Frontier Health & Rehabilitation is a large, for-profit nursing facility that operates under corporate ownership and offers both short-term rehabilitation and long-term care services. The facility has a capacity of 180 beds and is eligible to accept residents under both Medicare and Medicaid. Frontier Health & Rehabilitation is not part of a continuing care retirement community, and it does not operate within a hospital. It provides care for individuals requiring rehabilitation following events such as stroke, heart attack, infection, or accidental injury, as well as those with ongoing needs for daily assistance with medical and personal tasks.
The facility’s short-term rehabilitation program is designed to help patients recover after hospital stays, supporting their transition back to home or to a less-intensive care setting. Despite this focus, only 29.0% of short-term residents have been able to return home after their discharge. Frontier Health & Rehabilitation reports 0.0% falls with major injury among short-stay residents, but 7.5% of these stays lead to serious infections that require hospitalization, and 19.7% of short-term residents visit the emergency room during their episode of care. On average, residents receive about 3 hours and 10 minutes of nurse staffing per day.
For long-term care, the majority of residents at Frontier Health & Rehabilitation—82.7%—are able to maintain independence in daily activities such as moving, eating, and using the bathroom without help. The annual influenza vaccination rate among residents is 75.4%. Emergency room visits among long-term care residents occur at a rate of 1.9 visits per 1,000 patient days, and staffing levels are similar to those in short-term rehabilitation. While the weekday nurse staffing is consistent, weekend staffing at Frontier Health & Rehabilitation is rated below average, which could impact continuity of care for residents.
The facility has undergone regular health, fire, and safety inspections by state and federal authorities, with findings indicating some consistent areas of concern. These include failures to provide or document adequate care planning, ensure professional standards of care, maintain sufficient nurse and registered nurse staffing, and secure a clean, safe, homelike environment for residents. There have also been documented issues with respect to providing appropriate pain management, infection control, and food services that meet residents’ individual needs and preferences. Some violations involved failing to provide the necessary food and fluids, timely notification of changes in a resident’s condition, and proper maintenance of personal dignity and resident rights.
The most recent inspection cycles included findings that the home had not always met standards for accident hazard prevention and supervision, the storage and preparation of food, and the maintenance of professional pharmaceutical services and medication administration. There were also notable deficiencies in ensuring basic life support was available and performed when needed and in the implementation and monitoring of programs such as gradual dose reduction of psychotropic medications and infection prevention oversight by qualified staff.
Frontier Health & Rehabilitation participates in Medicare and Medicaid and can serve residents who meet the criteria for these programs. Over the past three years, the facility has been subject to substantial administrative fines, amounting to a total of $735,854 over 22 separate incidents. Continued oversight has put the facility under close monitoring, especially during times when patterns of care fell below expected standards. Despite challenges, Frontier Health & Rehabilitation remains an option for individuals and families seeking skilled nursing and rehabilitation services in a corporate, non-hospital environment.