Positioned at 2961 Galisteo Road in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Sierra Blanca Senior Living operates 118 beds as a nursing home with assisted living and memory care services. Owner Carlos Yanez established the facility in August 2013. It accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and private-pay residents, with occupancy at 92.6%; substantially above the state average of 78.9%.
The facility holds a Better Business Bureau A+ rating (not accredited).
Average resident stay is 98 days; admissions split evenly among Medicare (25%), private pay (50%), and Medicaid (25%).
Thirteen inspections conducted since 2023 exceed the state average by 90%; this intensive survey activity resulted in 90 deficiency citations, with 3 critical and 9 serious citations, which is dramatically worse than state benchmarks. Citations clustered in quality of life and care (32%), resident rights (16%), and pharmacy services (14%).
Federal enforcement has been severe: cumulative fines of $326,000 represent the highest amount imposed on any New Mexico facility; 280% above state average.
Three separate Medicare/Medicaid payment denials, specifically suspensions of reimbursement for new admissions, reflect CMS’s most serious enforcement tool, applied here at rates nearly five times the state norm.
Contractors comprise 52% of the workforce, and total nursing hours of 3 hours 27 minutes per resident daily run 12% below the state average.
Payroll costs consume 42.7% of revenue, well below well-managed peer levels of 53-59%.
Residents experienced unintended weight loss at 12.7%; more than double the state average. And antipsychotic medication use at 25.8%, twice the norm. Walking ability decline affected 24% of long-stay residents, and high-risk clinical events scored 30% worse than peers.
Sierra Blanca operates in a context of regulatory scrutiny, persistent compliance deficiencies, and quality metrics substantially below state benchmarks across multiple domains.
