Amy Birkel, Chief Operating Officer, Heritage Communities

It’s been said that the Covid-19 pandemic has put much of the senior living sector back into lease-up --- Heritage Communities COO Amy Birkel knows this all too well.    For the Omaha, Nebraska-based senior living operator’s 14 communities, the pandemic has turned back the clock on occupancy to the point that Birkel says it's like managing a portfolio of new buildings. But she also believes that the pandemic's challenges have led to new practices that will help serve the company during its recovery.   In this episode of Transform, learn: -- What Birkel learned after running a Covid-19 "war room" in the early days of the pandemic -- How Heritage plans to attract and retain workers in 2021 amid growing staffing headwinds -- Why Heritage made wellness a bigger part of its operations during the pandemic -- How and where Heritage is expanding in the months ahead