MorningStar at North Ridge is a 66-bed nursing facility at 8101 Palomas Avenue NE in Albuquerque’s Bernalillo County, privately operated by Morgan O’Roark under the ownership of Lisa Noya. The community accepts Medicaid and private-pay residents, with pricing starting at $4,750 monthly.
It serves memory care, assisted living, and independent living populations with a portfolio of amenities: fitness center, salon, spa, chapel, dining areas (restaurant and bistro), garden, art studio, transportation, housekeeping, laundry service, and linen service. The community received recognition as a “Best of Senior Living” honoree.
Federal regulators imposed $599,000 in penalties across three enforcement actions between July 2024 and September 2025, the most recent a $301,000 fine.
Seven critical citations were issued within a two-year window; 536% above the New Mexico state average, with a total of 91 citations ranked 51st of 54 New Mexico nursing facilities. A July 2024 complaint investigation documented a substantiated allegation of improper physical restraint of a resident, leading to staff termination and self-reporting by the Executive Director. The same inspection cited deficiencies in medication administration (errors in dosage and frequency between July 10-18, 2024) and food handling practices (cooks and food handlers failing to wear required hair nets or caps).
The deficiency pattern reflects ongoing struggles with resident rights, medication safety, and care quality that inspectors found unresolved across multiple inspection cycles.
Staffing metrics run significantly below state averages.
Nurses provide 3 hours 4 minutes of care per resident per day, 22% below the New Mexico average. Weekends drop further to 2 hours 29 minutes per resident; 23% below state norms. Contractors comprise 26.4% of the workforce, and payroll investment stands at 28.4% of revenue, positioning the facility 52nd of 54 in payroll spending relative to peers in New Mexico.
Clinical outcomes reflect these staffing constraints: residents show higher rates of functional decline in daily activities (24.8%, 58% worse than average), worsening mobility (24.6%, 35% worse), and weight loss (8.9%, 53% worse than state average).
The facility’s current occupancy rate is 71%, approximately 8 percentage points below the New Mexico average.
The inspection record, enforcement history, and clinical measures identify significant resident care and medication management challenges that create material risk for prospective residents and families.




















