Ziegler Link•age Funds and LeadingAge CAST Release Inaugural CTO Hotline Report

CHICAGO, Sept. 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Ziegler Link-age Funds, the growth-oriented innovation funds focused on older adults and post-acute care, and LeadingAge CAST, a coalition of organizations interested in the intersection of aging and technology, today release the inaugural CTO Hotline report.

The report, developed through a partnership between Ziegler Link-age Funds and LeadingAge CAST, provides insights on how not-for-profit senior living and care organizations are using technology today and making decisions about future tech adoption. With data from over 100 industry professionals, the CTO Hotline covers subjects such as use of specific technology vendors, cybersecurity preparedness, strategies for technology planning, and more.

"Clear data about technology adoption and decision-making in not-for-profit senior living is sparse and often anecdotal. In partnership with LeadingAge CAST, we developed the CTO Hotline to provide meaningful benchmarks and strategic insights to our industry," stated Katie Schmitz, Managing Partner of the Ziegler Link-age Funds.

"The CTO Hotline aggregates the type of information we want to have when supporting our partners. It is our hope that operators across the industry will use this new source of data to advance their organizations' missions," stated Jenny Poth, lead author of the study and Senior Vice President at Ziegler.

Key findings from the report include:

• Technology has become a strategic priority for not-for-profit senior living and care operators.
• Adoption of new technologies in this sector is driven by a desire for operational efficiency and meeting the social and healthcare needs of residents. 
• New technology is often hindered by three constrained resources: staff, funding, and time.
• Operators are not consistently and effectively tracking ROI for new technologies.
• While operators see huge potential for AI in their organizations, they currently have limited capabilities to meaningfully deploy AI.
• Decisions around technology are complicated by market fragmentation.

We invite you to download the report for further information on these and other important industry trends.

About Ziegler:
Ziegler is a privately held investment bank, capital markets, and proprietary investments firm. Specializing in the healthcare, senior living and education sectors, as well as general municipal and structured finance, enables Ziegler to generate a positive impact on the clients and communities it serves. Headquartered in Chicago with regional and branch offices throughout the United States, Ziegler provides its clients with capital raising, strategic advisory services, equity and fixed income sales & trading and research. To learn more, visit www.ziegler.com.

Certain comments in this news release represent forward-looking statements made pursuant to the provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This client's experience may not be representative of the experience of other clients, nor is it indicative of future performance or success. The forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, in particular, the overall financial health of the securities industry, the strength of the healthcare sector of the U.S. economy and the municipal securities marketplace, the ability of the Company to underwrite and distribute securities, the market value of mutual fund portfolios and separate account portfolios advised by the Company, the volume of sales by its retail brokers, the outcome of pending litigation, and the ability to attract and retain qualified employees.

SOURCE Ziegler