2/5
CMS (the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) is the federal agency that rates nursing home quality. Its Overall Rating runs from 1 to 5 stars, combining health inspections, staffing, and quality measures, with inspections weighted most heavily.
2/5
CMS (the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) is the federal agency that rates nursing home quality. Its Overall Rating runs from 1 to 5 stars, combining health inspections, staffing, and quality measures, with inspections weighted most heavily.
Careage Hills Rehabilitation and Healthcare is a 44-bed skilled nursing facility located at 725 North Second Street in Cherokee, Iowa. Administered by Leah Nelson and operated by Ensign Services, the center provides short-term rehabilitation, long-term care, and memory care for Cherokee County residents. The campus is highly accessible with a Walk Score of 72, allowing for pedestrian proximity to local errands and central city services.
State and federal regulators currently assign the facility a 2-star overall rating, which indicates performance categorized as “Below Average”. Between 2021 and 2026, the community has undergone multiple inspections, with a November 2025 complaint investigation identifying two deficiencies regarding wound treatment and clinical assessments. While the center carries a 2-star health inspection rating, it has recorded zero citations for infection control over recent fiscal cycles. To date, federal data shows no fines or payment denials issued against this specific facility in the past three years.
Professional care is delivered under a staffing model that provides 3 hours 1 minute of daily nursing time per resident, performing approximately 14% below the state average. Registered Nurse (RN) hours are 47 minutes per resident day, while weekend RN coverage stands at 34 minutes. Quality measures are a clinical strength, carrying a 3-star rating with long-stay outcomes rated at 4 stars due to strong performance in physical function and pain management. The nursing staff turnover rate is 55.2%, which is higher than the Iowa average of 44.4%.
The campus environment provides a residential setting with 24-hour medical oversight and individualized therapy programs. Shared amenities include on-site physical, occupational, and speech therapy, as well as nutritional meal services and hospice support. Residents have access to spiritual services and recreational activities designed to facilitate community engagement in a home-like atmosphere. Medicare and Medicaid are both accepted to support varied financial needs for those seeking transitional or long-term placement.
Representatives should evaluate the current bedside care standards and staffing stability during an on-site visit. It is advisable to ask the administrator for specific details regarding the corrective actions taken after the November 2025 citations and to confirm that the clinical coverage is sufficient to meet the resident’s specific recovery or long-term care goals for 2026.
The Overall CMS Rating combines results from health inspections, staffing levels and quality measures. Health inspections carry the most weight. Staffing and quality scores can increase or decrease the final rating based on performance compared to state and national standards.
Based on the results of the facility's three most recent standard inspections and any complaint investigations. CMS reviews the number, scope, and severity of deficiencies, with more recent findings weighted more heavily.
Measures average nursing staff hours per resident per day, including Registered Nurses (RNs) and total nursing staff. Ratings are adjusted based on the level of care residents require and are compared to state and national benchmarks.
Based on clinical and physical health indicators reported to CMS, such as hospital readmissions, falls, pressure ulcers, and improvements in mobility. These measures reflect how well residents' health needs are being managed.
Daily nursing hours per resident by staff type, reported to CMS. Higher is generally better — compare this facility to state and national averages to see where staffing stands.
| Staff type | Hours / Day / Resident | vs state avg |
|---|---|---|
|
Registered Nurse (RN)
RNs hold the highest nursing license and can assess residents, interpret test results, and direct care plans. More RN hours per day often signals stronger clinical oversight and faster response to health changes.
| 47m per day | ▲ 7% State avg: 44m per day · National avg: 41m per day |
|
LPN / LVN
Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) or Licensed Vocational Nurses (LVNs) deliver routine hands-on care — medication administration, wound dressing, and monitoring vital signs. They work under RN supervision and make up a large share of daily bedside care.
| 36m per day | ▲ 5% State avg: 34m per day · National avg: 52m per day |
|
Nurse Aide
Certified Nurse Aides (CNAs) provide the most direct day-to-day assistance: bathing, dressing, feeding, and mobility. Nurse aide hours are typically the largest staffing category and directly affect residents' quality of life.
| 1h 38m per day | ▼ 36% State avg: 2h 32m per day · National avg: 2h 20m per day |
|
Weekend Total Nursing
Combined nursing hours (RN + LPN + Nurse Aide) per resident per day on weekends. Staffing often drops on weekends — this figure reveals whether the facility maintains adequate coverage outside of weekday hours.
| 2h 24m per day | ▼ 28% State avg: 3h 21m per day · National avg: 3h 26m per day |
|
Physical Therapist
Hours per resident per day provided by licensed Physical Therapists (PTs) or PT Assistants. PT services help residents recover mobility after injury or illness and are especially important for post-acute (short-stay) rehabilitation.
| 1m per day | ▼ 51% State avg: 2m per day · National avg: 4m per day |
|
Weekend RN
Registered nurse hours specifically on weekends. Facilities sometimes reduce RN presence on Saturdays and Sundays — a low weekend RN figure compared to weekday hours can indicate reduced clinical oversight when most administrative staff are absent.
| 34m per day | ▲ 12% State avg: 30m per day · National avg: 28m per day |
May offer a more intimate, personalized care environment.
Average number of days residents stay at this facility, based on CMS cost report data. Shorter stays often reflect post-acute or rehab care; longer stays reflect long-term care.
Federal penalties imposed by CMS for regulatory violations, including civil money penalties (fines) and denials of payment for new Medicare/Medicaid admissions.
Source: CMS Penalties Database
No penalties in the past 3 years
No civil money penalties or payment denials were reported in the last 3 years.
These measures show how residents usually do over time at this home, based on health outcomes and preventive care.
CMS star rating based on long-stay quality measure performance. 5 stars = significantly above average, 1 star = significantly below average.
Number of hospitalizations per 1,000 long-stay resident days.
1.37
7% better than Iowa averageIowa average: 1.48
Number of outpatient emergency department visits per 1,000 long-stay resident days.
4.55
118% worse than Iowa averageIowa average: 2.09
CMS star rating based on short-stay quality measure performance. 5 stars = much above average, 1 star = much below average.
Percentage of short-stay residents who were re-hospitalized after their nursing home admission.
14.1%
34% better than Iowa averageIowa average: 21.3%
Percentage of short-stay residents who had an outpatient emergency department visit.
4.3%
67% better than Iowa averageIowa average: 13.1%
Percentage of SNF residents who experience falls with major injury during their stay.
0.0%
100% better than Iowa averageIowa average: 0.8%
Percentage of residents at or above expected ability to care for themselves at discharge.
50.0%
7% worse than Iowa averageIowa average: 53.7%
Rate of successful return to home or community from a skilled nursing facility.
44.7%
12% worse than Iowa averageIowa average: 50.6%
Quality measures are calculated from Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessments. For most measures, lower percentages indicate better care quality.
40% of new residents, usually for short-term rehab.
42% of new residents, often for short stays.
18% of new residents, often for long-term daily care.
Based on CMS SNF Cost Report for fiscal year ending in 12/2023.
Net patient revenue — what the home actually collects for resident care, after contractual allowances, bad debt and discounts are subtracted from its gross charges (CMS cost report, Worksheet G-3). It covers resident care only; money the home earns from other sources is shown separately as "Other income."
Net patient income: net patient revenue minus the home's total operating expenses. A positive figure means it earns more from resident care than it spends to deliver it; a negative figure means the opposite. It excludes non-operating "other income."
Net patient revenue — what the home actually collects for resident care, after contractual allowances, bad debt and discounts are subtracted from its gross charges (CMS cost report, Worksheet G-3). It covers resident care only; money the home earns from other sources is shown separately as "Other income."
Net patient income: net patient revenue minus the home's total operating expenses. A positive figure means it earns more from resident care than it spends to deliver it; a negative figure means the opposite. It excludes non-operating "other income."
Money the home earns outside of resident care — such as investments, grants, rentals and other non-operating sources (CMS cost report, Worksheet G-3). It is tracked separately from net patient revenue: it is not part of that figure, and it is not included in net patient income.
Staff salaries plus wage-related costs — benefits such as payroll taxes, health insurance and retirement — from the home's own accounting records (CMS cost report, Worksheet A). Contract or agency labor is counted separately, under other operating costs.
Rank #208 / 246Payroll — State benchmarkedThis home is ranked 208th out of 246 homes in Iowa for Payroll. Shows total annual staff payroll benchmarked to the Iowa average. Higher payroll investment relative to peers often signals better staffing and less reliance on cheaper contract labor.Facilities with the same value for a metric share the same rank. Rankings are based only on facilities in Iowa that report data for that category. Facilities without available data are excluded from the ranking.Click the rank badge to see the full State ranking.Click here to see the full State ranking.
Payroll as a share of revenue: staff salaries and wage-related benefits divided by net patient revenue. A higher figure means more of each revenue dollar goes to staff pay.
Rank #104 / 246Payroll % — State benchmarkedThis home is ranked 104th out of 246 homes in Iowa for Payroll %. Shows payroll as a percentage of revenue versus the Iowa average. Well-run Iowa facilities typically land around 61–69% — the top third Statewide. Below 25% may signal understaffing or heavy agency use — read with Staffing ratings.Facilities with the same value for a metric share the same rank. Rankings are based only on facilities in Iowa that report data for that category. Facilities without available data are excluded from the ranking.Click the rank badge to see the full State ranking.Click here to see the full State ranking.
Everything it costs to run the home apart from payroll — food, utilities, supplies, maintenance, contract labor and administration. Calculated as total operating expense minus payroll (staff salaries and wage-related benefits).
The home's total operating expense for the year — all the costs of running it, salaries included (CMS cost report, Worksheet G-3).
This home supports both short-term rehab and long-term care, with residents staying for a wide range of durations.
New residents most often arrive under private pay (42% of admissions), and a typical private pay stay runs around 7 - 8 months.
Coverage residents most often arrive under.
Coverage residents most often leave under.
0.0 miles from city center
Estimated distance in miles from Cherokee's city center to Careage Hills Rehabilitation and Healthcare's address, calculated via Google Maps.
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The information below is reported by the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing.
| Meth Wick Community | NH AL IL MC RC SNF | Cedar Rapids (The Meth-Wick Community) | 69
Facility
69
IA AVG
71
Rank
#167 / 406 |
81.4%
Facility
81.4%
IA AVG
64.7
Rank
#115 / 379 | +26% | 5.96
Facility
5.96
IA AVG
4.30
Rank
#6 / 245 | +23% | +39% | $0
Facility
$0
IA AVG
$53.4k
Rank
#1 / 251 | 3
Facility
3
IA AVG
21.7
Rank
#8 / 244 | 1.5
Facility
1.5
IA AVG
4.1
Rank
#13 / 244 | - | 56 | - |
23
Facility
23
IA AVG
45
Rank
#405 / 528 | Meth Wick Community | $18.2MFiscal year ending 03/2024
Facility
$18.2MFiscal year ending 03/2024
IA AVG
$7.0M
Rank
#8 / 246 | $10.3MFiscal year ending 03/2024
Facility
$10.3MFiscal year ending 03/2024
IA AVG
$3.1M
Rank
#8 / 246 | 56.4%Fiscal year ending 03/2024
Facility
56.4%Fiscal year ending 03/2024
IA AVG
46.3%
Rank
#144 / 246 | 165542 | ||||
| Green Hills Retirement Community | NH AL IL MC SNF | Ames (Hamilton Drive) | 56
Facility
56
IA AVG
71
Rank
#233 / 406 |
78.6%
Facility
78.6%
IA AVG
64.7
Rank
#138 / 379 | +22% | 5.86
Facility
5.86
IA AVG
4.30
Rank
#10 / 245 | -11% | +36% | $0
Facility
$0
IA AVG
$53.4k
Rank
#1 / 251 | 8
Facility
8
IA AVG
21.7
Rank
#48 / 244 | 4.0
Facility
4.0
IA AVG
4.1
Rank
#132 / 244 | - | 44 | - |
18
Facility
18
IA AVG
45
Rank
#430 / 528 | Green Hills Residents' Association | $8.0MFiscal year ending 06/2024
Facility
$8.0MFiscal year ending 06/2024
IA AVG
$7.0M
Rank
#89 / 246 | $5.4MFiscal year ending 06/2024
Facility
$5.4MFiscal year ending 06/2024
IA AVG
$3.1M
Rank
#56 / 246 | 67.5%Fiscal year ending 06/2024
Facility
67.5%Fiscal year ending 06/2024
IA AVG
46.3%
Rank
#61 / 246 | 165577 | ||||
| Wesley Acres | NH ADC AL IL MC SNF | Des Moines (Greenwood) | 80
Facility
80
IA AVG
71
Rank
#105 / 406 |
91.3%
Facility
91.3%
IA AVG
64.7
Rank
#44 / 379 | +41% | 4.24
Facility
4.24
IA AVG
4.30
Rank
#119 / 245 | +43% | -1% | $0
Facility
$0
IA AVG
$53.4k
Rank
#1 / 251 | 5
Facility
5
IA AVG
21.7
Rank
#19 / 244 | 1.7
Facility
1.7
IA AVG
4.1
Rank
#17 / 244 | - | 73 | - |
72
Facility
72
IA AVG
45
Rank
#89 / 528 | Damon Buskohl | $29.3MFiscal year ending 12/2023
Facility
$29.3MFiscal year ending 12/2023
IA AVG
$7.0M
Rank
#1 / 246 | $20.8MFiscal year ending 12/2023
Facility
$20.8MFiscal year ending 12/2023
IA AVG
$3.1M
Rank
#1 / 246 | 71%Fiscal year ending 12/2023
Facility
71%Fiscal year ending 12/2023
IA AVG
46.3%
Rank
#164 / 246 | 165487 | ||||
| Sunrise Retirement Community | NH AL IL MC RC SNF | Sioux City | 74
Facility
74
IA AVG
71
Rank
#136 / 406 |
90.5%
Facility
90.5%
IA AVG
64.7
Rank
#49 / 379 | +40% | 6.19
Facility
6.19
IA AVG
4.30
Rank
#3 / 245 | -23% | +44% | $0
Facility
$0
IA AVG
$53.4k
Rank
#1 / 251 | 11
Facility
11
IA AVG
21.7
Rank
#76 / 244 | 3.7
Facility
3.7
IA AVG
4.1
Rank
#115 / 244 | - | 67 | A+ |
22
Facility
22
IA AVG
45
Rank
#411 / 528 | Samantha Roth | $13.6MFiscal year ending 12/2023
Facility
$13.6MFiscal year ending 12/2023
IA AVG
$7.0M
Rank
#26 / 246 | $8.5MFiscal year ending 12/2023
Facility
$8.5MFiscal year ending 12/2023
IA AVG
$3.1M
Rank
#19 / 246 | 62.2%Fiscal year ending 12/2023
Facility
62.2%Fiscal year ending 12/2023
IA AVG
46.3%
Rank
#94 / 246 | 165473 |
Careage Hills Rehabilitation and Healthcare has a walk score of 72. Very walkable. Most errands can be accomplished on foot, and many essentials are within a short walk.
Careage Hills Rehabilitation and Healthcare's occupancy is 81.5%.
No, Careage Hills Rehabilitation and Healthcare has a no-pet policy.
Careage Hills Rehabilitation and Healthcare is registered as a for-profit.
Yes — there are 26 photos of Careage Hills Rehabilitation and Healthcare in the photo gallery on this page.
Careage Hills Rehabilitation and Healthcare is located at 725 North Second Street, Cherokee, Ia 510121229.
(712) 225-2561 will put you in contact with the team at Careage Hills Rehabilitation and Healthcare.
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