Ohio nursing home safety remains a big concern to many of us, especially those of us with elderly parents or other loved ones who are in long-term care facilities. The U.S. Congress is also concerned with nursing home safety, and in 2019 began releasing a Special Focus Facilities (SFF) report listing underperforming nursing homes which have consistently failed to provide care as set forth in standards or regulations.

The Special Focus Facilities Program

Facilities on the SFF report have a significant number of citations or incidents of non-compliance with required regulations during inspections. The SFF program aims to encourage better performance through penalties and other measures.

5 Key Points of the SFF Program

• Designation. Nursing homes designated as SFF are considered poor performers.
• Oversight. Facilities placed in the SFF program undergo more frequent inspections (at least one every six months) and face escalating fines and penalties.
• Risk of closure. Non-compliance may lead to facility closure.
• Reimbursement impact. Nursing homes in the program risk losing Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement.
• Focus on improvement. The program’s purpose is to draw attention to the facility to motivate necessary changes and enhance patient care.

SFF participants represent less than .6% out of over 15,700 nursing homes nationwide. As of February 2024, there are 88 facilities participating in the program, which is the maximum allowable per budget constraints. The specific participants in the program change periodically.

Ohio Nursing Home SFF Candidates

In addition to those facilities in the SFF program, an additional 2.8% of all facilities (about 440 nursing homes), have also been identified as “SFF Candidates” because of a “persistent record of poor care.” Some SFF Candidates currently may meet the criteria of the SFF program; however, apparently due to limited funding, such facilities have not been placed into the SFF program.

The List of Ohio SFF and SFF Candidate Nursing Homes (as of February 28, 2024)

The list of Ohio nursing home facilities listed in the SFF program, and those that are SFF Candidates, are as follows:

SFF Candidates

ARBORS AT MARIETTA	MARIETTA	OH
BEEGHLY OAKS CENTER FOR REHABILITATION & HEALING	YOUNGSTOWN	OH
BELLA TERRACE REHABILITATION AND NURSING CENTER	COLUMBUS	OH
BRYAN HEALTHCARE AND REHABILITATION	BRYAN	OH
CARDINAL WOODS SKILLED NURSING & REHAB	MADISON	OH
CARECORE AT THE MEADOWS	CINCINNATI	OH
CONTINUING HEALTHCARE AT ADAMS LANE	ZANESVILLE	OH
CONTINUING HEALTHCARE OF CUYAHOGA FALLS	CUYAHOGA	OH
CONTINUING HEALTHCARE OF GAHANNA	GAHANNA	OH
EAST OHIO REGIONAL HOSPITAL LONG TERM CARE	FERRY	OH
EASTBROOK HEALTHCARE CENTER	CLEVELAND	OH
EMBASSY OF CAMBRIDGE	CAMBRIDGE	OH
EMBASSY OF LYNDHURST	LYNDHURST	OH
EMBASSY OF WINCHESTER	WINCHESTER	OH
HOSPITALITY CENTER FOR REHABILITATION AND HEALING	XENIA	OH
KENT HEALTHCARE AND REHABILITATION	KENT	OH
MUSKINGUM SKILLED NURSING & REHABILITATION	BEVERLY	OH
RIVERSIDE LANDING NURSING AND REHABILITATION	MCCONNELSVILLE	OH
SCIOTO COMMUNITY	COLUMBUS	OH
STEUBENVILLE COUNTRY CLUB MANOR	STEUBENVILLE	OH
SUBURBAN HEALTHCARE AND REHABILITATION	RANDALL	OH
THE LAURELS OF CHAGRIN FALLS	CHAGRIN FALLS	OH
THE PAVILION REHABILITATION AND NURSING CENTER	NORTH ROYALTON	OH
WESTBROOK PLACE REHABILITATION AND NURSING CENTER	WESTLAKE	OH
WILLOW PARK CONVALESCENT HOME	CLEVELAND	OH

In SFF Program

POINT PLACE HEALTHCARE AND REHABILITATION CENTER	TOLEDO	OH
ASTORIA PLACE OF CINCINNATI	CINCINNATI	OH
MAJESTIC CARE OF COLUMBUS LLC	COLUMBUS	OH
ADVANCED HEALTHCARE CENTER	TOLEDO	OH
RIDGEWOOD MANOR	MAUMEE	OH

For more information, visit Medicare Nursing Home Compare to review inspection results by nursing home.

SFF program updates are critical to keep the public informed of these poorly-performing facilities. We look forward to continued improvements in all nursing home facilities in order to better protect the care, welfare, and dignity of residents.

If a family member has been neglected in one of these listed facilities, or if you feel the care they received in another facility was negligent, please call me for your free consultation.