Hiring Top Guns

All Metro Health Care in Lynbrook, New York, was a small fish in a rapidly expanding pond. The home health care market was exploding, creating great demand for nurses, aides, house cleaners, and nannies to help the sick and elderly. But local agencies that provided such people were either going out of business due to cuts in Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements, or being acquired by huge health care corporations. Managed care outfits were also passing them by for firms that could provide a wider range of services. The Edwards family, owners of All Metro, knew the firm would have to grow and diversify quickly, or die. And they knew that leading-edge knowledge was even more important than capital in growing the family business.

For 40 years, founders Irving and Norma Edwards had promoted from within. In 1989 their youngest son, Glenn, had taken over daily operations (his two brothers had become physicians). Together, the trio made the brave decision to go outside the family for top executives who could turn their modest agency into a strong contender. “Going outside” meant they would have to share sensitive information, control, and perhaps even ownership. That was okay. The real worry was that bringing in a team of top executives who could perform the functions the family was not capable of would erode the core values that had contributed to All Metro's success—quality care for every customer and personal attention to the needs of every employee.

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