Heron'S Key
4340 Borgen Blvd NW, Gig Harbor, WA 98332
Heron'S Key, a 30-bed non profit - corporation nursing facility in Gig Harbor, WA, holds a 5-star CMS overall rating - well above the 3.0-star national average, ranking #3 of 191 rated homes in WA on CMS overall stars (with health+staffing+quality tie-breaks), with nurse staffing above the national norm. 1 inspection finding reached the actual-harm or immediate-jeopardy level.
CMS combines health inspections, nurse-staffing levels, and clinical quality measures into the overall star rating, read the components below; they often tell a sharper story than the headline.
Phone: 2533130800
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- 5 / 5
- Much above average · CMS overall · nat'l 3.0
- #3 of 191
- In-state rank among rated WA homes
- 5.75
- Well above average · nurse hrs/day · nat'l 3.86
- 19
- Inspection findings · 1 serious
The verdict
Heron'S Key, a 30-bed non profit - corporation nursing facility in Gig Harbor, WA, holds a 5-star CMS overall rating - well above the 3.0-star national average, ranking #3 of 191 rated homes in WA on CMS overall stars (with health+staffing+quality tie-breaks), with nurse staffing above the national norm. 1 inspection finding reached the actual-harm or immediate-jeopardy level.
- 5 / 5
- CMS overall · national 3.0
- #3 of 191
- In-state rank among rated WA homes
- 5.75
- Nurse hrs/resident-day · national 3.86
- 19
- Inspection findings · 1 serious
CMS force-curves overall stars within each state; read health, staffing, and quality sub-ratings alongside the headline.
In-state ownership mix · peer inventory
How 193 WA nursing homes split by ownership sector
This facility is recorded as Non profit - Corporation. Sector buckets collapse CMS ownership_type into For-profit, Nonprofit, and Government, orthogonal to the RN/LPN/CNA hour bar below.
Health Inspection
Staffing
Quality Measures
Long-Stay Quality
Facility Information
- Provider Number
- 505531
- Ownership
- Non profit - Corporation
- Provider Type
- Medicare
- Beds
- 30
- Residents
- 16
- In Hospital
- No
- County
- Pierce
- Last Inspection
- Feb 13, 2026
Staffing Data
How the 5.75 total nursing hours per resident-day are staffed:
- RN Hours
- 1.70 (nat'l avg: 0.69)
- LPN Hours
- 0.70
- CNA Hours
- 3.35
- Total Nursing Hours
- 5.75 (nat'l avg: 3.86)
- PT Hours
- 0.29
- Nursing Turnover
- 29.6%
- RN Turnover
- 44.4%
What the CMS Record Reveals About Heron'S Key
According to CMS Nursing Home Compare, Heron'S Key ranks #3 of 191 rated nursing homes in WA on overall stars (tie-broken by health+staffing+quality, then fewer fines). Heron'S Key operates 30 certified beds in Gig Harbor, WA with approximately 16 residents currently in care, and carries a CMS overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars (health inspection 5★ · staffing 5★ · quality 5★).
The inspection file contains 19 deficiency records from recent surveys, of which 1 reached the actual-harm or immediate-jeopardy threshold on the CMS scope-and-severity grid. This provider has been fined 1 time by CMS, for a combined $15K. Staffing is reported at 5.75 total nursing hours per resident day (national average 3.86), with RN coverage at 1.70 per resident day.
Classified as "Non profit - Corporation" ownership and operating as a "Medicare" provider, Heron'S Key falls into a category where comparative context matters. Reported nursing staff turnover at this facility is 29.6% (CMS payroll-based measure).
Why sub-scores and the CMS methodology matter
The overall score is a composite of three weighted sub-ratings published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: health inspection results, staffing levels, and quality measures. 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.
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. The staffing metric in particular is the one most strongly tied to resident outcomes in peer-reviewed literature.
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 the same record on Medicare.gov Care Compare and with the facility or your state survey agency before making placement decisions.
Deficiency History (19 most recent)
Provide routine and 24-hour emergency dental care for each resident.
Category: Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Corrected: Mar 26, 2026
Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
Category: Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Corrected: Mar 26, 2026
Ensure each resident receives an accurate assessment.
Category: Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies
Corrected: Mar 26, 2026
Post nurse staffing information every day.
Category: Nursing and Physician Services Deficiencies
Corrected: Dec 27, 2024
Make sure that the nursing home area is safe, easy to use, clean and comfortable for residents, staff and the public.
Category: Environmental Deficiencies
Corrected: Dec 27, 2024
Ensure each resident’s drug regimen must be free from unnecessary drugs.
Category: Pharmacy Service Deficiencies
Corrected: Dec 27, 2024
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
Category: Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Corrected: Dec 27, 2024
Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
Category: Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Corrected: Dec 27, 2024
Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured.
Category: Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies
Corrected: Dec 27, 2024
Honor the resident's right to request, refuse, and/or discontinue treatment, to participate in or refuse to participate in experimental research, and to formulate an advance directive.
Category: Resident Rights Deficiencies
Corrected: Dec 27, 2024
Honor the resident's right to share a room with spouse or roommate of choice and receive written notice before a change is made.
Category: Resident Rights Deficiencies
Corrected: Dec 27, 2024
Notify the resident or the resident’s representative in writing how long the nursing home will hold the resident’s bed in cases of transfer to a hospital or therapeutic leave.
Category: Resident Rights Deficiencies
Corrected: Dec 27, 2024
Provide timely notification to the resident, and if applicable to the resident representative and ombudsman, before transfer or discharge, including appeal rights.
Category: Resident Rights Deficiencies
Corrected: Dec 27, 2024
Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
Category: Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies
Corrected: Dec 27, 2024
Give residents a notice of rights, rules, services and charges.
Category: Resident Rights Deficiencies
Corrected: Dec 27, 2024
Ensure drugs and biologicals used in the facility are labeled in accordance with currently accepted professional principles; and all drugs and biologicals must be stored in locked compartments, separately locked, compartments for controlled drugs.
Category: Pharmacy Service Deficiencies
Corrected: Feb 1, 2024
Ensure each resident’s drug regimen must be free from unnecessary drugs.
Category: Pharmacy Service Deficiencies
Corrected: Feb 1, 2024
Ensure food and drink is palatable, attractive, and at a safe and appetizing temperature.
Category: Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies
Corrected: Feb 1, 2024
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
Category: Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Corrected: Sep 28, 2023
Quality Measures
| Measure | Type | Score | Used in Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose need for help with daily activities has increased | Long Stay | 15.4% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a catheter inserted and left in their bladder | Long Stay | 0.0% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a urinary tract infection | Long Stay | 1.7% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents experiencing one or more falls with major injury | Long Stay | 0.0% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose ability to walk independently worsened | Long Stay | N/A | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with pressure ulcers | Long Stay | 0.0% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antipsychotic medication | Long Stay | 9.4% | Yes |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who newly received an antipsychotic medication | Short Stay | 2.1% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who lose too much weight | Long Stay | 5.4% | No |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who have depressive symptoms | Long Stay | 1.8% | No |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who were physically restrained | Long Stay | 0.0% | No |
| Percentage of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine | Long Stay | 100.0% | No |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antianxiety or hypnotic medication | Long Stay | 5.0% | No |
| Percentage of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine | Long Stay | N/A | No |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with new or worsened bowel or bladder incontinence | Long Stay | 29.7% | No |
| Percentage of short-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine | Short Stay | 95.6% | No |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who were assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine | Short Stay | N/A | No |
Penalty History 1 penalties totaling $15K
| Date | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 31, 2023 | Fine | $15K |
Nationwide facilities with similar scale or staffing
Two data-derived peer sets for Heron'S Key, both outside WA so the neighborhoods are not the same-state geography list below.
Similar bed count
Nearest CMS certified bed counts outside WA (30 beds here).
Similar staffing hours
Nearest CMS adjusted total nurse hours per resident day outside WA (6.50 here).
Nearby Nursing Homes in WA
192 other nursing homes are on record in WA; 6 are shown here.
Agility Health and Rehabilitation
University Place, WA
Alaska Gardens Health and Rehabilitation
Tacoma, WA
Alderwood Manor
Spokane, WA
Alderwood Park Health and Rehab of Cascadia
Bellingham, WA
Alderwood Post Acute & Rehabilitation
Lynnwood, WA
Americana Health and Rehabilitation
Longview, WA
Understanding Nursing Home Data
What the CMS records show for Heron'S Key
The health, staffing, and quality sub-ratings above often diverge from the CMS overall headline. Use those components and the inspection findings to read the full file, not the overall star alone.
- The WA registry aggregates state averages and the highest-rated homes in this cohort. View WA registry
- Peer homes near 30 beds show how CMS stars vary at a similar scale in WA. Compare a similar-size peer
- CMS publishes separate fields for inspections, nurse staffing hours, and quality measures; the guide explains how each star is computed. How CMS ratings work
CMS refreshes Nursing Home Compare quarterly (current extract: August 2026). PlainNursing describes published records; it does not establish suitability, availability, admissions, or individual outcomes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the overall CMS rating for Heron'S Key?
Where does Heron'S Key rank among nursing homes in WA?
What are the staffing levels at Heron'S Key?
How many beds does Heron'S Key have?
Does Heron'S Key have any deficiencies on record?
Has Heron'S Key received any fines or penalties?
Who owns Heron'S Key?
When was Heron'S Key last inspected?
What quality measures are tracked for Heron'S Key?
Data Sources
Data source: CMS Nursing Home Compare. Ratings, staffing, deficiency, quality measure, and penalty data are from CMS Provider Data. For informational purposes only. Verify the same CCN on Medicare.gov Care Compare and with the facility or your state health department.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
