How Benchmark Senior Living is getting more from Netsmart myUnity® with Otto

About Benchmark Senior Living

Benchmark Senior Living operates a broad network of communities across the Northeast, offering independent living, assisted living and memory care, along with a couple of continuing care retirement communities that also have short-term rehabilitation or long-term care. With a growing footprint and a wide range of services, consistency and efficiency are essential to supporting both residents and staff.

Erin Jordan plays a key role in making that happen. As part of the clinical informatics team, she helps manage and optimize her organization’s processes. She works behind the scenes to keep systems running smoothly so teams can manage care.

More than a support tool

Otto has quickly become a go-to resource for Erin and her team.

The virtual support assistant is designed to help with administrative and system support tasks. It provides prompt, step-by-step guidance, helps validate issues and can even initiate support cases.

Instant answers that keep work moving

Erin uses Otto when questions come up, whether she is troubleshooting an issue, exploring a new idea or supporting a colleague.

She said seeing what the system has to offer and the speed of the answers are among the biggest benefits of using Otto.

“If it takes me a while to get an answer, I’ve already moved on because I’m pulled in different directions,” she said. “I’ll literally sit in a meeting, and I’ll ask it right there. It’s nice to have that accessibility right there to know right away.”

That immediacy has changed workflows. Erin can validate issues on the spot and determine if a case is necessary or already in place. Instead of pausing progress, she keeps conversations moving forward with answers in hand.

Unlocking more from Netsmart myUnity®

One of the most meaningful impacts has been Otto’s ability to surface functionality that might otherwise go unused.

While exploring ways to improve workflows, Erin asked Otto whether it was possible to connect functional assessments directly to care plans. The response included step-by-step guidance that showed exactly how to configure it.

“I asked Otto, and Otto gave me step by step how to link each question to a care plan problem,” she said.

This discovery is shaping how Benchmark approaches care planning. By automatically pulling problems, goals and interventions into the care plan, teams can start with a strong foundation and then personalize as needed.

“I think that will be a huge turning point for our end users,” Erin said.

This kind of insight highlights Otto’s role as more than a support tool. It acts as a knowledge accelerator, helping teams uncover new ways to use the system and get more value from their investment.

Saving time across teams

Otto’s impact goes beyond informatics and into day-to-day workflows for end users.

It helps teams work more efficiently by simplifying support interactions and reducing manual steps.

Erin can quickly identify whether an issue is user-related, a known system issue or something that requires escalation. If a case is needed, Otto can initiate it directly using the context from the conversation.

“I can have him submit the ticket basically for me, because all the information is already in the conversation,” she said.

At the same time, new workflows like automated care plan population are expected to reduce the burden on frontline staff, giving them more time to focus on residents instead of documentation.

A faster, easier way to work

For Erin and Benchmark, Otto brings together speed, accessibility and deeper system understanding in a way that supports both productivity and care delivery.

“Ease, accessibility, just being able to have something at my fingertips that produces an answer right away,” Erin said. “It just makes everything a lot easier.”

By delivering near real-time support and unlocking new possibilities within myUnity, Benchmark uses Otto to support faster and smarter workflows and make the most of every interaction.