ElderWood and Heathwood History
Providing quality care for seniors in residential eldercare has been a passion of the Chur family for three generations. The legacy began in 1968 with Robert R. and Mary Chur, who operated Aurora Park Health Care Center, a nursing home in East Aurora, New York.
From Aurora Park to Elderwood
Their son, Robert M., started his career there as Administrator. In 1978, Bob and his wife Carol, founded Heathwood Health Care Center in Williamsville. Over 35 years they grew ElderWood Senior Care to 19 facilities - 9 Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation, 8 Assisted Living, and 2 Independent Living, predominantly in Western NY, caring for over 2,000 residents and employing almost 3,000 staff. Their daughter, Carla Chur Suero, played key roles in the family business since 1994.
In 2013, 17 facilities were sold, along with the corporate name ElderWood Senior Care. Two assisted living facilities remained in the Chur family and the original name – Heathwood – was adopted as a tribute the Chur family’s heritage and ongoing commitment to quality care.
Awards
Under the Chur family’s leadership, ElderWood and Heathwood developed a stellar reputation as a premier provider of residential eldercare and earned many prestigious awards. Among the most competitive and highly regarded:
- 50 Quality Awards – including two coveted Gold Awards – from AHCA/NCAL, the American Health Care Association / National Center for Assisted Living. During this time, only 7 Gold awards were granted nationally.
- 20 Innovative Practice Awards from NYSHFA, the New York State Health Facilities Association.
- 2 Quality Awards from AMDA, the American Medical Directors Association.
- 2 My InnerView Excellence in Action Awards from the National Research Corporation for outstanding customer satisfaction.
- Buffalo-Niagara Business Ethics Award (BNBEA), recognizes companies that exemplify the highest standards of ethics.
- ElderWood was also ranked among Business First’s top 15 companies in WNY from 1988-2013.
