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.
Operating as a two-story nursing home at 707 West Riverside Boulevard in Rockford’s West Riverside Boulevard neighborhood, Rock River Healthcare manages 130 beds across nursing home, memory care, hospice, and respite care units. Owner SMF Healthcare LLC has operated the facility for 31 years under Administrator Judith Zbinden. The community accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and private-pay residents and currently operates at 56.9% occupancy; notably below the Illinois state average. The average resident stay spans 131 days.
The facility holds a 2-star overall CMS rating, 36.5% below state average. Health inspection performance is 2 stars, 34.2% below the Illinois benchmark.
Staffing carries a 1-star rating, 39.9% below state standard. Adjusted nursing hours total only 2 hours per resident daily; ranked 154th of 167 facilities statewide and representing 49% below state average. Registered nurses provide 28 minutes per resident daily (36% below state average), while weekend RN coverage drops to 10 minutes (71% below state norm). The staff-to-resident ratio of 0.78:1 underperforms the state average of 1.80:1 by 56%, indicating critically low staffing levels.
Quality Measures rate 1 star, 37.3% below state average. Pressure ulcer prevalence reaches 11.8% in long-stay residents; 124% worse than state benchmark. Depressive symptoms affect 87.3% of long-stay residents, 82% above state rates. Hospitalization rates run 92% worse than peers at 3.94 per 1,000 resident days.
Short-stay rehabilitation shows concerning outcomes: emergency department visits hit 27.1%; 94% worse than state average and return to home rate reaches only 30.3%, 40% below state norm.
Inspection findings show 38 regulatory deficiencies since 2022 (443% above state average of 7), including substantiated physical abuse between residents, medication administration errors leading to seizure events, widespread wound and pressure ulcer care failures, dehydration from missed hydration orders, and unauthorized searches and confiscation of resident belongings. One prior inspection identified immediate jeopardy conditions.
Federal fines total $72,000 with one 7-day Medicare/Medicaid payment denial imposed in 2023.
Walk score of 60 reflects moderate walkability; the nearest hospital sits 3.53 miles distant.
Rock River Healthcare’s profile reflects severe staffing constraints, substantially elevated regulatory compliance violations, and quality outcomes significantly below state standards across clinical and safety domains.
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.
This home is ranked 159th out of 172 homes in Illinois for nurse hours. Total adjusted nursing hours per resident per day, combining RN, LPN, and aide time. CMS adjusts this for case-mix so facilities can be fairly compared.
| 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.
| 28m per day | ▼ 36% 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.
| 32m per day | ▼ 15% State avg: 38m 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 39m per day | ▼ 23% State avg: 2h 8m per day · National avg: 2h 21m 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 4m per day | ▼ 33% State avg: 3h 5m 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.
| 0m per day | ▼ 100% State avg: 3m 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.
| 11m per day | ▼ 67% State avg: 34m per day · National avg: 29m per day |
Key information about the people who lead and staff this community.
In Illinois, the Department of Public Health, Office of Health Care Regulation conducts annual unannounced surveys to assess compliance with state and federal healthcare facility standards.
This scorecard compares key inspection, deficiency, and complaint metrics at this facility against the Illinois state average. Metrics rated ≥15% worse than average are highlighted in red; those ≥15% better are highlighted in green.
Deficiencies
| This Facility | IL Average | vs. IL Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Total deficiencies
Formal regulatory issues recorded by inspectors across all inspection types.
| 38 | 7 | This facility has 443% more total deficiencies than a typical Illinois nursing home (38 vs. IL avg 7).↑ 443% worse |
|
Deficiencies per year
Average deficiencies per year since 2022.
| 9.5 | 1.8 | This facility has 428% more deficiencies per year than a typical Illinois nursing home (9.5 vs. IL avg 1.8).↑ 428% worse |
An editor-reviewed summary of the themes and findings across this facility's recent inspection reports.
Illinois average 10.4
Last Health inspection on Aug 2025
Illinois average 36.8
Illinois average 3.68
Health citations are formal notices following inspections when they fail to comply with safety and care standards.
24 of 44 citations resulted from standard inspections; and 20 of 44 resulted from complaint investigations.
43% worse than Illinois averageIllinois average: 0.7
17% better than Illinois averageIllinois average: 3.6
Corrected
Corrected
Corrected
Corrected
Reporting period: October 1 – December 31, 2025 (Q4 2025). Source: CMS Payroll-Based Journal report.
56% fewer staff per resident than Illinois average
0% compared with Illinois average
This data comes from the CMS Payroll-Based Journal report covering October 1 – December 31, 2025.
Manages medical care and health needs.
9 total: 6 full-time employees and 3 contractors.
9
Average shift length. Calculated as total hours divided by days worked and average staff per day.
8.5 hoursAssists with medical care and medications.
All 9 LPN Staff are full-time employees. No contractors work on this role.
9
Average shift length. Calculated as total hours divided by days worked and average staff per day.
8.9 hoursHelps with daily care and mobility.
All 31 CNA Staff are full-time employees. No contractors work on this role.
31
Average shift length. Calculated as total hours divided by days worked and average staff per day.
7.2 hours
This data comes from the CMS Payroll-Based Journal report covering October 1 – December 31, 2025.
Total hours from contractors
560 contractor hours this quarter
This data comes from the CMS Payroll-Based Journal report covering October 1 – December 31, 2025.
| Certified Nursing Assistant | 31 | 0 | 31 | 11,670 | 92 | 100% | 7.2 |
| Licensed Practical Nurse | 9 | 0 | 9 | 3,339 | 92 | 100% | 8.9 |
| Registered Nurse | 6 | 3 | 9 | 2,858 | 92 | 100% | 8.5 |
| Other Dietary Services Staff | 3 | 0 | 3 | 812 | 92 | 100% | 5.9 |
| Dietitian | 1 | 0 | 1 | 501 | 63 | 68% | 8 |
| Administrator | 1 | 0 | 1 | 496 | 62 | 67% | 8 |
| RN Director of Nursing | 1 | 0 | 1 | 480 | 60 | 65% | 8 |
| Diagnostic X-ray Services Staff | 1 | 0 | 1 | 472 | 61 | 66% | 7.7 |
| Nurse Practitioner | 1 | 0 | 1 | 464 | 58 | 63% | 8 |
| Occupational Therapist | 1 | 0 | 1 | 173 | 13 | 14% | 13.3 |
Includes penalties issued in 2023-2024
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 (Data as of Jan 2026)
49% lower than Illinois averageIllinois average: $143K
In line with Illinois averageIllinois average: 3.0
Serious action where Medicare and/or Medicaid temporarily stops payments for new residents until issues are fixed.
1
6% fewer payment denials than Illinois averageIllinois average: 1.1
Penalties are imposed by CMS for violations of federal nursing home regulations.
4 penalties in the past 3 years
Multiple penalties were reported in the last 3 years.
Fines imposed for noncompliance, which can be assessed per day or per instance of violation.
Oct 9, 2024
Fines imposed for noncompliance, which can be assessed per day or per instance of violation.
Feb 28, 2024
Fines imposed for noncompliance, which can be assessed per day or per instance of violation.
Sep 13, 2023
Serious action where Medicare and/or Medicaid temporarily stops payments for new residents until issues are fixed.
Sep 13, 2023Last updated: Jan 2026
These measures show how residents usually do over time at this home, based on health outcomes and preventive care.
A composite score based on pressure ulcers, falls with injury, weight loss, walking ability decline, and activities of daily living decline.
7.4
24% better than Illinois averageIllinois average: 9.7
A composite score based on activities of daily living decline, walking ability decline, and incontinence.
12.3
34% better than Illinois averageIllinois average: 18.6
CMS star rating based on long-stay quality measure performance. 5 stars = significantly above average, 1 star = significantly below average.
Percent of long-stay residents whose need for help with daily activities has increased
16.8%
9% worse than Illinois averageIllinois average: 15.5%
Percent of long-stay residents whose ability to move independently worsened
5.9%
68% better than Illinois averageIllinois average: 18.4%
Percent of low risk long-stay residents who lose control of their bowels or bladder
14.2%
34% better than Illinois averageIllinois average: 21.6%
Percent of long-stay residents experiencing one or more falls with major injury
1.7%
50% better than Illinois averageIllinois average: 3.4%
Percent of long-stay high risk residents with pressure ulcers
11.8%
124% worse than Illinois averageIllinois average: 5.3%
Percent of long-stay residents with a urinary tract infection
0.3%
81% better than Illinois averageIllinois average: 1.8%
Percent of long-stay residents who lose too much weight
0.8%
88% better than Illinois averageIllinois average: 6.5%
Percent of long-stay residents who have depressive symptoms
87.3%
82% worse than Illinois averageIllinois average: 48.1%
Percent of long-stay residents who received an antipsychotic medication
26.5%
31% worse than Illinois averageIllinois average: 20.2%
Percent of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine
100.0%
12% better than Illinois averageIllinois average: 89.2%
Percent of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine
100.0%
9% better than Illinois averageIllinois average: 91.6%
Number of hospitalizations per 1,000 long-stay resident days.
3.94
92% worse than Illinois averageIllinois average: 2.05
Number of outpatient emergency department visits per 1,000 long-stay resident days.
2.72
21% worse than Illinois averageIllinois average: 2.25
CMS star rating based on short-stay quality measure performance. 5 stars = much above average, 1 star = much below average.
Percent of short-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine
64.7%
5% worse than Illinois averageIllinois average: 68.3%
Percent of short-stay residents who newly received an antipsychotic medication
0.0%
100% better than Illinois averageIllinois average: 2.3%
Percent of short-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine
61.5%
In line with Illinois averageIllinois average: 63.0%
Percentage of short-stay residents who were re-hospitalized after their nursing home admission.
35.7%
36% worse than Illinois averageIllinois average: 26.2%
Percentage of short-stay residents who had an outpatient emergency department visit.
27.1%
94% worse than Illinois averageIllinois average: 14.0%
Percentage of SNF residents who experience falls with major injury during their stay.
0.0%
100% better than Illinois averageIllinois average: 0.8%
Rate of successful return to home or community from a skilled nursing facility.
30.3%
40% worse than Illinois averageIllinois average: 50.6%
Quality measures are calculated from Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessments. For most measures, lower percentages indicate better care quality.
20% of new residents, usually for short-term rehab.
72% of new residents, often for short stays.
7% of new residents, often for long-term daily care.
Source: CMS Long-Term Care Facility Characteristics (Data as of Jan 2026)
Total residents
74Residents meet regularly to discuss policies, care quality, and activities
Organized group of residents that meets regularly to discuss facility policies, quality of life, and activities.
Data sourced from CMS Long-Term Care Facility Characteristics quarterly report. Payer mix reflects the current resident census by primary payment source.
Historical financial and operational data for Rock River Healthcare from 2011–2023, based on CMS SNF Cost Reports.
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 #162 / 171Payroll — State benchmarkedThis home is ranked 162nd out of 171 homes in Illinois. Shows total annual staff payroll benchmarked to the Illinois average. Higher payroll investment relative to peers often signals better staffing and less reliance on cheaper contract labor.Rankings are based only on facilities in Illinois 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 #79 / 171Payroll % — State benchmarkedThis home is ranked 79th out of 171 homes in Illinois. Shows payroll as a percentage of revenue versus the Illinois average. Well-run Illinois facilities typically land around 54–67% — the top third Statewide. Below 25% may signal understaffing or heavy agency use — read with Staffing ratings.Rankings are based only on facilities in Illinois 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).
Building Type: Two-story
Residents typically stay for brief periods, with frequent admissions and discharges throughout the year.
Most new residents arrive under private pay (72% of admissions), and a typical private pay stay runs around 5 - 6 months.
Coverage residents most often arrive under.
Coverage residents most often leave under.
3.5 miles from city center
Estimated distance in miles from Rockford's city center to Rock River Healthcare's address, calculated via Google Maps.
— 3.53 miles to nearest hospital (UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital)
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The information below is reported by the Illinois Department of Public Health, Office of Health Care Regulation.
| Amberwood Care Centre | NH HC MC PC RC | Rockford (North Rockton Avenue) | 135
Facility
135
IL AVG
86
Rank
#64 / 426 |
86.1%
Facility
86.1%
IL AVG
69.3%
Rank
#49 / 204 | +24% | 2.61
Facility
2.61
IL AVG
3.10
Rank
#114 / 172 | -40% | -16% | $0
Facility
$0
IL AVG
$151.3k
Rank
#1 / 173 | 43
Facility
43
IL AVG
36.8
Rank
#117 / 172 | 3.1
Facility
3.1
IL AVG
3.7
Rank
#58 / 172 | - | 125 | - |
47
Facility
47
IL AVG
51
Rank
#356 / 648 | Todd Stern 2015 Trust | $12.8M
Facility
$12.8M
IL AVG
$12.2M
Rank
#86 / 171 | $6.8M
Facility
$6.8M
IL AVG
$4.8M
Rank
#85 / 171 | 53.2%
Facility
53.2%
IL AVG
44.3%
Rank
#83 / 171 | 145908 | ||||
| River Bluff Nursing Home | NH HC MC PC | Rockford (Ruby) | 304
Facility
304
IL AVG
86
Rank
#1 / 426 |
45.6%
Facility
45.6%
IL AVG
69.3%
Rank
#185 / 204 | -34% | 4.13
Facility
4.13
IL AVG
3.10
Rank
#40 / 172 | -33% | +33% | $10.2k
Facility
$10.2k
IL AVG
$151.3k
Rank
#75 / 173 | 30
Facility
30
IL AVG
36.8
Rank
#79 / 172 | 3.0
Facility
3.0
IL AVG
3.7
Rank
#45 / 172 | 2 | 152 | - |
33
Facility
33
IL AVG
51
Rank
#470 / 648 | County Of Winnebago | $12.7M
Facility
$12.7M
IL AVG
$12.2M
Rank
#59 / 171 | $9.3M
Facility
$9.3M
IL AVG
$4.8M
Rank
#11 / 171 | 72.7%
Facility
72.7%
IL AVG
44.3%
Rank
#7 / 171 | 145771 | ||||
| Citadel PA Peterson | NH HC MC PC RC | Rockford | 129
Facility
129
IL AVG
86
Rank
#72 / 426 |
85.5%
Facility
85.5%
IL AVG
69.3%
Rank
#56 / 204 | +23% | 2.70
Facility
2.70
IL AVG
3.10
Rank
#103 / 172 | -24% | -13% | $21.2k
Facility
$21.2k
IL AVG
$151.3k
Rank
#86 / 173 | 63
Facility
63
IL AVG
36.8
Rank
#150 / 172 | 2.6
Facility
2.6
IL AVG
3.7
Rank
#28 / 172 | 4 | 124 | - |
31
Facility
31
IL AVG
51
Rank
#487 / 648 | - | $14.4M
Facility
$14.4M
IL AVG
$12.2M
Rank
#47 / 171 | $7.1M
Facility
$7.1M
IL AVG
$4.8M
Rank
#75 / 171 | 49.2%
Facility
49.2%
IL AVG
44.3%
Rank
#146 / 171 | 145751 | ||||
| Rock River Healthcare | NH HC MC RC | Rockford (West Riverside Boulevard) | 130
Facility
130
IL AVG
86
Rank
#71 / 426 |
56.9%
Facility
56.9%
IL AVG
69.3%
Rank
#164 / 204 | -18% | 2.01
Facility
2.01
IL AVG
3.10
Rank
#159 / 172 | +9% | -35% | $72.3k
Facility
$72.3k
IL AVG
$151.3k
Rank
#121 / 173 | 44
Facility
44
IL AVG
36.8
Rank
#120 / 172 | 2.4
Facility
2.4
IL AVG
3.7
Rank
#22 / 172 | 4 | 77 | - |
60
Facility
60
IL AVG
51
Rank
#233 / 648 | Smf Healthcare LLC | $6.3M
Facility
$6.3M
IL AVG
$12.2M
Rank
#157 / 171 | $3.0M
Facility
$3.0M
IL AVG
$4.8M
Rank
#162 / 171 | 47.8%
Facility
47.8%
IL AVG
44.3%
Rank
#79 / 171 | 145818 | ||||
| Alden Park Strathmoor | NH HC MC NC RC | Rockford (Strathmoor Drive) | 189
Facility
189
IL AVG
86
Rank
#35 / 426 |
73.8%
Facility
73.8%
IL AVG
69.3%
Rank
#108 / 204 | +7% | 2.48
Facility
2.48
IL AVG
3.10
Rank
#129 / 172 | +18% | -20% | $115.3k
Facility
$115.3k
IL AVG
$151.3k
Rank
#130 / 173 | 28
Facility
28
IL AVG
36.8
Rank
#69 / 172 | 3.5
Facility
3.5
IL AVG
3.7
Rank
#82 / 172 | 4 | 147 | - |
33
Facility
33
IL AVG
51
Rank
#470 / 648 | Nikolina Kuljanin | $14.9M
Facility
$14.9M
IL AVG
$12.2M
Rank
#80 / 171 | $6.9M
Facility
$6.9M
IL AVG
$4.8M
Rank
#88 / 171 | 46.5%
Facility
46.5%
IL AVG
44.3%
Rank
#93 / 171 | 145259 |
Rock River Healthcare is located in Rockford, Illinois.
Here are the financial assistance programs available to residents in Illinois.
Rock River Healthcare is in the West Riverside Boulevard neighborhood of Rockford.
Rock River Healthcare has a walk score of 60. Moderately walkable. Some errands can be accomplished on foot, with a mix of nearby amenities.
Rock River Healthcare's occupancy is 54.2%.
Rock River Healthcare is registered as a for-profit in IL.
Rock River Healthcare is located at 707 W Riverside Blvd, Rockford, IL 61103.
(815) 877-5752 will put you in contact with the team at Rock River Healthcare.
Yes — Rock River Healthcare is a CMS-certified provider of Medicare and Medicaid.
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