More than 1500 industry leaders gathered in San Diego last week for the 2020 NIC Spring Conference. Under calm blue skies, attendees engaged in three days of active networking, deal making, thought-leadership, and discussion of critical trends. A focus on disruption and new partnerships in senior care augmented the annual event’s established focus on real estate debt, equity capital flow, valuations, market trends, and investments.
Educational Program
Building on the conference theme of Investing in Seniors Housing and Healthcare Collaboration, speakers and sessions highlighted the increasing role of healthcare in the seniors housing value proposition.
The first of two general sessions, “Join the Disruption: Convergence of Healthcare and Seniors Housing,” provided real-world examples of healthcare and seniors housing disrupting current models in an increasingly value-based world. The presentation focused on the opportunities that now exist to break down old silos, adapt, and partner to improve outcomes. NIC’s Bob Kramer noted that “In the future, a system focused on prevention and wellness will keep people out of hospital and acute care settings. We are moving from a curative model to a preventative model.”
Growth strategist Andy Waldeck presented a thought-provoking luncheon keynote titled, “Positioning for the Long Term: The Opportunity for Integrating Senior Care.” Waldeck argued that the unsustainable cost of the U.S. healthcare system has left it ripe for disruption, and that the seniors housing and care industry has an opportunity to reframe its role in the healthcare continuum, saying, “We are in the early innings of the industry transitioning to a new vision.”
With educational programming organized along three tracks − Real Estate Strategies, Healthcare Strategies in Real Estate, and Senior Care Collaboration − attendees could easily find sessions aligned with their interests.
Real Estate Strategies
Sessions in the Real Estate Strategies track offered insights on deal structuring and what to look for in a partner, managing margin compression across property types, rising costs of labor, cap rate drivers, capital flow into the sector and more − with all discussions run by leading operators, debt providers, and investors in the field.
Healthcare Strategies in Real Estate
In the Healthcare Strategies in Real Estate track, attendees heard how PDPM is working five months in, learned about care integration models, explored real-world vertical integration strategies, and were updated on key drivers for valuation. One session featured newly released data by ATI Advisory indicating that integrating healthcare services, such as primary care and nurse practitioners, into seniors housing can reduce costly ER visits and hospital stays by as much as 50%.
Senior Care Collaboration
Kicking off the conference, a panel of experts weighed in on the unsustainable cost of healthcare and trends impacting the senior living industry. Sessions offered thought-provoking evidence of the looming changes in the way healthcare is accessed and delivered. Attendees walked away understanding that changes in healthcare delivery, from telehealth to new models of risk sharing and new partnerships with healthcare providers are likely to have a lasting impact on their industry.
Other News
During the conference, NIC announced the certification of its fourth Actual Rates Software Partner. Clients of Medtelligent, the maker of ALIS software for assisted living, memory care, and behavioral health communities, can now use the software for automated, efficient participation in NIC’s powerful Actual Rates Initiative.
Stay Tuned
2020 NIC Spring Conference highlights will be available on nic.org in the coming weeks. In addition, video and audio recordings for most of the sessions will be made available to conference attendees.
Join us for the 2020 NIC Fall Conference, October 7-9 in Washington, DC.