Discovery Senior Living Overhauls Data Capabilities For Next Growth Push

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Discovery Senior Living is overhauling its data and technology capabilities to support growth across its nine regional management companies.

Discovery now relies on the Amazon Web Services, Azure and the Google Cloud “data warehouse” known as Snowflake, which pairs analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) to support data analysis and storage, according to CEO Richard Hutchinson.

“Everything’s now residing in this data warehouse,” Hutchinson said in a recent interview with Senior Housing News. “At the end of the day, our data journey is almost to the point of a full launch.” 

The Bonita Springs, Florida-based operator is moving ever-closer to an “optimal state of efficiency” while growing regional clusters to build out local density, he added. That could mean entering new markets for Discovery, including the Pacific Northwest, with the goal of launching additional regional management companies tailored to local customers.

Discovery’s relationship with institutional partners is also growing in 2026. Late last year, Discovery took on 44 properties spanning over 5,300 units from Diversified Healthcare Trust (Nasdaq: DHC) after the disbandment of the AlerisLife portfolio. In 2025, Discovery added over 18,000 units to its portfolio, Hutchinson told SHN.

Discovery nears end of data journey

Senior living operators in the last six years have started to harness the power of large amounts of data, including clinical data and engagement data, to shape operations and chart future growth. In 2026, a growing number of operators are investing in data to achieve better lifestyle and clinical outcomes for the residents they serve and work in alignment with their partners.

Discovery’s technology ecosystem now includes 22 platforms, and figuring out how to pull data across portfolios while ensuring the data was accurate was a challenge, Hutchinson said. The operator is feeding that data into an AI model that analyzes trends, with help from Gartner, a global research firm that advises companies on security, safety and forming an AI strategy.

“We’re pulling raw, clean data that’s from each of these systems and now we’re really going to be able to get down to precise metrics,” Hutchinson said. “Now it’s about how we get the data and evolving this process even better.”

Discovery is by doing so able to compartmentalize and control data from over 400 communities and create datasets with visuals and other features that help staff make sense of it all.

Frontline leadership can monitor financial performance, clinical outcomes and engagement figures, and can compare data internally across communities in an anonymized, secure way, Hutchinson said.

Discovery also this year appointed Tom Costello to the role of chief performance officer, a move that fits in conjunction with the company’s data transformation. He views the appointment as showing senior living capital groups that operating performance is “still the hallmark” of the company. Costello previously worked as CFO of Discovery prior to the CPO appointment.

“What we’re trying to do now is not overwhelm the system,” Hutchinson said. “We’re attempting to manage operational activities and frictional activities like making sure the data is accurate and frontline workers can make decisions rather than getting pulled in a different direction.”

Keeping up growth to meet demand

Discovery Senior Living’s nine regional management companies are all pointed in the direction of growth in 2026. The company’s latest management company to launch was Seaton Senior Living, which includes the newly transitioned AlerisLife properties.

Discovery employs nine presidents of those management companies who”serve as a guide” to help light the way to improved operating performance, Hutchinson said.

Discovery is planning to continue its “scale, not fail” strategy and take on new management companies with assistance from the company’s support center in Bonita Springs. Hutchinson said the company is exploring further densification in areas the company has a small or no foothold in.

Creating a “bespoke management company” to compete in the Pacific Northwest is also on Hutchinson’s mind. He cited strong demand and low new supply in those markets as the rationale for potential new growth into the region. The growth push would fall within the lens of “getting to an optimal state of efficiency,” he said.

From there, Hutchinson said the company could drive margin expansion through operating performance combined with “sheer purchasing power” at scale.

“We’re focused on continuing to grow and build off the efficiency of our scale using our model and now that we’ve split regional management companies, we have a clear guide on how we can help to densify further in those areas,” Hutchinson said. “We’re trying to expand our scope and density.”

Operations, staffing and leadership growth

In 2026, Discovery is also growing its learning and development center for young leaders across its vast network of senior living properties. Focusing on leadership training and development is the “nexus to the next stage of evolution” as an operator, Hutchinson said.

He envisioned the company creating “subject matter experts” capable of disseminating guidance across areas of operations and translating corporate support into action at the community level.

“Learning and development will be a big piece of trying to create a construct that allows us to develop our own talent, rather than always waiting for someone to show up with a resume,” Hutchinson said.

This is in preparation for the onset of the baby boomer demographic in senior living. Families, viewed by Hutchinson as the “indirect consumer,” will continue to play a pivotal role in customer satisfaction and customer engagement as families demand greater insights into their loved one’s care and daily routine while in a community.

The boomers are redefining how senior living providers approach engagement by prioritizing personalization and wellness. Instead of repetitive, “cookie-cutter” activities that can often feel dull or impersonal, providers are shifting toward meaningful learning opportunities and tailored events, Hutchinson said.

He also noted the industry was in a “sweet spot” between strong, demographic-driven demand and low new supply to achieve occupancy and margin goals. Opportunities remain for acquisitions, but buyers must be “careful” not to get caught up on aggressive deal pricing.

“Now you’re starting to see that alignment that we want to have with making sure the capital is matched perfectly to the product types. But secondary and tertiary markets, I think, are still robust acquisition areas,” Hutchinson said.

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