Heritage House

What the CMS Record Reveals About Heritage House

Heritage House operates 61 certified beds in Atlantic, IA with approximately 57 residents currently in care, and carries a CMS overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars. The overall score is a composite of three weighted sub-ratings published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: health inspection results (4★), staffing levels (4★), and quality measures (4★). Because CMS caps the overall score at the health-inspection tier and then adjusts up or down based on staffing and quality, the sub-scores often tell a sharper story than the headline star count alone — a 3-star facility with weak inspection history reads differently from one held back by thin staffing.

The inspection file contains 11 deficiency records from recent surveys, all falling in the no-harm or minimal-harm bands of the CMS scope-and-severity grid. No fines or payment denials have been assessed against this provider, suggesting issues — if any — did not rise to the enforcement threshold. Staffing is reported at 4.12 total nursing hours per resident day (national average 3.89), with RN coverage at 0.47 per resident day — the single staffing metric most strongly tied to resident outcomes in peer-reviewed literature.

Classified as "Non profit - Corporation" ownership and operating as a "Medicare and Medicaid" provider, Heritage House falls into a category where comparative context matters. National research consistently shows that ownership structure, staffing hours, and turnover are the three operational levers that correlate most strongly with resident outcomes — ratings and fines are lagging indicators of those upstream choices. Reported nursing turnover at this facility is 40.3%, within a range generally associated with stable care teams. For families evaluating this facility, the CMS record should be read alongside a site visit, direct conversation with current residents and their families, and review of the state health department's most recent inspection report — the star rating is a starting point, not a verdict. All data on this page is sourced from CMS Provider Data and the Nursing Home Compare program; always verify details directly with the facility or your state survey agency before making placement decisions.