Kern River Transitional Care
5151 Knudsen Drive, Bakersfield, CA 93308
Kern River Transitional Care, a 140-bed for profit - limited liability company nursing facility in Bakersfield, CA, holds a 1-star CMS overall rating - below the 3.0-star national average, ranking #1,076 of 1,154 rated homes in CA on CMS overall stars (with health+staffing+quality tie-breaks), with nurse staffing above the national norm. No recent finding reached the actual-harm 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: 6613259900
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- 1 / 5
- Much below average · CMS overall · nat'l 3.0
- #1,076 of 1,154
- In-state rank among rated CA homes
- 4.52
- Well above average · nurse hrs/day · nat'l 3.86
- 50
- Inspection findings
The verdict
Kern River Transitional Care, a 140-bed for profit - limited liability company nursing facility in Bakersfield, CA, holds a 1-star CMS overall rating - below the 3.0-star national average, ranking #1,076 of 1,154 rated homes in CA on CMS overall stars (with health+staffing+quality tie-breaks), with nurse staffing above the national norm. No recent finding reached the actual-harm level.
- 1 / 5
- CMS overall · national 3.0
- #1,076 of 1,154
- In-state rank among rated CA homes
- 4.52
- Nurse hrs/resident-day · national 3.86
- 50
- Inspection findings on file
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 1,165 CA nursing homes split by ownership sector
This facility is recorded as For profit - Limited Liability company. 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
- 555912
- Ownership
- For profit - Limited Liability company
- Provider Type
- Medicare and Medicaid
- Beds
- 140
- Residents
- 136
- In Hospital
- No
- County
- Kern
- Last Inspection
- Apr 24, 2025
Staffing Data
How the 4.52 total nursing hours per resident-day are staffed:
- RN Hours
- 0.54 (nat'l avg: 0.69)
- LPN Hours
- 1.17
- CNA Hours
- 2.80
- Total Nursing Hours
- 4.52 (nat'l avg: 3.86)
- PT Hours
- 0.10
- Nursing Turnover
- 48.3%
- RN Turnover
- 30.0%
What the CMS Record Reveals About Kern River Transitional Care
According to CMS Nursing Home Compare, Kern River Transitional Care ranks #1,076 of 1,154 rated nursing homes in CA on overall stars (tie-broken by health+staffing+quality, then fewer fines). Kern River Transitional Care operates 140 certified beds in Bakersfield, CA with approximately 136 residents currently in care, and carries a CMS overall rating of 1 out of 5 stars (health inspection 1★ · staffing 2★ · quality 4★).
The inspection file contains 50 deficiency records from recent surveys, all falling in the no-harm or minimal-harm bands of the CMS scope-and-severity grid. This provider has been fined 1 time by CMS, for a combined $78K. Staffing is reported at 4.52 total nursing hours per resident day (national average 3.86), with RN coverage at 0.54 per resident day.
Classified as "For profit - Limited Liability company" ownership and operating as a "Medicare and Medicaid" provider, Kern River Transitional Care falls into a category where comparative context matters. Reported nursing staff turnover at this facility is 48.3% (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 (50 most recent)
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: May 28, 2026
Immediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident.
Category: Resident Rights Deficiencies
Corrected: May 28, 2026
Ensure that nurses and nurse aides have the appropriate competencies to care for every resident in a way that maximizes each resident's well being.
Category: Nursing and Physician Services Deficiencies
Corrected: Aug 28, 2025
Provide appropriate care for residents who are continent or incontinent of bowel/bladder, appropriate catheter care, and appropriate care to prevent urinary tract infections.
Category: Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Corrected: Aug 28, 2025
Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality.
Category: Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies
Corrected: Aug 28, 2025
Ensure that residents are fully informed and understand their health status, care and treatments.
Category: Resident Rights Deficiencies
Corrected: Aug 28, 2025
Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
Category: Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Corrected: May 30, 2025
Arrange for the provision of hospice services or assist the resident in transferring to a facility that will arrange for the provision of hospice services.
Category: Administration Deficiencies
Corrected: Jun 20, 2025
Ensure that residents are fully informed and understand their health status, care and treatments.
Category: Resident Rights Deficiencies
Corrected: Jun 20, 2025
Inform resident or representatives choice to enter into binding arbitration agreement and right to refuse.
Category: Administration Deficiencies
Corrected: May 12, 2025
Safeguard resident-identifiable information and/or maintain medical records on each resident that are in accordance with accepted professional standards.
Category: Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies
Corrected: May 12, 2025
Provide routine and 24-hour emergency dental care for each resident.
Category: Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Corrected: May 12, 2025
Provide safe, appropriate dialysis care/services for a resident who requires such services.
Category: Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Corrected: May 12, 2025
Provide appropriate care for residents who are continent or incontinent of bowel/bladder, appropriate catheter care, and appropriate care to prevent urinary tract infections.
Category: Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Corrected: May 12, 2025
Provide appropriate foot care.
Category: Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Corrected: May 12, 2025
Provide activities to meet all resident's needs.
Category: Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Corrected: May 12, 2025
Provide care and assistance to perform activities of daily living for any resident who is unable.
Category: Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Corrected: May 12, 2025
Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality.
Category: Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies
Corrected: May 12, 2025
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: May 12, 2025
Coordinate assessments with the pre-admission screening and resident review program; and referring for services as needed.
Category: Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies
Corrected: May 12, 2025
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: May 12, 2025
Honor the resident's right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely.
Category: Resident Rights Deficiencies
Corrected: May 12, 2025
Have the Quality Assessment and Assurance group have the required members and meet at least quarterly
Category: Administration Deficiencies
Corrected: May 12, 2025
Set up an ongoing quality assessment and assurance group to review quality deficiencies and develop corrective plans of action.
Category: Administration Deficiencies
Corrected: May 12, 2025
Hire a qualified full-time social worker in a facility with more than 120 beds.
Category: Administration Deficiencies
Corrected: May 12, 2025
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: May 12, 2025
Create and put into place a plan for meeting the resident's most immediate needs within 48 hours of being admitted
Category: Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies
Corrected: May 12, 2025
Ensure nurse aides have the skills they need to care for residents, and give nurse aides education in dementia care and abuse prevention.
Category: Nursing and Physician Services Deficiencies
Corrected: May 12, 2025
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Category: Infection Control Deficiencies
Corrected: May 12, 2025
Ensure that nurses and nurse aides have the appropriate competencies to care for every resident in a way that maximizes each resident's well being.
Category: Nursing and Physician Services Deficiencies
Corrected: May 12, 2025
Ensure that residents are fully informed and understand their health status, care and treatments.
Category: Resident Rights Deficiencies
Corrected: May 12, 2025
Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality.
Category: Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies
Corrected: Feb 25, 2025
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: Feb 25, 2025
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: Feb 7, 2025
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 9, 2024
Timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities.
Category: Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Deficiencies
Corrected: Dec 6, 2024
Timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities.
Category: Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Deficiencies
Corrected: Sep 20, 2024
Establish a governing body that is legally responsible for establishing and implementing policies for managing and operating the facility and appoints a properly licensed administrator responsible for managing the facility.
Category: Administration Deficiencies
Corrected: Sep 17, 2024
Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality.
Category: Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies
Corrected: Sep 17, 2024
Develop the complete care plan within 7 days of the comprehensive assessment; and prepared, reviewed, and revised by a team of health professionals.
Category: Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies
Corrected: Sep 17, 2024
Immediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident.
Category: Resident Rights Deficiencies
Corrected: Sep 17, 2024
Honor the resident's right to voice grievances without discrimination or reprisal and the facility must establish a grievance policy and make prompt efforts to resolve grievances.
Category: Resident Rights Deficiencies
Corrected: Aug 23, 2024
Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality.
Category: Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies
Corrected: Sep 10, 2024
Provide safe, appropriate dialysis care/services for a resident who requires such services.
Category: Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Corrected: Aug 22, 2024
Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
Category: Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Corrected: Aug 22, 2024
Immediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident.
Category: Resident Rights Deficiencies
Corrected: Aug 22, 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: Aug 13, 2024
Reasonably accommodate the needs and preferences of each resident.
Category: Resident Rights Deficiencies
Corrected: Jul 29, 2024
Provide the appropriate treatment and services to a resident who displays or is diagnosed with mental disorder or psychosocial adjustment difficulty, or who has a history of trauma and/or post-traumatic stress disorder.
Category: Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Corrected: Aug 23, 2024
Safeguard resident-identifiable information and/or maintain medical records on each resident that are in accordance with accepted professional standards.
Category: Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies
Corrected: Aug 23, 2024
Quality Measures
| Measure | Type | Score | Used in Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose need for help with daily activities has increased | Long Stay | 4.0% | 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 | 0.4% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents experiencing one or more falls with major injury | Long Stay | 2.3% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose ability to walk independently worsened | Long Stay | 1.9% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with pressure ulcers | Long Stay | 5.2% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antipsychotic medication | Long Stay | 18.0% | Yes |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who newly received an antipsychotic medication | Short Stay | 1.9% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who lose too much weight | Long Stay | 2.5% | No |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who have depressive symptoms | Long Stay | 7.7% | 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 | 21.2% | No |
| Percentage of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine | Long Stay | 100.0% | No |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with new or worsened bowel or bladder incontinence | Long Stay | 2.7% | No |
| Percentage of short-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine | Short Stay | 99.9% | No |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who were assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine | Short Stay | 99.7% | No |
Penalty History 1 penalties totaling $78K
| Date | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 7, 2023 | Fine | $78K |
Nationwide facilities with similar scale or staffing
Two data-derived peer sets for Kern River Transitional Care, both outside CA so the neighborhoods are not the same-state geography list below.
Similar bed count
Nearest CMS certified bed counts outside CA (140 beds here).
Similar staffing hours
Nearest CMS adjusted total nurse hours per resident day outside CA (3.44 here).
Nearby Nursing Homes in CA
1,164 other nursing homes are on record in CA; 6 are shown here.
A Grace Sub Acute & Skilled Care
San Jose, CA
Acc Care Center
Sacramento, CA
Advanced Health Care of Sacramento
Sacramento, CA
Advanced Rehab Center of Tustin
Santa Ana, CA
Adventist Health Delano
Delano, CA
Adventist Health Sonora - D/P SNF
Sonora, CA
Understanding Nursing Home Data
What the CMS records show for Kern River Transitional Care
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 CA registry aggregates state averages and the highest-rated homes in this cohort. View CA registry
- Peer homes near 140 beds show how CMS stars vary at a similar scale in CA. 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 Kern River Transitional Care?
Where does Kern River Transitional Care rank among nursing homes in CA?
What are the staffing levels at Kern River Transitional Care?
How many beds does Kern River Transitional Care have?
Does Kern River Transitional Care have any deficiencies on record?
Has Kern River Transitional Care received any fines or penalties?
Who owns Kern River Transitional Care?
When was Kern River Transitional Care last inspected?
What quality measures are tracked for Kern River Transitional Care?
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.
