Albuquerque Heights Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center, also called Bear Canyon Rehabilitation Center, sits at 103 Hospital Loop NE in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and serves as a skilled nursing facility with room for 134 residents, handling short-term rehabilitation, long-term care, transitional care, respite care, and more. Managed by Genesis HealthCare, which is a for-profit corporation, the center has operated for about 23 years and carries a license from the New Mexico Department of Health that's set to expire on August 31, 2025, under license number 1069, and has Mr. David Hicks as Director and Ms. Marlene Nguyen as the Executive Manager. The center is equipped for many healthcare and therapy needs like post-hospital rehabilitation, medical management, dementia care, wound care, total parenteral nutrition, physiatry, psychiatric therapies, and hospice care, and partners as a VA-contracted and WE HONOR VETERANS facility.
People who stay there get individualized treatment plans, and there's focus on care for complex medical needs, with registered nurses, nurse practitioners, attending physicians, and a medical director all on site. Services cover physical, occupational, and speech therapy, medication management, social work, discharge planning, dietary support including special diets and snacks, and there's Heparin therapy, x-ray, pharmacy, vision, and podiatry care available if needed. The Memory Support Unit is for people living with Alzheimer's or dementia, and the transitional care unit helps those needing cardiac or pulmonary management. The center also offers counseling for dialysis, on-site dialysis care, and has a 24-hour emergency alert and response system for safety.
There are private and semi-private rooms, with individual climate control, and several amenities, including activity rooms, a chapel, gardens and courtyards, scenic views, beauty salon and barber services, wellness programs, cultural and religious activities, interpreter services, on-site recreation, a dynamic calendar of events, coordinated transportation, and specialized dementia care education that follows Alzheimer's Association standards. Staff speak English, and the team includes licensed dieticians, social work specialists, and certified activity coordinators, with a focus on creating a family-like atmosphere for residents.
Food, nutrition, case management, and pain control are all managed on-site, and special attention goes toward patients' discharge when they're ready to leave. The facility accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and most private insurances, though there's no clear information about current patient acceptance or exact office hours.
While the healthcare and therapy options are broad, the center has struggled with recurring violations and risks, including pressure ulcers, injuries from falls, and cases of severe neglect, some leading to patient harm or worse, and has been part of lawsuits with settlements tied to issues like pressure sores and neglect. Annual health inspections have turned up between 18 and 26 deficiencies in areas like care planning, staffing, and abuse response, and the latest inspection found 26 health citations. There's a consumer alert for abuse and neglect, and the current federal CMS rating is 2 out of 5 stars overall-2 in health inspections, 4 in staffing, and 3 in quality measures. The center offers many health and activity services, and although it provides a wide array of therapies and amenities, anyone considering moving in or placing a loved one here should carefully review inspection histories and safety records, as the documented risks and violations are significant and ongoing.
