Creative Solutions in Healthcare Wins Implementation of the Year at Inaugural exacare ai Awards

FORT WORTH, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Creative Solutions in Healthcare, one of the largest skilled nursing providers in the nation, has received the Implementation of the Year Award at the inaugural exacare ai Awards, recognizing a record-setting deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) technology across its skilled nursing portfolio.

"When we can make informed decisions faster, we can help patients and families navigate the transition from hospital to skilled nursing care with greater confidence" - Gary Blake

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The award was presented October 11 at the Harvard Art Museums in Boston during the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) Annual Convention & Expo. The inaugural awards program recognizes post-acute care organizations and leaders demonstrating excellence in innovation, implementation, and technology adoption.

Creative Solutions earned the distinction for completing what exacare ai identified as the largest and fastest implementation in its company’s history. Just eight weeks after signing its agreement, the company launched the platform simultaneously across 160 skilled nursing facilities, bringing more than 3,000 users online within 48 hours without a preliminary facility pilot.

The achievement represents more than a successful technology rollout. It marks a significant step in a growing partnership between Creative Solutions and exacare ai to address longstanding operational challenges in skilled nursing, beginning with hospital referrals and expanding into other critical stages of the patient journey.

Gary Blake, President and CEO of Creative Solutions in Healthcare, shared, “Implementing an innovative system like exacare ai, at this scale, takes coordination, commitment, and a willingness to embrace change. But the real achievement is what it means for the people we serve. When we can make informed decisions faster, we can help patients and families navigate the transition from hospital to skilled nursing care with greater confidence.”

“Rolling out a new platform across 160 facilities and more than 3,000 users is a major undertaking. Just eight weeks after signing their contract, Creative Solutions went live across the entire organization, and it couldn’t have been better orchestrated,” said Laird Russell, Co-Founder and CEO of exacare ai. “That takes strong leadership and a unified frontline team working toward a shared goal. We’re proud to recognize Gary and the entire Creative Solutions team, and we’re just getting started together.”

From Implementation to Measurable Impact

In skilled nursing, timely referral decisions are critical. Hospitals depend on receiving facilities to quickly evaluate clinical needs, determine appropriate placement, and coordinate the next stage of care. For large operators, managing that process consistently across numerous locations presents significant operational challenges.

Before implementing exacare ai in March 2026, Creative Solutions managed referrals through approximately 20 separate systems. This forced facility teams to switch between multiple platforms, comb through extensive clinical documentation manually, and coordinate admission decisions across disconnected workflows. By consolidating those processes into a centralized platform, the organization has improved the speed and consistency of referral review while gaining greater visibility into admissions activity across its portfolio.

Since implementing exacare ai, Creative Solutions has reported referral response times reduced by more than 90%, with acceptance rates increasing from 52% to 60% during the initial months following deployment. The company also gained visibility into substantially more referral activity than previously captured through its reporting systems, creating new opportunities to identify trends, evaluate denial patterns, and support facility performance.

The scale of the rollout required extensive coordination among facility administrators, directors of nursing, admissions teams, regional leadership, and corporate departments. More than 3,000 end users were trained ahead of launch, allowing the organization to adopt the new platform simultaneously across its Texas operations.

“The most valuable part of this implementation wasn't simply how quickly we launched. It was discovering what we couldn't see before,” Blake said. “When you have better information, you can ask better questions: Why are we declining certain referrals? Where are our teams facing challenges? What can we do to help our facilities accept more patients safely and confidently? Those are the conversations that lead to meaningful improvements.”

A Company-Wide Commitment to Innovation

While the award recognizes the speed and scale of that initial deployment, Creative Solutions views the implementation as the foundation for continued operational improvement.

As the long-term care industry navigates increasing operational complexity, evolving patient needs, and persistent workforce challenges, Creative Solutions remains focused on identifying practical applications of technology that support its employees and improve access to quality care.

The Implementation of the Year recognition highlights not only the organization's ability to introduce new technology at scale, but also its commitment to using innovation to drive meaningful, measurable improvements in skilled nursing operations.

For Creative Solutions, the award marks an important milestone in an ongoing effort to build more efficient systems, empower facility teams, and ultimately serve more patients and families across Texas.

About Creative Solutions in Healthcare:

Founded in 2000 by Gary and Malisa Blake, Creative Solutions in Healthcare is a family-owned company headquartered in Fort Worth, TX. It started with the first acquisition of Granbury Care Center and has grown to operate more than 155 long-term care communities throughout the state of Texas. Each location still runs on the founding principle, 'a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.' Its mission is to provide the highest quality of care to aging adults, by investing in cutting-edge technology and embodying core values of Compassionate Clinical Care, Nutritious Meals, Enriching Lives, Valued Employees, and Unparalleled Cleanliness.

About exacare ai:

exacare ai is the leading AI platform for post-acute care operations. The exacare ai platform, which helps providers operate more efficiently and enhance the quality of patient care, is used to streamline referrals, analyze admissions packets, manage reimbursement workflows, and facilitate discharge planning. exacare ai’s AI-powered capabilities accelerate decision-making, helping care teams respond faster, reduce administrative burden, improve accuracy, and capture more revenue. exacare ai is a private company serving more than 2,500 facilities and agencies, including Ignite Medical Resorts, Creative Solutions in Healthcare, OPCO Skilled Management, and Journey Skilled Nursing. Learn more at exacare.com.