April 5th: Bill McGinley, ACHCA President & CEO

For our final guest speaker for the 2020-2021 academic school year, we have Bill McGinley. He currently serves as the President/CEO for The American College of Healthcare Administrators, formerly known as The American College of Nursing Home Administrators. The name was changed to be more inclusive, as long-term care is more than just nursing homes. Bill McGinley has been in the field of nursing home administration since 1980. At the beginning of his career, he did not know much about nursing homes or what direction he wanted to go in with his career. He applied for a variety of jobs and got an offer for a nursing home in Boston, Massachusetts. This facility was unique as it was the only facility to take care of young adults and specialized in head injuries. Mr. McGinley emphasized that long-term care does not always mean nursing homes but could entail other things such as alcohol and drug addictions. ACHCA eventually reached out to him to run the organization. He encourages everyone to join an association related to their career as it comes with many benefits, including networking, job opportunities, and an endless array of information. Mr. McGinley talked about why he loves the nursing home atmosphere. He loves the connection with the families, the residents, and how his job is varied. Unfortunately, Mr. McGinley is worried for the future with this profession given the current COVID-19 pandemic. Nursing homes took a major hit this past year as many individuals could not grieve lost loved one. There were no funerals, no chance to grieve, and staff who were concerned about bringing the virus home to their families. He said it was hard to be an administrator at this time because people looked up to those in administrative positions for leadership and to help guide them through this challenging time. It was hard given that rules, policies, and regulations were constantly changing throughout the pandemic. Mr. McGinley closes out by announcing his retirement and when asked about any future plans, he says he, “plans to turn off his phone and email and rest for a while.” You deserve it Mr. McGinley! Have a great retirement, we wish you the best, and thank you for talking with us!