In a bid to boost employee pay and benefits, hire infection preventionists and invest more in doctors, technology and equipment, SavaSeniorCare on Tuesday announced it will be acting to get out of 48 skilled nursing and assisted living facilities it currently operates. 

SavaSeniorCare CEO Jerry Roles said the moves are necessary due to prepare it for the “post-pandemic world” and allow it to “continue our focus on our people, the residents who we are privileged to serve and our dedicated staff.” He added that the “current state of the world brought on by the pandemic has caused us to closely examine our strategy, where we invest our resources and can achieve the greatest impact.” 

The transfers are expected to be completed by the end of 2021. The facilities are located in eight different states: California, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and Wyoming. Sava added it plans to work with the affected landlords of the 48 facilities to find successor operators. The company currently has more than 160 long-term care facilities. 

Through the offloading, Sava plans to create a more “nimble, regional organization committed to quality care” by shrinking its geographic footprint and developing two divisions that will allow it to cluster facilities around geographic centers. 

“The company will in turn make investments in remaining centers in three main areas: people, through increased incentives and benefits; care, in the form of infection preventionists, physician investments and partnerships; and innovation, through new technology and equipment,” Sava explained.