Located in the rolling country hills of Western Pennsylvania, Chicora Medical Center has served the medical needs of Butler County and surrounding areas for over 35 years.
The Medical Center campus, formerly the Chicora Fairgrounds, was once home to some of the areas finest racing horses. The best known thoroughbred, "Star Pointer," became the first harness racing horse to achieve the two-minute mile.
In the late 1960s, small, rundown farmhouses served as the only form of nursing facilities. These accommodations, however, contributed little to rehabilitation services. In 1966, the local American Legion gifted the fairgrounds property to Dr. Ernest Molchany for the specific purpose of building a modern medical facility to serve the community. A year later, Dr. Molchany, with the help of other community leaders, opened a physician's office and a 34-bed licensed nursing home. This became the first Medicare-certified nursing facility in the area.
Chicora Medical Center is responsible for introducing Butler County and surrounding areas to the new age of nursing homes and health care delivery. Over 20 years later, the Molchany family added an Assisted Living Unit. A chapel and spacious dining area, known as the Settlers Dining Room, completed the most recent addition.
In 1999, the Molchany heirs sold the nursing home to the Tack family. Under the family's ownership and management, many improvements have been made to assure that the building and grounds remain true to their original purpose. Chicora Medical Center continues to offer state-of-the-art medical care in a modern, safe, and efficient facility.
In recent years, two new family members have joined the sprawling campus: Quality Pharmacy and Butler Medical Associates. Today, the rolling hills atop Medical Center Road offer nursing and personal care, retail pharmacy services, rehabilitation and physician care all on one easy-to-navigate campus. The visions of Dr. Molchany still unfold as Chicora Medical Center continues to grow, improve and fulfill the future with promise and success.
Memory Lane
Memory Lane, our quiet, quaint neighborhood dedicated to care of those living with dementia, is home to 22 residents. Quality Care Team members, specifically trained by the Alzheimer's Association, provide around-the-clock nursing care and assistance with medication and daily hygiene tasks. More importantly, we also provide a loving human habitat rich with meaningful relationships, spontaneity and individuality.
Memory Lane offers an individualized approach to care for those living with Alzheimer's disease. Aggressive tendencies and elopement attempts are embraced by person-centered means including redirection, the pursuit of individual simple pleasures and sensory stimulation rather than medication intervention. In Memory Lane, we recognize that each resident is a unique human being and deserves a care approach that is symbolic of that individuality. So, each resident and his/her family is instrumental in the development of a total person care plan that is reflective of the resident's past, present and future medical, social, religious and psychological needs. At Chicora Medical Center, we cater to the entire person. All entrances and exits to the neighborhood are secured with a key pad for resident safety.
Memory Lane neighbors enjoy daily simple pleasures and activities of their own choosing. While the neighborhood is secure, residents can often be found in other parts of the home spending time in the chapel, soda shop, and outdoor patios. Our Senior Shuttle bus makes frequent jaunts to ice cream parlors, restaurants and other community spots.
Every aspect of the neighborhood's design is customized for those living with dementia. A fully-enclosed outdoor courtyard provides a quiet safe haven for family gatherings, gardening and fun in the sun. The dining room provides a sun-drenched room for enjoyable dining experiences. Both private and partially-private rooms are available.