4/5
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.
4/5
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.
The Highlands is a nursing home in Fitchburg, MA, offering rehabilitation and skilled nursing. The community also ensures older adults are treated well in a supportive and home-like setting. With 24/7 nursing care, dietitian-approved meals, housekeeping, laundry, and transportation, residents experience a maintenance-free lifestyle. To meet residents’ unique needs and preferences, personalized care plans are also provided for their recovery.
Pet visits, light exercises, and various recreational opportunities foster interactions and encourage residents to live actively. Courtyards, a library, a beauty salon, and a barber shop are among the top-notch amenities dedicated to residents’ relaxation and wellness. Nestled near Mass Audubon’s Flat Rock Wildlife Sanctuary, Mount Wachusett Community College, and Crocker Conservation Area in Fitchburg, the community ensures accessibility and convenience. As one of the best options for senior living in Massachusetts, this nursing home continuously provides excellent services for older adults’ welfare.
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 61st out of 86 homes in Massachusetts 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.
| 25m per day | ▼ 37% State avg: 39m 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 6m per day | ▲ 14% State avg: 57m 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.
| 2h 19m per day | ▲ 3% State avg: 2h 16m 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.
| 3h 27m per day | ■ Avg State avg: 3h 29m per day · National avg: 3h 27m 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.
| 4m per day | ▼ 4% 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.
| 16m per day | ▼ 43% State avg: 27m per day · National avg: 29m per day |
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.
Reporting period: October 1 – December 31, 2025 (Q4 2025). Source: CMS Payroll-Based Journal report.
13% fewer staff per resident than Massachusetts average
0% compared with Massachusetts average
This data comes from the CMS Payroll-Based Journal report covering October 1 – December 31, 2025.
Manages medical care and health needs.
All 17 RN Staff are full-time employees. No contractors work on this role.
17
Average shift length. Calculated as total hours divided by days worked and average staff per day.
8.7 hoursAssists with medical care and medications.
All 41 LPN Staff are full-time employees. No contractors work on this role.
41
Average shift length. Calculated as total hours divided by days worked and average staff per day.
8.5 hoursHelps with daily care and mobility.
All 102 CNA Staff are full-time employees. No contractors work on this role.
102
Average shift length. Calculated as total hours divided by days worked and average staff per day.
7.7 hours
This data comes from the CMS Payroll-Based Journal report covering October 1 – December 31, 2025.
Total hours from contractors
120 contractor hours this quarter
This data comes from the CMS Payroll-Based Journal report covering October 1 – December 31, 2025.
| Certified Nursing Assistant | 102 | 0 | 102 | 33,208 | 92 | 100% | 7.7 |
| Licensed Practical Nurse | 41 | 0 | 41 | 14,230 | 92 | 100% | 8.5 |
| Registered Nurse | 17 | 0 | 17 | 4,121 | 92 | 100% | 8.7 |
| Other Dietary Services Staff | 19 | 0 | 19 | 3,394 | 92 | 100% | 6.4 |
| Physical Therapy Assistant | 8 | 0 | 8 | 2,089 | 92 | 100% | 6.5 |
| Speech Language Pathologist | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1,602 | 82 | 89% | 7.2 |
| RN Director of Nursing | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1,453 | 77 | 84% | 8.1 |
| Clinical Nurse Specialist | 7 | 0 | 7 | 1,293 | 72 | 78% | 7.4 |
| Respiratory Therapy Technician | 6 | 0 | 6 | 1,050 | 91 | 99% | 7 |
| Dietitian | 2 | 0 | 2 | 960 | 64 | 70% | 8 |
| Mental Health Service Worker | 2 | 0 | 2 | 946 | 64 | 70% | 7.9 |
| Physical Therapy Aide | 2 | 0 | 2 | 589 | 74 | 80% | 7.4 |
| Administrator | 1 | 0 | 1 | 528 | 66 | 72% | 8 |
| Nurse Practitioner | 1 | 0 | 1 | 480 | 60 | 65% | 8 |
| Occupational Therapy Aide | 1 | 0 | 1 | 464 | 58 | 63% | 8 |
| Qualified Social Worker | 2 | 0 | 2 | 405 | 50 | 54% | 8.1 |
| Respiratory Therapist | 1 | 0 | 1 | 313 | 41 | 45% | 7.6 |
| Qualified Activities Professional | 1 | 0 | 1 | 173 | 55 | 60% | 3.1 |
| Occupational Therapy Assistant | 0 | 7 | 7 | 80 | 9 | 10% | 6.6 |
| Medical Director | 0 | 1 | 1 | 41 | 3 | 3% | 13.5 |
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.
A composite score based on pressure ulcers, falls with injury, weight loss, walking ability decline, and activities of daily living decline.
7.1
31% better than Massachusetts averageMassachusetts average: 10.2
A composite score based on activities of daily living decline, walking ability decline, and incontinence.
16.0
20% better than Massachusetts averageMassachusetts average: 20.0
Percent of long-stay residents whose need for help with daily activities has increased
7.2%
61% better than Massachusetts averageMassachusetts average: 18.7%
Percent of long-stay residents whose ability to move independently worsened
11.9%
38% better than Massachusetts averageMassachusetts average: 19.3%
Percent of low risk long-stay residents who lose control of their bowels or bladder
28.8%
30% worse than Massachusetts averageMassachusetts average: 22.1%
Percent of long-stay residents experiencing one or more falls with major injury
1.2%
67% better than Massachusetts averageMassachusetts average: 3.6%
Percent of long-stay high risk residents with pressure ulcers
5.1%
9% worse than Massachusetts averageMassachusetts average: 4.7%
Percent of long-stay residents with a urinary tract infection
0.0%
100% better than Massachusetts averageMassachusetts average: 2.1%
Percent of long-stay residents who lose too much weight
10.0%
94% worse than Massachusetts averageMassachusetts average: 5.2%
Percent of long-stay residents who have depressive symptoms
4.8%
55% better than Massachusetts averageMassachusetts average: 10.7%
Percent of long-stay residents who received an antipsychotic medication
12.8%
37% better than Massachusetts averageMassachusetts average: 20.3%
Percent of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine
64.3%
30% worse than Massachusetts averageMassachusetts average: 91.9%
Percent of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine
92.0%
In line with Massachusetts averageMassachusetts average: 94.8%
Percent of short-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine
23.5%
69% worse than Massachusetts averageMassachusetts average: 76.7%
Percent of short-stay residents who newly received an antipsychotic medication
0.5%
64% better than Massachusetts averageMassachusetts average: 1.3%
Percent of short-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine
50.4%
35% worse than Massachusetts averageMassachusetts average: 77.7%
Quality measures are calculated from Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessments. For most measures, lower percentages indicate better care quality.
37% of new residents, usually for short-term rehab.
36% of new residents, often for short stays.
27% of new residents, often for long-term daily care.
Source: CMS Long-Term Care Facility Characteristics (Data as of Jan 2026)
Total residents
159Residents 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 The Highlands from 2011–2023, based on CMS SNF Cost Reports.
Key figures below are for fiscal year ending in 12/2023.
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 #20 / 89Payroll — State benchmarkedThis home is ranked 20th out of 89 homes in Massachusetts for payroll. Shows total annual staff payroll benchmarked to the Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts 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 #54 / 89Payroll % — State benchmarkedThis home is ranked 54th out of 89 homes in Massachusetts for payroll %. Shows payroll as a percentage of revenue versus the Massachusetts average. Well-run Massachusetts facilities typically land around 54–65% — 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 Massachusetts 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).
Housing Options: Private/Semi-Private Rooms
Building Type: Mid-rise
On-site Medical Care and Health Services
Rehabilitative Support
Beauty Services
Housekeeping Services
Social and Recreational Activities
Transportation Services
Most residents typically stay for a few weeks or months before returning home or moving on.
New residents most often arrive under Medicare (37% of admissions), and a typical Medicare stay runs around 25 days.
Coverage residents most often arrive under.
Coverage residents most often leave under.
1.3 miles from city center
Estimated distance in miles from Fitchburg's city center to The Highlands's address, calculated via Google Maps.
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Info below is compiled from CMS reports & the MA Executive Office of Elder Affairs, senior community websites & trusted data sources such as Walk Score & BBB.
Communities are listed from highest to lowest based on our ranking methodology.
| Life Care Center of Leominster | NH SNF | Leominster | 133
Facility
133
MA AVG
94
Rank
#45 / 276 |
82.3%
Facility
82.3%
MA AVG
78.3
Rank
#44 / 81 | +5% | 3.82
Facility
3.82
MA AVG
3.93
Rank
#44 / 86 | -51% | -3% | $0
Facility
$0
MA AVG
$76.6k
Rank
#1 / 87 | 21
Facility
21
MA AVG
32.7
Rank
#28 / 86 | 5.3
Facility
5.3
MA AVG
7.2
Rank
#30 / 86 | 2 | 110 | - |
31
Facility
31
MA AVG
53
Rank
#356 / 498 | William Reidt | $14.5MFiscal year ending 12/2023
Facility
$14.5MFiscal year ending 12/2023
MA AVG
$17.4M
Rank
#36 / 89 | $10.5MFiscal year ending 12/2023
Facility
$10.5MFiscal year ending 12/2023
MA AVG
$6.5M
Rank
#30 / 89 | 72.7%Fiscal year ending 12/2023
Facility
72.7%Fiscal year ending 12/2023
MA AVG
43.6%
Rank
#35 / 89 | 225038 | ||||
| The Highlands | NH SNF | Fitchburg | 168
Facility
168
MA AVG
94
Rank
#17 / 276 |
92.6%
Facility
92.6%
MA AVG
78.3
Rank
#19 / 81 | +18% | 3.62
Facility
3.62
MA AVG
3.93
Rank
#61 / 86 | -42% | -8% | $0
Facility
$0
MA AVG
$76.6k
Rank
#1 / 87 | 12
Facility
12
MA AVG
32.7
Rank
#13 / 86 | 3.0
Facility
3.0
MA AVG
7.2
Rank
#6 / 86 | - | 156 | - |
27
Facility
27
MA AVG
53
Rank
#369 / 498 | Carlos Bonilla | $20.2MFiscal year ending 12/2023
Facility
$20.2MFiscal year ending 12/2023
MA AVG
$17.4M
Rank
#16 / 89 | $12.8MFiscal year ending 12/2023
Facility
$12.8MFiscal year ending 12/2023
MA AVG
$6.5M
Rank
#20 / 89 | 63.5%Fiscal year ending 12/2023
Facility
63.5%Fiscal year ending 12/2023
MA AVG
43.6%
Rank
#54 / 89 | 225315 | ||||
| Leominster Rehabilitation and Nursing Center | NH HOS PC RC SNF | Leominster | 124
Facility
124
MA AVG
94
Rank
#50 / 276 |
84.6%
Facility
84.6%
MA AVG
78.3
Rank
#37 / 81 | +8% | 3.36
Facility
3.36
MA AVG
3.93
Rank
#73 / 86 | -33% | -14% | $0
Facility
$0
MA AVG
$76.6k
Rank
#1 / 87 | 35
Facility
35
MA AVG
32.7
Rank
#57 / 86 | 8.8
Facility
8.8
MA AVG
7.2
Rank
#64 / 86 | - | 105 | - |
35
Facility
35
MA AVG
53
Rank
#335 / 498 | Gardner Nursing Home Holding Company LLC | $13.9MFiscal year ending 12/2023
Facility
$13.9MFiscal year ending 12/2023
MA AVG
$17.4M
Rank
#60 / 89 | $8.2MFiscal year ending 12/2023
Facility
$8.2MFiscal year ending 12/2023
MA AVG
$6.5M
Rank
#58 / 89 | 58.9%Fiscal year ending 12/2023
Facility
58.9%Fiscal year ending 12/2023
MA AVG
43.6%
Rank
#22 / 89 | 225196 |
The Highlands is located in Fitchburg, Massachusetts.
Here are the financial assistance programs available to residents in Massachusetts.
The Highlands has a walk score of 27. Somewhat walkable. A few nearby services may be reachable on foot, but most trips require transportation.
The Highlands's occupancy is 87.9%.
No, The Highlands has a no-pet policy.
The team at The Highlands can be reached at contact_highlands@lcca.com.
The Highlands is registered as a for-profit.
Yes — there are 21 photos of The Highlands in the photo gallery on this page.
The Highlands is located at 335 Nichols St, Fitchburg, MA 01420.
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