Today we’d like to introduce you to Mathew Muratore.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I was born in Caribou Maine, the only member of my family born out of Massachusetts, but moved back to Massachusetts when I was three years old. I was raised on the south shore by my mother and had two older brothers and one younger. On my 16th birthday, my mother told me to ride my bike and go get a job. After searching all day, I finally found one. A 110-bed nursing home in my hometown of Rockland was hiring for a dishwasher in the kitchen. I started on July 10th 1977 making $2.25/hour. Over time I really began to appreciate this as more than a job, it was helping elderly people in need. I use to sit and listen to their stories about growing up in a different era, wars they were in and hard times they experienced financially. I realized I found what I wanted to do with my life and that was to serve elders in any way possible.
After graduating from Cardinal Spellman High School, I attended Massasoit Community College for a year and then transferred to Northeastern University, where I received my B.S. in Business Administrator Management. I did my co-op work at The Gillette Company (from 1981-1984 and then hired full time), but always still working at that 110-bed nursing home on weekends and nights doing whatever job I could. I worked in Maintenance, Laundry, Housekeeping, Activities, Business Office, Front Desk Receptionist, Admissions, everything but a direct care staff member (I have great respect for what they all do).
Finally, in 1990 I realized working for Gillette was not a career for me, but working for elders was, so I quit my good paying job and took a 6-month Administrator in Training job (AIT) at that same Rockland nursing home for half the pay I was making at Gillette, but I wanted to be a nursing home administrator. The owner was my mentor. He was a get businessman and enjoyed politics (he was a former Selectman in Rockland). This is where the two worlds of operating nursing homes and politics first intersected in my life.
Soon after completely my 6-month AIT program, I took my test and was licensed by the Commonwealth as a nursing home administrator. I accepted my first Administrator position in Falmouth in 1991 for a new home with 120-beds. I spent the next 12 years at three other facilities before landing in Plymouth and working at one of the largest nursing facilities in the Commonwealth. It was 186-beds, but not only had elders, but also children (infants – 22 y.o.). This was eye opening to me. It was amazing the care and services that were provided to not only elders in need, but also to children in need. I found truly caring people caring for people who truly need care.
My wife is an attorney and at the time of taking this job, she began working for a firm where the principle owner was the Town Moderator. He was looking to appoint someone to the Town of Plymouth finance committee, so he ask and appointed me. I was on the committee for 5 years and was the Vice Chair of the Committee, when an open seat for Selectman became available. I was encouraged to run and I won. I spent close to five years on the Board of Selectman, where I spent two years as chair, when the seat for State Rep opened up in Plymouth. I was once again encouraged to run and I won.
Soon after winning the State Rep seat in 2014, I opened my own elder care consulting company, MAT HealthCare Consultants. I was able to still continue my love of working directly with elders in nursing homes, assisted livings and home health companies, with my new passion of advocating for elders at a higher level as state rep. It was a win win for me.
In addition, to an Elder Health Care business owner, a State Rep, and father to six beautiful daughters, I am part owner of a child day care company called Crayon College. We have three locations, Plymouth, Kingston, and Bourne. At a previous nursing home in Kingston back in the late 1990’s there was a child day care as part of the home. It was a wonderful inter-generational program, so I decided to get involved in that and whenever possible promote inter-generational programming. It’s great for the children and the elders.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
We didn’t have a lot of money growing up, my parents were divorced when I was 9 and we lived in an apartment, but I had a happy childhood and learned at a young age I needed to work hard for whatever I wanted in live.
Please tell us about State Representative Matt Muratore.
In MAT HealthCare Consultants, we provide interim managers to assist nursing homes, assisted livings or home health companies in need of improving their services to their elderly clients. We had one client on the verge of closing and the elderly residents of that particular home would have had to move and be split up into several other locations. We went in and helped the home through the difficulties they experienced during a Department of Public Health survey and were able to keep them open.
As a state rep, every day we help people in some many different ways. We recently helped an elderly woman who was on the verge of being homeless get into a senior housing complex. She was so grateful, but to me it was very rewarding.
You see, I enjoy helping elders individually and collectively. There is no better feeling then helping someone in need, but especially an elder who has contributed so much to our society in so many ways.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
No…I would have done everything the exact same way…I have no regrets and only grateful for all the opportunities in my life. I don’t belief in making things happen, I think doors open for a reason and you just know when to enter that door. You may not know what’s on the other side, but if you believe in the glass half full then you know it will be something fantastic.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mathealthcare.com
- Phone: 508-930-2979
- Email: mmuratore@mathealthcare.com
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