The McGuire Group's administrators each possess professional and diverse health care related experience, which sets the tone and enhances the overall culture of quality at each facility. Pictured, back row from left: Aaron J. Polanski, LNHA, administrator at Seneca Health Care Center; Terry Collins, RN, LNHA, administrator at Northgate Health Care Facility; Eugene Gonsiorek, PhD, LNHA, administrator at Autumn View Health Care Facility; and Sara Gentile, MMHC, LNHA, administrator at Garden Gate Health Care Facility. Front row: Jonathan Hart, MPA, LNHA, administrator at Harris Hill Nursing Facility and Sue Grigg, RN, CRRN, administrator of health care services for The McGuire Group.

As we usher in a new year, native Western New Yorkers can’t help but smile as we reflect on the wonderful developments and changes taking place within our communities. With businesses and citizens alike investing in our city and infrastructure, we’re seeing true progress stemming from within. It’s flowing from the very people who have believed in this area, stayed true to their communities, and value what our city has to offer. This same sentiment holds true for the McGuire family. More than 40 years ago, Chairman Frank McGuire made an investment in our area by opening his first health care facility – Seneca Health Care Center in West Seneca. This was followed by seven additional locations over the next two decades, with local facilities including Autumn View, Garden Gate, Harris Hill, Northgate and Seneca Health Care Center.

When Jim McGuire returned to his Buffalo roots and joined his father in the family business in 1996, they were on the precipice of a new era in health care. Technological advances during the mid-90s enabled doctors to perform orthopedic and joint replacement surgeries more precisely and less invasively than ever before, giving patients more options for enhanced quality of life.

As a result, the need for high quality, short-term rehabilitation after surgery became a necessity to ensure proper healing before a patient could safely return home. In response, The McGuire Group invested millions in the redevelopment and expansion of its programs and facilities, turning its traditional health care settings into state-of-the-art environments for intensive short-term rehabilitation. This gave patients the opportunity to receive rehab in a facility where the culture of quality and nursing care already existed, yet with less overhead and cost than a typical hospital stay.

Today, The McGuire Group defies the stereotypes of the nursing home industry, illustrating that great things happen when a family run organization has strong ties to the community and creates a supportive culture to give the patients and staff the resources they need. Over the years, its programs have grown in scope and complexity from 24-hour skilled nursing care to subacute & outpatient rehabilitation, secured memory care units, Journeys palliative care, and respite/short-term care for individuals seeking temporary options for a loved one.

The McGuire Group’s facilities continuously receive outstanding star rankings from the Federal Government, which monitors every nursing home in the country. Additionally, to date, New York State has released two benchmarking pool results ranking 650 facilities using trackable measures of quality. In both reports, a McGuire facility led the state with the highest score, and all of its facilities finished in the top 25 percent. “Our outstanding rankings from both the Federal and State governments reflect our commitment to invest in the quality of our business and the individuals who make it possible,” stated Jim McGuire, president and CEO. “Whether it’s creating opportunities for employee growth, developing patient care protocols or pioneering programs for broader levels of care, we’ve approached the process with an intrinsic commitment to high standards that have fostered a culture of quality over the last 40 years.”

For The McGuire Group, this culture of quality and internal growth at all levels is reflected in the professionalism of its employees and the outstanding services the residents and patients benefit from. The company offers nurse training programs for those wishing to advance their careers and trains more than 300 individuals yearly to become certified nursing assistants. Other advancement opportunities exist for non-nursing employees as well. “When individuals are recognized for their efforts and encouraged to develop both personally and professionally, it results in an incredibly productive environment that translates into better care for our residents and patients,” McGuire stated.

The longevity of The McGuire Group’s 1,800-plus employees speaks volumes to this philosophy. With more than 700 individuals on staff for 10 or more years, and some more than 35, the true value of the business lies in the hands of the employees. In addition to a company-wide nursing staff that numbers more than 1,300, McGuire is the largest employer of therapists in WNY, with career opportunities for more than 100 rehabilitation specialists including physical, occupational and speech therapists as well as physical therapy assistants and certified occupational therapy aides. These individuals are part of a team that treats the more than 5,000 patients receiving subacute and outpatient rehabilitation annually.

“For the past forty years it has been, and will continue to be, our mission to be the first and best choice for our residents and patients,” McGuire stated. “This philosophy is reflected in the actions of our staff, the outstanding government rankings we’ve attained and the quality of our programs. Our family of employees and residents is proud to be an integral part of the health care fabric in Buffalo.”

For more information: www.mcguiregroup.com or (716) 826-2010.