January 8, 2026 —I’m pleased to share an update on system-wide technology efforts as we begin a new year—reflecting on the progress made in 2025 and looking ahead to the important work before us in 2026.
Securing and modernizing our infrastructure is a significant undertaking. In late 2025, IT teams across the System focused on preparing each Affiliate’s environment for the migration from traditional file servers to Microsoft SharePoint. This included designing new storage structures and configuring updated security tools that govern access between users and System data.
Over the past several months, I’ve spent time onsite with Affiliates training teams on the new tools and leading discussions about how they can strengthen their digital collaboration practices and securely share information. This month, we begin moving data for Kendal at Home, Enso Village, and TKC. The first half of 2026 will focus on completing these migrations and assisting users in adjusting to the SharePoint environment.
The second phase of the project will focus on creating tailored user interface designs for each Affiliate, providing them with a secure and streamlined digital space for file collaboration and daily workflows.
In November, we finalized our agreement with PointClickCare (PCC), which will replace MatrixCare as the core Information Systems platform for resident data, communication, and clinical history. Moving to PCC is a major step in our modernization journey. It will strengthen the protection of personal health and identity information, provide a more intuitive experience for staff, enhance stability, and deliver high-quality data that our Data Scientist, Sean Spencer, can use to create new insights for health services teams across the System.
The PCC project has now launched, with a planned go-live at Kendal at Ithaca in April 2026.
Sean has also completed a robotic process automation (RPA) solution for Enso Village’s sales team to enhance the waitlist workflow. We are awaiting final approval from California state regulators before release. He is now working on CEO dashboards—also available to CFOs and HR Directors—that integrate financial, HR, and health data. Prototype dashboards will be shared at the Winter 2026 Leadership Forum.
We also welcomed Cynthia Stephens to the IS team this fall. Cynthia is a PMP-certified, Six Sigma Black Belt project manager with decades of experience in the financial sector. She will focus initially on supporting the PCC project, enabling Jason Eldridge to continue driving senior living technology innovation. Her expertise is a welcome addition to our technology bench.
In November, TKC also completed the upgrade of our Cisco Unified Call Manager phone system. CTO Kurt Rahner worked with our vendor, NRI, to implement new servers and restore voicemail-to-email functionality. Although the long-term plan is to transition the System to Zoom in 2026–2027, stabilizing the current platform ensures reliable communication during the transition.
Among the many accomplishments this year, I am especially proud of the way the System responded to a serious cybersecurity threat discovered “in the wild”—meaning it was spreading rapidly and capable of compromising most infrastructures. This vulnerability was the first of its kind able to target data stored in private Microsoft 365 clouds.
It is not unusual for an IT team to detect a threat before security vendors update their tools. In this case, TKC identified the issue before Arctic Wolf released details. While our new security tools helped reduce the risk, the real success came from the collective diligence across the System—every Affiliate exercised exceptional care, and not a single harmful link was clicked. That teamwork protected the System.
Finally, the System approved the creation of The Kendal System Service Desk, which introduces a new structure for the technology organization:
- Information Technology (IT) – Network security and performance, data center operations, storage, and telephony.
- Information Systems (IS) – Core data platforms (UKG, PointClickCare, Salesforce), business intelligence, and project management.
- The Kendal System Service Desk – A new ticketing platform and operations center that will transform how we manage technology requests, provide escalated support to Affiliate IT teams, and monitor systems daily.
This reorganization includes new resources, beginning with the addition of a Director of Network Security. I’m pleased to announce that Marc Ackerman—a longtime Kendal IT professional who expanded his expertise at a national MSP—will return to the System on January 22. Marc brings advanced skills in this critical area and will be an invaluable partner in strengthening our security posture.