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Ari Shabat: Well, we just heard a little bit of that from Joel Theisen, founder and CEO from Lifespark, in the previous session. His concept of “choppy interactions” and the effort to build a sensible workflow really ties into admissions — because that’s where value-based care either begins or breaks.
Many facilities still treat admissions as clerical, rather than a strategic, clinical starting point. Incomplete or surface-level intake means clinical teams don’t get the full picture of resident health status, social risk factors, or behavioral needs — undermining care planning from Day 1. Admissions set the foundation for accurate risk adjustment and quality scoring, which directly impacts Five-Star rating and Quality Reporting Program performance.
When I first started in this industry, I learned quickly that if an admission goes poorly, you’re in big trouble — because that’s where the snowball starts. That’s still true today. Joel also said this is where expectations are set. Patients walk in with no clue what’s going on. Families often have never been through this before. Admissions is our moment to check in, set expectations, and help them understand what they’re about to experience.