At the March 2025 NIC Spring Conference in San Diego, an insightful conversation unfolded on the NIC Chats Podcast on the Road featuring Jennifer Adams from Smartlinx and Lisa McCracken, Head of Research and Analytics at NIC. The session dove deep into one of the most pressing issues facing the post-acute and long-term care industry today: workforce management.
A Perfect Storm: Labor Shortages, Rising Costs, and Burnout
The staffing crisis isn’t new, but it has intensified post-pandemic and three major issues continue to plague the industry:
- A Shrinking Workforce: The demand for caregivers is skyrocketing, but the number of available professionals isn’t keeping pace. By 2030, the U.S. will need millions more nurses and CNAs.
- Rising Labor Costs and Regulations: With increasing wages and compliance pressures, facilities are struggling to keep expenses in check.
- Turnover and Burnout: CNA turnover rates are averaging a staggering 78%. This constant cycle of hiring and training isn’t just operationally exhausting—it’s expensive.
Scheduling: The Hidden Culprit
One of the most overlooked contributors to these challenges? Outdated scheduling systems.
“Scheduling is often treated as an operational task when it should be a strategic function,” Adams emphasized. Without real-time data and integration between scheduling and time and attendance, staff are stuck making decisions in the dark—scrambling with spreadsheets and playing phone tag to cover shifts.
The Smartlinx Solution: Integration = Transformation
Smartlinx is not your average workforce platform. Purpose-built for the post-acute industry, it integrates scheduling and time & attendance into one seamless platform. This enables:
- Proactive Staffing: Get real-time visibility into available staff, overtime risks, and shift coverage.
- Reduced Labor Costs: Facilities often save up to 27% in overtime and 56% in agency usage.
- Enhanced Compliance: Real-time PBJ and PPD tracking helps facilities avoid penalties and protect their star ratings.
- Better Staff Satisfaction: With intuitive tools and reduced administrative burden, staff burnout drops and morale rises.
Health Assessments: Exposing the Hidden Costs
SmartLinx offers a free health assessment to help organizations identify the silent budget killers—excess overtime, reliance on agencies, scheduling inefficiencies, and compliance penalties. For example, just one CNA working weekly overtime can cost a facility $11,000 annually. Multiply that by an entire team, and the losses become significant.
What’s Next? AI and Deeper Insights
Looking ahead, SmartLinx is diving into AI to reimagine the user experience, deliver more advanced analytics, and enhance interoperability. By staying in close contact with their Customer Advisory Board, SmartLinx is evolving alongside the very facilities it serves.
The Bottom Line
In an industry where every staffing decision affects resident care, compliance, and financial health, doing nothing comes at a steep cost. As Jennifer summed it up, “The question isn’t whether you can afford to invest in automating workforce management. It’s whether you can afford not to.”
Ready to take the first step?
Schedule a free health assessment with us and start uncovering the hidden costs in your workforce operations.
