McKnight’s Tech Awards recognize technology programs that elevate and support staff, residents, and patients
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Innovative technology at Jewish Home was awarded the “Best of Show” national honor from the McKnight’s 2026 Tech Awards on Sept. 16. McKnight’s, the leading media publisher covering senior-care sectors, said the Jewish Home entry was chosen among all finalists for a “combination of strategic thinking, innovative delivery, and needle-moving results.”
Being celebrated is a technology-driven integration developed and implemented by Jewish Home’s internal IT team that elevates workflow efficiency and advances care in support of patients, residents, and staff. The entry earned the “Gold Award” in the Home Grown category before earning the overall top honor.
Best of Show winner
Jewish Home’s winning entry, titled “Building More With Less Through AI Development,” featured measurable results for heightened efficiency and productivity. Jewish Home’s IT team began testing AI platforms in April 2025, using agentic-development tools for planning, writing, refactoring, and testing to enhance data transformation and operational workflow.
“Jewish Home’s technology advancements enable us to enhance our clinical and non-clinical workflow, from patient rounds and transportation to scheduling and accounting,” said Travis Masonis, Jewish Home’s Senior Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer. “We are now able to be proactive and serve all stakeholders more efficiently, and that includes diligently prioritizing data protection and ensuring Jewish Home is on the frontlines of innovation.”
The measurable results include tasks previously taking weeks to accomplish that now take only days, resulting in a 10x reduction in development time per process. As a result, the team’s effective development capacity has increased dramatically, enabling faster delivery of solutions across the organization.
“Our Jewish Home IT team has been able to advance several applications using AI tools to rebuild and extend internal processes that greatly increase efficiency and productivity,” said Chris Zoellick, Jewish Home’s Chief Technology Officer. “In the last year, this has resulted in cost savings and the ability to support more staff and departments.”
Innovator of the Year finalist
Jewish Home was recognized as a finalist in the Innovator of the Year category for its TekHub program, with the entry titled “Closing the Digital Gap in Aging.” This category recognizes how technological innovation has been a key to success and its impact on the provision of care and services.
TekHub has evolved from a resource for on-campus residents into a formalized service line available to the broader community. Since inception, TekHub has conducted more than 5,000 sessions with older adults, establishing a replicable model for technology enabled independence. TekHub provides personalized technical support to older adults, including use of devices, digital tools, and online services to maintain independence, access care, and stay connected. It transforms traditional technology support into a scalable, data-driven service that directly supports daily living and participation in modern healthcare.
Originally launched in 2020, Jewish Home teamed up with Rochester Institute of Technology researchers to capture structured data from each interaction, enabling formal analysis and the publishing of findings that identified common technical barriers and adoption challenges for older adults. These insights directly informed the design of TekHub, shaping workflows, training, and service delivery.