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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.
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.
Rocky Top Care Center is a nursing home in Rocky Top, Tennessee, that offers memory care, long-term support, complex medical treatment, respite options, and hospice care. Serving Anderson County, the community has been licensed since July 1992 with 117 beds. Everyday management is overseen by Core LTC Services LLC, under the ownership of Jetty Operations Holdings LLC, which took control of the property in May 2024.
The community operates at a 75% occupancy rate, which is slightly above the Tennessee state average of 71.6%. While it accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and private financing, the current occupant base is predominantly composed of Medicaid beneficiaries, which is 83.3%.
Federal records show significant regulatory challenges, resulting in a 1-star overall CMS rating. Additionally, 37 total deficiencies were cited across four separate inspections, and it is currently designated as a Special Focus Facility Candidate, indicating a recurring history of major quality issues that place it under close government scrutiny.
The most severe evaluation took place on August 22, 2024, uncovering 15 deficiencies. Notably, four of these citations reached the highest tier of severity on the federal scale, representing immediate jeopardy to the health and safety of multiple residents. These critical findings involved failures in resource management, administrative governance, quality assurance frameworks, and infection control protocols. This review also flagged issues regarding food storage safety, direct caregiver staffing, resident dignity, and medication organization.
Direct nursing care totals 3.49 hours per resident daily, falling below the Tennessee benchmark of 3.9 hours. Registered Nurse (RN) availability is a relative highlight, with daily hours 30% above the state average at 48 minutes, and weekend coverage tracking 54% above the state standard. Conversely, Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) hours are a point of concern, running 27% below the state average at 1 hour and 34 minutes per day. Staff turnover stands at 44.4%, which is slightly more favorable than the Tennessee statewide average of 48.7%.
On a positive note, hospital readmission frequencies are 30% better than the state average. Antipsychotic drug utilization is also elevated at 21.3%. For temporary rehabilitation guests, metrics show zero major fall injuries, though seasonal vaccination rates remain well below state benchmarks.
Rocky Top Care Center primarily caters to those requiring long-term Medicaid assistance and localized clinical care. Given the severe regulatory findings from late 2024, families evaluating this option are strongly encouraged to request updated documentation regarding corrective actions implemented under the new management and to conduct an in-person visit before finalizing any care arrangements.
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 83rd out of 172 homes in Tennessee 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.
| 48m per day | ▲ 30% State avg: 37m 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.
| 1h 7m per day | ▲ 3% State avg: 1h 5m 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 34m per day | ▼ 27% State avg: 2h 9m 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 58m per day | ▼ 12% 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 | ▼ 80% State avg: 5m 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.
| 37m per day | ▲ 54% State avg: 24m per day · National avg: 28m per day |
Higher than the Tennessee average: 71.6%Rocky Top Care Center is administrated by Cheryl Unterborn.
In Tennessee, the Department of Health, Division of Health Care Facilities performs unannounced inspections and investigations to ensure facilities provide high-quality resident care.
Tennessee average 3.5
Last Health inspection on Aug 2024
Tennessee average 15.4
Tennessee average 4.39
Health citations are formal notices following inspections when they fail to comply with safety and care standards.
24 of 37 citations resulted from standard inspections; 5 of 37 resulted from complaint investigations; and 8 of 37 came from combined inspections (standard and complaint).
627% worse than Tennessee averageTennessee average: 1.1
67% worse than Tennessee averageTennessee average: 0.6
Corrected
Corrected
Corrected
Corrected
Reporting period: October 1 – December 31, 2025 (Q4 2025). Source: CMS Payroll-Based Journal report.
22% fewer staff per resident than Tennessee average
10% better than Tennessee average
This data comes from the CMS Payroll-Based Journal report covering October 1 – December 31, 2025.
Manages medical care and health needs.
All 14 RN Staff are full-time employees. No contractors work on this role.
14
Average shift length. Calculated as total hours divided by days worked and average staff per day.
9.8 hoursAssists with medical care and medications.
All 24 LPN Staff are full-time employees. No contractors work on this role.
24
Average shift length. Calculated as total hours divided by days worked and average staff per day.
9.2 hoursHelps with daily care and mobility.
All 37 CNA Staff are full-time employees. No contractors work on this role.
37
Average shift length. Calculated as total hours divided by days worked and average staff per day.
9.3 hours
This data comes from the CMS Payroll-Based Journal report covering October 1 – December 31, 2025.
Total hours from contractors
2,368 contractor hours this quarter
This data comes from the CMS Payroll-Based Journal report covering October 1 – December 31, 2025.
| Certified Nursing Assistant | 37 | 0 | 37 | 12,434 | 92 | 100% | 9.3 |
| Licensed Practical Nurse | 24 | 0 | 24 | 8,539 | 92 | 100% | 9.2 |
| Registered Nurse | 14 | 0 | 14 | 4,643 | 92 | 100% | 9.8 |
| Diagnostic X-ray Services Staff | 8 | 0 | 8 | 2,535 | 91 | 99% | 9.9 |
| Nurse Aide in Training | 11 | 0 | 11 | 2,103 | 87 | 95% | 9.2 |
| Clinical Nurse Specialist | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1,581 | 70 | 76% | 8.1 |
| Dietitian | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1,029 | 67 | 73% | 8.4 |
| Mental Health Service Worker | 2 | 0 | 2 | 963 | 66 | 72% | 8.3 |
| Administrator | 1 | 0 | 1 | 488 | 61 | 66% | 8 |
| Nurse Practitioner | 0 | 1 | 1 | 480 | 60 | 65% | 8 |
| Physical Therapy Aide | 0 | 5 | 5 | 472 | 60 | 65% | 7.5 |
| Physical Therapy Assistant | 0 | 2 | 2 | 451 | 64 | 70% | 6.9 |
| Speech Language Pathologist | 0 | 3 | 3 | 449 | 58 | 63% | 7.6 |
| Respiratory Therapy Technician | 0 | 2 | 2 | 204 | 35 | 38% | 5.7 |
| Occupational Therapy Aide | 0 | 2 | 2 | 194 | 24 | 26% | 8.1 |
| Qualified Social Worker | 0 | 3 | 3 | 45 | 15 | 16% | 3 |
| Occupational Therapy Assistant | 0 | 1 | 1 | 37 | 11 | 12% | 3.3 |
| Medical Director | 0 | 1 | 1 | 36 | 6 | 7% | 6 |
Includes penalties issued in 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)
In line with Tennessee averageTennessee average: $86K
43% fewer fines than Tennessee averageTennessee average: 1.7
Serious action where Medicare and/or Medicaid temporarily stops payments for new residents until issues are fixed.
0
100% fewer payment denials than Tennessee averageTennessee average: 0.5
Penalties are imposed by CMS for violations of federal nursing home regulations.
1 penalty in the past 3 years
Aug 22, 2024 · $87K
Fines imposed for noncompliance, which can be assessed per day or per instance of violation.
Aug 22, 2024Last 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.
10.6
In line with Tennessee averageTennessee average: 10.5
A composite score based on activities of daily living decline, walking ability decline, and incontinence.
17.8
9% better than Tennessee averageTennessee average: 19.5
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
14.6%
9% better than Tennessee averageTennessee average: 16.0%
Percent of long-stay residents whose ability to move independently worsened
17.0%
22% better than Tennessee averageTennessee average: 21.7%
Percent of low risk long-stay residents who lose control of their bowels or bladder
21.8%
5% worse than Tennessee averageTennessee average: 20.7%
Percent of long-stay residents experiencing one or more falls with major injury
6.0%
62% worse than Tennessee averageTennessee average: 3.7%
Percent of long-stay high risk residents with pressure ulcers
7.7%
42% worse than Tennessee averageTennessee average: 5.4%
Percent of long-stay residents with a urinary tract infection
2.1%
In line with Tennessee averageTennessee average: 2.1%
Percent of long-stay residents who lose too much weight
7.9%
25% worse than Tennessee averageTennessee average: 6.3%
Percent of long-stay residents who have depressive symptoms
2.3%
79% better than Tennessee averageTennessee average: 11.0%
Percent of long-stay residents who received an antipsychotic medication
21.3%
29% worse than Tennessee averageTennessee average: 16.5%
Percent of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine
92.0%
In line with Tennessee averageTennessee average: 89.9%
Percent of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine
97.8%
In line with Tennessee averageTennessee average: 94.5%
Number of hospitalizations per 1,000 long-stay resident days.
1.11
30% better than Tennessee averageTennessee average: 1.58
Number of outpatient emergency department visits per 1,000 long-stay resident days.
2.43
55% worse than Tennessee averageTennessee average: 1.57
Percent of short-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine
43.7%
45% worse than Tennessee averageTennessee average: 79.7%
Percent of short-stay residents who newly received an antipsychotic medication
0.0%
100% better than Tennessee averageTennessee average: 1.7%
Percent of short-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine
47.5%
40% worse than Tennessee averageTennessee average: 79.8%
Percentage of SNF residents who experience falls with major injury during their stay.
0.0%
100% better than Tennessee averageTennessee average: 0.8%
Quality measures are calculated from Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessments. For most measures, lower percentages indicate better care quality.
16% of new residents, usually for short-term rehab.
48% of new residents, often for short stays.
36% of new residents, often for long-term daily care.
Source: CMS Long-Term Care Facility Characteristics (Data as of Jan 2026)
Total residents
90Residents meet regularly to discuss policies, care quality, and activities
State-approved Nurse Aide Training and Competency Evaluation Program on-site
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 Rocky Top Care Center based on CMS SNF Cost Reports.
The portion of the home's budget spent on staff, including nurses, caregivers, and other employees who support care and operations.
Rank #148 / 176Payroll — State benchmarkedThis home is ranked 148th out of 176 homes in Tennessee for payroll. Shows total annual staff payroll benchmarked to the Tennessee average. Higher payroll investment relative to peers often signals better staffing and less reliance on cheaper contract labor.Click the rank badge to see the full State ranking.Click here to see the full State ranking.
All remaining costs needed to run the home, such as food, utilities, building maintenance, supplies and administrative expenses.
This home supports both short-term rehab and long-term care, with residents staying for a wide range of durations.
0.0 miles from city center
Estimated distance in miles from Rocky Top's city center to Rocky Top Care Center's address, calculated via Google Maps.
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Rocky Top Care Center is located in Rocky Top, Tennessee.
Here are the financial assistance programs available to residents in Tennessee.
The legal owner and operator of Rocky Top Care Center is Rocky Top Operations, LLC.
Rocky Top Care Center has a walk score of 28. Somewhat walkable. A few nearby services may be reachable on foot, but most trips require transportation.
According to TN state health department records, Rocky Top Care Center's license number is 00000003.
According to TN state health department records, Rocky Top Care Center's license expires on July 28, 2026.
Rocky Top Care Center's occupancy is 75%.
Cheryl Unterborn is the administrator of Rocky Top Care Center.
Rocky Top Care Center has 117 beds.
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