Chief Information Officer Brings Tech Leadership to Heritage Pointe Living Communities

As senior living communities increasingly rely on technology to support care, communication and operations, leaders like Kim Speidel are helping ensure those systems work effectively behind the scenes to best serve residents.

Speidel recently took on the role of Chief Information Officer for Heritage Pointe. The organization owns and operates senior living communities providing independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing, memory care and rehabilitation in Huntington, Fort Wayne and Warren, Indiana; and Maumee, Ohio. She began her work with the non-profit organization in April.

In her role, she oversees both the strategic and operational sides of information technology. That includes everything from long-term planning and making sure technology investments are in keeping with organizational goals and ensuring that day-to-day systems function properly.

Speidel brings more than two decades of experience in the senior living industry to the position. Her journey into information technology began with earning a Bachelor of Business Administration in computer science and accounting from Kent State University and later completing an MBA at the University of Dayton.

Along the way, she’s also earned various professional certifications including as a Certified Systems Security Professional, a Certified Systems Auditor, a Certified Professional in Healthcare Information and Management systems, and undergone Dale Carnegie Leadership Training for Managers.

After college, Speidel began her career with CompuServe Network Services. She later became part of WorldCom through a corporate transaction and spent approximately 10 years there, working in information technology and product engineering management.

As WorldCom underwent downsizing, Speidel began looking for a different path.

“I just decided that I wanted to do something different. Right? I didn’t like priorities changing every day based on the stock price,” she says.

That search led her to work for another non-profit involved in senior living, which provided her with a sense of purpose that continues at Heritage Pointe.

“It is just nice at the end of the day to know that I am doing something for the greater good as opposed to just, you know, a job,” she says.

Although Speidel’s work does not involve direct caregiving, technology can significantly improve residents’ quality of life by helping staff members work more efficiently and effectively.

The scope of information technology in a senior living community is extensive. It includes email systems, computers, printers, electronic health records and many of the digital tools employees use every day.

“My job is to make employees more efficient and able to spend more time with residents and, or provide tools that, in the end, benefit residents,” she says.

Since arriving at Heritage Point, Speidel has focused on evaluating the organization’s technology environment and planning for the future. She and a colleague are conducting an IT assessment and developing a roadmap that will help guide future investments and priorities.

Speidel says one of the aspects she enjoys most about working at Heritage Point is the organization’s leadership team.

“Everybody’s really down to earth and we all want the same things for the organization,
she says. “And everybody’s willing to work together to get there.”

Though much of her work takes place behind the scenes, Speidel enjoys interacting with residents during site visits, technology rollouts and resident engagement initiatives. Those encounters serve as a reminder of the ultimate purpose behind her work.

“I recognize in a lot of settings, I’m in their residents’ home,” she says. “And so I try to always keep that in mind and be respectful that I’m in their home.”

For Speidel, the most rewarding part of the job is helping Heritage Pointe strengthen and mesh their technology systems with the community’s greater goal of providing residents with premium care and the best quality of life possible no matter what level of care they are in.

While residents may never see the servers, software or strategic plans Speidel oversees, the benefits are felt throughout the community. By helping staff work more effectively and ensuring critical systems operate smoothly, Speidel’s work contributes to an environment where caregivers can focus on what matters most: serving residents.