As senior dwelling operators proceed to develop by taking over distressed properties, demand is rising for operational excellence groups.
Lately known as “SWAT” groups, operators assemble these teams to cowl a wide range of roles inside group management or gross sales and advertising as wanted.
Some turnaround-focused operators, akin to Dallas, Texas-based 12 Oaks Senior Dwelling, have had such a workforce in place for years. The corporate in 2016 created a particular eight-employee group meant to seek out options in troubled communities. 12 Oaks is rising its options workforce because it expands its footprint to new communities, based on President Greg Puklicz.
“We don’t have siloed duties on the dwelling workplace. We don’t have regional gross sales administrators. We don’t have regional compliance administrators. Our regional vice presidents solely have 5 or so communities,” Puklicz stated. “We wish to make certain they’ve acceptable sources from the house workplace to assist fill in gaps the place there’s want.”
Dallas-based Sonida Senior Dwelling, splits its ops groups into varied specializations. Some members of the workforce assist onboard new communities and produce them in control on the corporate’s requirements, whereas others assist improve occupancy, deal with regulatory considerations or repair medical points, based on CEO Brandon Ribar.
In the meantime, Capri Communities’ small workforce consists of people who’re keenly conscious of the corporate’s tradition and processes, permitting them to give attention to introducing techniques and expectations to newly opened communities. The workforce’s efforts have led to growing occupancy throughout its whole portfolio, and has allowed the corporate to work alongside the State of Wisconsin to avoid wasting a number of communities from shuttering.
Inside 12 Oaks’ strategic deployment workforce
12 Oaks’ options workforce consists of former government administrators or regional vice presidents who can lead a group within the occasion of a employees emptiness. 12 Oaks has grown this yr, and it’s increasing the workforce by hiring a minimum of two extra staffers for it within the coming month.
12 Oaks deploys its options workforce to communities for various lengths of time relying on a group’s want. Staffers spend a mean between 4 to 6 weeks main communities when management is vacant, based on Puklicz. Turning round a group’s advertising technique can take between eight to 12 weeks.
“We use them fairly a bit in deploying them from group to group as wanted,” he stated. “That means, we don’t must make everlasting hires and swell the payroll of a group. We are able to form of strategically deploy these sources.”
The corporate’s options workforce goals to enhance a group’s efficiency primarily based on what they want most. Every time a workforce member is shipped out, they intention for particular benchmarks akin to growing occupancy needle by 5 proportion factors.
Upon arriving in a group, workforce members instantly “roll up their sleeves and are doing the work,” relying on the position they’re serving to with. Other than the particular objectives they’re initially tasked with, Puklicz stated the workforce’s success is measured by the set up of recent programming, akin to 12 Oaks’ “Symphony of Life” reminiscence care program in a brand new group, or by improved resident and household engagement.
Whereas in a group, options workforce members additionally assist practice everlasting employees working there to allow them to decide up the place the workforce leaves off.
“In the event that they’re in a position to work shoulder-to-shoulder with any individual for an prolonged time frame, then that coaching actually takes maintain and it turns into second nature,” Puklicz stated.
As soon as the options workforce members hit their marks, 12 Oaks calls them again to the house workplace earlier than redeploying them to a different one of many firm’s 37 communities. After a workforce has left a group, 12 Oaks holds quarterly impression periods to make sure the full-time workers there aren’t falling to “church camp syndrome” and forgetting all that they only discovered.
The workforce is proving efficient thus far for the corporate, with a mean 90% occupancy fee throughout the 12 Oaks portfolio. The corporate additionally notched as many move-ins inside the first 5 months of 2025 because it did in all of 2024, which Puklicz attributed to sturdy demand and devoted advertising.
“I feel this helps to proceed to outline us as the perfect in school regional operator in Texas,” Puklicz stated. “Our possession teams are very happy with our working outcomes and the way we’ve been in a position to push occupancy, obtain margin and advertising metrics above trade requirements.”
Sonida’s SWAT workforce method
Sonida has grown its operational SWAT workforce over the previous yr to a complete of 16 members consisting of former government administrators, medical administrators, gross sales administrators and program builders. However not all of them take a reactive SWAT method to operations, based on Ribar. Some focus particularly on new communities introduced into the corporate’s portfolio and fixing regulatory points or addressing low occupancy with gross sales drives.
Fairly than assigning groups duties primarily based on divisions or areas, Sonida deploys them throughout its 96-community portfolio to keep away from a “fiefdom” method by not sharing sources. Heading up Sonida’s SWAT workforce efforts is Sonida Chief Medical Officer Tabitha Obenour.
“Having Tabitha actually operating the present on that entrance and dealing along with her two companions on the ops aspect has been actually helpful for us, particularly as now we have the mixture of recent communities which can be approaching board in scale, after which communities in our current portfolio that want some assist,” Ribar stated.
Not solely should workforce members present prospects the “Sonida means,” additionally they should be charismatic sufficient to win over new prospects.
Sonida has centered its SWAT workforce efforts on acquired communities over the previous yr. The corporate sends out workforce members primarily based on a specific group’s want, whether or not that’s kickstarting occupancy or educating company practices. In a single occasion, the workforce was dispatched to a newly acquired group in Minnesota to basically rebuild its staffing mannequin and revamp gross sales.
Sonida additionally deploys its SWAT workforce to assist open new communities, akin to a newly constructed however so-far unopened group set to open in Cincinnati, Ohio. Sonida deployed 4 members of its workforce to work in the neighborhood on a constant foundation and put together for its opening, with two working by the startup course of whereas different material specialists are concerned within the remaining elements akin to design, advertising and eating experiences.
The workforce additionally trains newly onboarded workers to Sonida’s requirements over the span of 60 days. The coaching helps employees to be taught the processes and techniques whereas nonetheless operating the day-to-day operations, Obeneour stated. Whereas workforce members are usually on website for 2 to 4 weeks for brand spanking new acquisitions, they preserve some type of presence for the primary 90 days after opening.
Obenour stated after hitting their operational objectives, the SWAT workforce checks in on the communities to ensure they’re staying the course.
“That’s the place constructing that relationship within the entrance finish is so necessary, the place they do have that confidence and it’s so steady that they really feel good to achieve out to the operational excellence workforce ongoing to ask for steerage,” she stated.
Sonida additionally culls its SWAT workforce for future leaders, based on Ribar.
“We count on that these of us are going to be future or are already senior leaders within the firm,” he stated. “We wish of us on that SWAT workforce to have the ability to elevate into even broader and extra impactful roles down the highway. So growth is the way you create an amazing setting the place folks can advance.”
Capri Communities focuses on sustainability
Waukesha, Wisconsin-based Capri Communities’ operational SWAT workforce at the moment consists of 4 folks, two of whom are centered on gross sales and advertising whereas the opposite two are devoted to operations. The operator usually deploys them to newly opened communities, when there’s a administration emptiness or when occupancy in a group begins to dip, based on Capri President and CFO Kristin Ferge.
The operator selects SWAT workforce members from present employees who’ve “come up by the group” and are accustomed to the company tradition, insurance policies and procedures, akin to government administrators or regional administrators.
The corporate’s SWAT workforce works with communities primarily based on their total want. As an example, the workforce could keep for 3 to 4 months within the occasion of a brand new group or management emptiness. Advertising turnarounds take a couple of month. Utilizing that method, Capri has grown its senior dwelling portfolio common occupancy fee to round 90%.
Whether or not a group can meet the requirements of Capri hinges on worker coaching, Ferge stated. As soon as the workforce achieves the benchmarks and completes the development plan it units out upon arriving at a group, they usually keep inside the group for an prolonged interval to help it.
“The purpose is to get the property again to price range,” Ferge stated. “If we’re not going to get again to price range … We do plenty of forecasting and re-forecasting and work with the finance workforce to give you what is sensible for brand spanking new monetary targets.”
Capri has deployed the workforce to show round communities on the verge of dropping their state licenses. For instance, Capri tasked its turnaround workforce with enhancing efficiency at a group with lower than 10% occupancy in Appleton, Wisconsin.
To attain this, Capri repositioned the group underneath its model, and the SWAT workforce related with skilled referrals, healthcare suppliers and improved advertising to convey folks to the property. At the moment, the group is full with a complete of 101 residents.
“Clearly, it’s a workforce effort throughout the entire firm. However they’re those executing on the technique and the sport plan,” Ferge stated. “It’s useful to have folks which can be simply devoted to assist change course. Having the ability to insert individuals who perceive your tradition and your techniques and might hit the bottom operating is simply actually invaluable.”
