learn from other professionals in your field and gain fresh perspectives. Also, ensure you have plenty of business cards. It leaves a good impression and conveys that you are open to communication once the conference ends. Capture memories. A great way to remember conferences is to take pictures. Pictures are a great way to show appreciation to the conference group by tagging quality photos on social media. However, when attending conferences, pictures can be a tricky task to accomplish. Keep in mind the position of the camera when taking pictures. Keep the camera vertically if you want to post to social media, particularly on live stories. If you are taking a group picture, keep the camera horizontal. You...

Sustainability for All Apr21

Sustainability for All

Green is always good. Every action taken throughout the day has an impact on the planet. Here are some simple tips to be sustainable in everyday life, which are tremendous ways to become more eco-friendly. Eat more greens. Everyone wants healthy longevity, and eating more plants is how to get there. Going vegan overnight is impossible, but gradually incorporating at least two or three days of meatless meals can make a difference. Half of the world’s habitual land is used for agriculture, which only gives the world 18% of global calories. It releases most land use, cattle methane emissions, manure management, and fertilizer use. Reduce your carbon footprint by eating more plant-based foods like tofu, beans, nuts, and foods with the lowest environmental impact, like whole grains, olive oil, fruits, and vegetables. You can now find more sustainable wine and beer using organic farming and zero-waste commitments. Sustainable foods are local, seasonal foods grown without hazardous pesticides and chemicals and support the local economy, which offers jobs and builds stronger communities. Save water. Agriculture also requires much freshwater, which can cause significant environmental pressures in regions with water restrictions. Saving water is another effective way to reduce electricity use, greenhouse gas emissions, and other energy-intensive operations. For example, try at home to only run the dishwasher with a full load and the same with full loads of clothes in the washer. Reuse water by keeping some buckets outside to catch rainwater and use them to water plants in the coming days. Cold showers use less energy, and thanks to Wim Hof Method, so has cold therapy, which gives the body immense health benefits. Recycle. Depending on where you live, recycling options will vary and programs may be more comprehensive in some states or cities than elsewhere. Try to separate trash and follow the local recycling guidelines. Reuse items as often as possible before throwing them out. Sustainable reusables. 50% of all plastic produced is for single-use purposes. As a result, 10 million tons of plastic are dumped in oceans annually. Using so much single-use plastic is entirely unnecessary when there are many sustainable alternatives. Reduce trash by being more conscious of consumption and waste patterns. For example, consider getting reusable water bottles instead of multiple plastic bottles, reusable utensils, and containers. Always remember to bring your reusable tote bags for groceries. Since the spring holiday, Easter, is coming up, skip the plastic grass for the baskets and opt for some Spanish moss or other biodegradable grass or crinkled paper. Plastic grass lasts forever in the environment, not to mention it’s dangerous for pets that might get ahold of a basket. Eco-friendly cleaning. Let’s face it, home cleaning product chemicals are terrible for the environment and your body. By choosing eco-friendly cleaning products, you will reduce the amount of plastic packaging used and the number of chemicals that flow into the oceans. Vinegar is a pantry cleaning staple known to cut grease and dissolve hard water stains. If the smell is too much for some, add some essential oils, such as lavender, pine, or lemon balm. Pine and lemon oils are great alternatives for floor cleaners which is how Pine Sol was created in the early 1900s. Baking soda is an eco-friendly product with many benefits. Sprinkle it directly on hard surfaces that need extra stain removal.  Baking soda can also absorb odors. Use it in the refrigerator, freshen mattresses, pet beds, and shoes, and it can even be added to the wash and rinse cycle to deodorize clothing. Vinegar and baking soda, together, will go a long way when cleaning bathroom tubs, sinks, kitchen appliances, and faucets. Laundry soaps are terrible for the oceans. Tide now has an eco-friendly laundry detergent that contains 75% plant-based ingredients. In addition, the formula is free of dyes, chlorine, and optical brighteners and is produced at a zero-waste-to-landfill manufacturing site using 100% renewable...

Observe Earth Day Apr19

Observe Earth Day

The first Earth Day took place in 1970 when 20 million Americans united to demand greater protections for our planet. Today, Earth Day is recognized across the globe with one billion individuals supporting the mission to maintain and protect our planet’s natural resources. With increased attention on ESG initiatives, this Earth Day is a great time to make a commitment to decrease your organization’s energy use. You can start by reviewing the checklists provided by ENERGY STAR® for low-cost and rapid payback energy-saving measures. Suggestions range from operations and maintenance to occupant behavior and education. And Yardi Pulse has solutions and services to support you along the way: Want to better understand your utility invoices and ensure payments are on time to reduce if not eliminate late fees? Utility Invoice Processing outsources review and payment to Yardi staff familiar with the complexities of these documents.  Ready to save 2-5% on your energy costs? Meter Insights collects and analyzes real-time energy data to identify issues before they show up as anomalies on your invoice. Interested in proactive and predictive maintenance to get a jump on costly equipment repairs? Fault Detection automatically syncs with Yardi Facility Manager to identify faults early so you can replace individual parts, rather than entire pieces of equipment. Need to benchmark or certify your buildings? Yardi is an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Sustained Excellence award winner and a GRESB Global Partner. Our Energy Benchmarking teams work closely with these organizations to ensure our energy team can streamline these intricate processes on your behalf. Hoping to find energy at a lower cost? If your buildings operate in a deregulated market, our Energy Procurement team can leverage their expertise to conduct market research, negotiate pricing and review legal contracts. Looking to...

Capturing Care Revenue...

How are today’s senior living operators building success and boosting their bottom line? In a recent article, Senior Housing News (SHN) highlights how some operators are getting creative to reach their goals — specifically, using technology to accurately capture care revenue. The article is packed with valuable insights, including those from our own senior director of sales, Richard Nix. Read the summary below then head to SHN to read the full post (requires SHN+ membership). Using technology to properly capture care revenue In today’s landscape, senior living organizations are facing margin compression and an ongoing staffing shortage. That means leaders are tasked with finding innovative ways to meet challenges head-on, with the goal of retaining care staff, boosting resident satisfaction and ultimately, growing their occupancy and increasing revenue. While operators have taken different approaches, one that has been particularly successful is learning to properly capture care revenue — and using technology to do so. Operators featured in the article explain their missteps prior to implementing the right tech solution, such as charging inaccurate rates. As these leaders have now discovered, integrated solutions like Yardi EHR have the power to eliminate those missteps entirely. How Yardi helps operators drive success To illustrate just how helpful technology can be in capturing care revenue, Richard Nix — our senior director of sales in senior living — joined SHN for an interview. His conversations are included in the SHN article, but we’ll summarize the key talking points. Nix shares that integration with an operator’s EHR platform helps reduce gaps in resident assessments, which improves their ability to get a holistic picture of a community’s resident care service lines — and identify where care billing could improve. “One of the biggest challenges to driving care revenue right now is...

Burning Question Apr14

Burning Question

Some potential dangers are close at hand: pandemics, extreme weather, volcanoes and computer viruses, among others. Another one is 93 million miles away: the sun. The life-enabling nuclear fusion ball that Walt Whitman marveled as “O so amazing and broad—up there resplendent, darting and burning!” also holds the power to cause chaos for humanity and its various forms of commerce. The danger comes in the form of solar storms. One such event occurs when the sun releases a blast of plasma called a coronal mass ejection (CME) that arrives at Earth a few days later. Another ejection, known as a solar flare, comprises a burst of radiation traveling at the speed of light. When one of these phenomena hits Earth’s magnetic field and atmosphere, it creates a geomagnetic storm that can cause satellites, transformers, relays, sensors and other equipment vital to power grids, navigation, internet service, defense systems, financial transactions, communications and any number of other operations to fail. A large-scale CME or flare, Forbes reported last year, “would knock out power plants, transmission lines, and substations for entire regions or cities. Huge swaths of the world’s population could be without power for weeks at a time, leading to health crises, food shortages, and devastating economic effects.” Anyone tempted to dismiss such a scenario as science fiction should consider the Carrington Event of 1859, the largest solar storm ever recorded. This CME caused telegraph systems around the world to fail catastrophically. Scientists have found evidence of even larger event in A.D. 774, called the Miyake Event. A geomagnetic storm one-third the size of the Carrington Event hit Quebec, Canada, in 1989, causing the electric grid to collapse and putting 5 million people out of power for nine hours. Twelve years later, scientists detected a...

Earth Day Options Apr12

Earth Day Options

Let’s go green! Earth Day is April 22. Earth Day is celebrated with over a billion people worldwide, promoting a clean, green environment. Companies that have developed robust Environmental Social Governance (ESG) standards are seeing better profitability, stronger financial performance, and happier employees. Yardi was recently awarded the ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year for Sustained Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy for the fifth year. Earth Day is important to us at our offices worldwide, as it is for our clients and their communities. No time is more vital than the present to act and invest in our planet. Here are some ideas to mark Earth Day at your properties and be good guardians of the environment. Host a “lights out” event for your community. Host a happy hour in the clubroom for an hour and encourage residents to turn off their electronics inside their units. Have organic paper-made utensils and plates. Serve up some organic cupcakes, green juices, and organic coffee. Clean-up event at a local park. Host a trash pick-up day if you are close to a park or recreation center. Residents can come out and help clean up the park free of cans, plastics, or any other trash that is on site. Be sure to provide supplies residents need, such as trash bags and gloves. Then, take it a step further and plant a tree with residents. Plant a tree or some flowers around the property. Native plants are the best option for local bees to pollinate. Plants serve as mood boosters and increase productivity and creativity. Your green efforts will give you leverage over the competition to retain or attract new residents. Explore the outdoors. This saves on indoor gym...

Fair Housing Month Apr11

Fair Housing Month

April is Fair Housing Month! 2023 marks the 55th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, a federal law that protects people from discrimination when renting or buying a home, along with other housing-related activities. Just in time for Fair Housing Month, Yardi Aspire courses have been refreshed with an all-new illustrated design and an interactive narrative style that keeps learners engaged. In Aspire, returning learners will notice a new cast of characters and new scenario-based challenges that shine a spotlight on real-world violation risks by property type (market rate versus affordable) and role (property manager, leasing, marketing and maintenance). Fair Housing Month reminds industry professionals that diversity and inclusion are important in our communities, as are the laws that uphold these principles in housing and housing-related services. It is recommended that companies invest in proactive employee training to ensure compliance, prevent costly fines and avoid punitive damages and legal fees related to violations. While fair housing training is not mandated by the federal government, it is best practice for employers to require all employees in public and resident-facing roles to complete a comprehensive learning plan of two to five hours within the first 30 days of employment — and recertify on a shorter version of the training annually thereafter. With a comprehensive catalog of customizable micro-training modules, clients can remove pages and insert company-specific policies, anecdotes and key messages to achieve greater impact. Aspire courses are routinely updated by certified federal fair housing experts. Aspire gives learners the chance to prepare for situations before they arise. Real-world practice challenges provide a supportive environment for employees to explore appropriate responses to reasonable accommodation requests and fair housing complaints. Enhance supervisor and administrator awareness with a connected system that ensures training compliance. Aspire delivers deep data...

Art of the Covenant  Apr10

Art of the Covenant 

Covenants – agreements between a debtor (borrower) and creditor, or lender, are a staple of commercial real estate loans. Designed to reduce risk for lenders, loan covenants commit the borrower to execute certain behaviors, such as making principal and interest payments when due, and avoid others, such as selling the assets that underpin the loan without first repaying it in full.  Certain economic conditions – falling portfolio values, high operational expenses, rising vacancy rates – increase the risk of violating, or breaching, a loan covenant, by being late on payments or reporting or by failing to meet financial benchmarks.  One example of a covenant breach is a CFO missing a debt service ratio, which measures the cash flow available to pay current debt obligations. That could result in the lender calling the loan, forcing the company to obtain financing to repay the called loan.  Avoiding such a scenario requires transparency in lender requirements, deep understanding of the factors that influence debt such as forecasts and rents. “Covenant tracking is a big trend now. On the borrower side, the emphasis is on transparency and getting insight into debt portfolios,” observes Chris Barbier, senior manager of investment management for Yardi.  How can borrowers minimize risk and maximize efficiency in managing their loan covenants? One of the most reliable ways involves using one technology platform rather than multiple systems for loan, asset management and investment activities.  “If you’ve got an operating property – which is usually the collateral for the loan in a system – and then you’ve got loans being tracked somewhere else, the two processes are not aligned. A tightly integrated solution allows for better transparency and risk management,” Barbier says.  A single technology system that centralizes all loan information and automates processes helps borrowers by:  Ensuring deliverables are sent to lenders.  Monitoring the compliance status of key covenants.  Tracking and accounting for different types of loans  Tracking changes in loan terms over time and their impact on the amortization schedule.  Providing full visibility into asset operational performance such as loss of income and deterioration in asset values, making it easier to anticipate and deal with potential problems.  Reducing manual errors by eliminating spreadsheets.  Providing full visibility and an audit trail into payment history.  Most importantly, such a system “provides a single source of truth. That means transparency from the investment to how the loan and underlying collateral are performing,” Barbier says.  Learn how Yardi Debt Manager enables tracking and accounting for a loan portfolio and provides visibility into debt obligations with the underlying operating...