Briarwood Health Care Center
1440 Vine St, Denver, CO 80206 · Denver County · 201 certified beds · avg 88 residents/day · certified since Feb 17, 1989
Part of chain: LIFE CARE CENTERS OF AMERICA (194 facilities, chain avg rating 3.4★)
What health inspectors found (on-site government inspections — the most independent evidence available)
Health inspection rating: ★★★★☆4/5 · CMS overall rating: 5/5
The health inspection star above is graded on a curve within each state — a set share of each state's facilities gets each star level — so a facility can have few citations and still rate 2–3 stars if others in its state did even better. The overall rating combines that inspection score with staffing and self-reported quality measures.
Most serious findings (actual harm or immediate jeopardy)
▲ Immediate jeopardy, one-off · May 9, 2023 · F-0880
The facility did not have or follow an effective program to prevent and control infections — such as proper hand washing, cleaning, and isolation practices. This is the most commonly cited deficiency nationwide.
Why it matters: Weak infection control lets illnesses like flu, COVID-19, and drug-resistant infections spread quickly among vulnerable residents.
Severity (J): Inspectors found a situation that put a resident's life or safety in immediate danger, affecting one or a few residents. The facility must fix it immediately — these citations often come with large fines.
Corrected: Jun 7, 2023 (Deficient, Provider has date of correction)
▲ Actual harm, one-off · Jul 16, 2025 · F-0760 · triggered by a complaint
The facility did not keep residents free from significant medication errors — such as giving the wrong drug, the wrong dose, or missing a critical medication.
Why it matters: A serious medication error can cause real harm, hospitalization, or worse.
Severity (G): One or a few residents were actually harmed — physically or emotionally — though not put in immediate danger of serious injury or death.
▲ Actual harm, one-off · Mar 15, 2022 · F-0688
The facility did not provide the care needed to maintain or improve residents' movement and flexibility — such as range-of-motion exercises — leading to avoidable decline.
Why it matters: Without this care, residents can develop stiff, contracted joints and lose the ability to move on their own.
Severity (G): One or a few residents were actually harmed — physically or emotionally — though not put in immediate danger of serious injury or death.
Corrected: Apr 13, 2022 (Deficient, Provider has date of correction)
▲ Actual harm, one-off · Mar 15, 2022 · F-0689
The facility did not keep the environment free of accident hazards, or did not provide enough supervision to prevent accidents like falls.
Why it matters: This is one of the most common citations and directly relates to falls and injuries, which can be devastating for older adults.
Severity (G): One or a few residents were actually harmed — physically or emotionally — though not put in immediate danger of serious injury or death.
Corrected: Feb 24, 2022 (Past Non-Compliance)
▲ Actual harm, one-off · Mar 15, 2022 · F-0692
The facility did not provide enough food and fluids to keep residents healthy, such as preventing unplanned weight loss or dehydration.
Why it matters: Malnutrition and dehydration can quickly weaken a resident and lead to serious complications.
Severity (G): One or a few residents were actually harmed — physically or emotionally — though not put in immediate danger of serious injury or death.
Corrected: Apr 13, 2022 (Deficient, Provider has date of correction)
All citations in the current public record (22)
CMS publishes roughly the last three inspection cycles plus recent complaint investigations. Older surveys drop out of the record as new ones are completed.
| Date | Severity | What the facility was cited for |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 16, 2025 | ▲ G · Actual harm, one-off | The facility did not keep residents free from significant medication errors — such as giving the wrong drug, the wrong dose, or missing a critical medication. · from a complaint |
| Oct 3, 2024 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not treat residents with dignity and respect, or did not honor their rights to make their own decisions and communicate freely. This is one of the most fundamental resident rights. |
| Oct 3, 2024 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not provide safe and appropriate respiratory care — such as oxygen, breathing treatments, or care for residents on breathing equipment — for residents who needed it. |
| Oct 3, 2024 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not provide safe, appropriate care for residents who need dialysis — the treatment that filters the blood when kidneys fail. |
| Oct 3, 2024 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not have a working call system — the button or cord residents use to summon help — in each resident's bathroom and bathing area. |
| May 9, 2023 | ▲ J · Immediate jeopardy, one-off | The facility did not have or follow an effective program to prevent and control infections — such as proper hand washing, cleaning, and isolation practices. This is the most commonly cited deficiency nationwide. |
| May 9, 2023 | F · Potential for harm, facility-wide | The facility did not run an ongoing quality assurance committee that reviews care problems and creates plans to fix them. |
| May 9, 2023 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | The facility did not label drugs according to professional standards or did not store them in locked compartments, with controlled drugs (medications with a high risk of misuse) kept under a separate lock. |
| May 9, 2023 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not make sure care was delivered by qualified people following each resident's written care plan — the individualized document that spells out exactly what care that resident is supposed to receive. |
| May 9, 2023 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility allowed residents to lose the ability to do daily activities — like bathing, dressing, and eating — when there was no medical reason for the decline. Good care helps residents keep the abilities they have. |
| May 9, 2023 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not provide the help residents need with basic daily activities — like bathing, dressing, eating, and using the bathroom — for residents who cannot do these things on their own. |
| May 9, 2023 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not provide activities that meet residents' needs and interests. Nursing homes must offer meaningful activity programs, not just leave residents idle. |
| May 9, 2023 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not provide treatment and care that follows the doctor's orders and matches the resident's own preferences and goals. |
| May 9, 2023 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not provide the care needed to maintain or improve residents' movement and flexibility — such as range-of-motion exercises — leading to avoidable decline. |
| May 9, 2023 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not make sure residents actually saw their doctor face-to-face at all required visits. Doctors must examine nursing home residents in person on a regular schedule. |
| May 9, 2023 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not provide the right treatment and services for residents with dementia or signs of dementia. Dementia care requires specific approaches, training, and patience. |
| Mar 15, 2022 | ▲ G · Actual harm, one-off | The facility did not provide the care needed to maintain or improve residents' movement and flexibility — such as range-of-motion exercises — leading to avoidable decline. |
| Mar 15, 2022 | ▲ G · Actual harm, one-off | The facility did not keep the environment free of accident hazards, or did not provide enough supervision to prevent accidents like falls. |
| Mar 15, 2022 | ▲ G · Actual harm, one-off | The facility did not provide enough food and fluids to keep residents healthy, such as preventing unplanned weight loss or dehydration. |
| Mar 15, 2022 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | The facility did not provide treatment and care that follows the doctor's orders and matches the resident's own preferences and goals. |
| Mar 15, 2022 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | The facility did not have or follow an effective program to prevent and control infections — such as proper hand washing, cleaning, and isolation practices. This is the most commonly cited deficiency nationwide. |
| Mar 15, 2022 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not provide activities that meet residents' needs and interests. Nursing homes must offer meaningful activity programs, not just leave residents idle. |
Inspection trend by year
Citations from standard inspections decreased between the last two inspection cycles (11 → 4).
| Year | Citations | Serious (G–L) | Worst severity that year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 6 | 3 | G ▲ |
| 2023 | 11 | 1 | J ▲ |
| 2024 | 4 | 0 | D |
| 2025 | 1 | 1 | G ▲ |
Counts reflect the current CMS public record (~3 inspection cycles plus complaint investigations); years with no surveys show no row. Inspection frequency varies, so compare severity as well as counts.
Fines and enforcement (last 3 years)
1 fine totaling $9,110.
| Date | Type | Amount / length |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 16, 2025 | Fine | $9,110 |
Nurse staffing (from payroll records, adjusted for how much care residents need)
| Measure | This facility | Colorado avg | U.S. avg | Where it stands |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total nurse staffing (hours per resident per day) | 4.38 | 3.89 | 3.95 | top 24% in Colorado; top 27% in the U.S. |
| Registered Nurse hours | 0.80 | 0.86 | 0.69 | top 48% in Colorado; top 27% in the U.S. |
| Weekend total nurse staffing | 3.96 | 3.44 | 3.50 | top 20% in Colorado; top 24% in the U.S. |
| Weekend RN hours (not acuity-adjusted) | 0.49 | 0.61 | 0.48 | bottom 43% in Colorado; top 33% in the U.S. |
| Total nursing staff turnover (%) | 44.3 | 47.1 | 45.8 | top 42% in Colorado; top 48% in the U.S. |
| RN turnover (%) | 21.4 | 44.6 | 42.9 | top 11% in Colorado; top 16% in the U.S. |
Hours are per resident per day, case-mix adjusted by CMS so facilities caring for sicker residents can be compared fairly (same basis as the CMS staffing star). "Top X%" means better than most facilities: more staffing hours, or lower turnover. Raw (unadjusted) reported hours: total 3.90, RN 0.71, weekend 3.52. Staffing rating: 4/5.
Self-reported quality measures
Note: these ratings are based on data the facility reports about itself to CMS. They are not independently verified by inspectors, and can look better than inspection findings. Give more weight to the inspection results above.
Quality measures rating: 5/5 · long-stay residents: 5/5 · short-stay residents: 4/5
Who owns this facility
For profit - Corporation
| Owner / manager | Type | Role | Stake | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blanchard, Thomas | Individual | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/04/2018 |
| Blanchard, Thomas | Individual | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 03/26/2025 |
| Cross, Cindy | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 04/21/1994 |
| Cross, Cindy | Individual | Individual Is an Owner, Partner or Trustee of Any ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 06/19/2026 |
| Dickson, Zachary | Individual | Managing Control - Governing Body | NOT APPLICABLE | 09/02/2025 |
| Dickson, Zachary | Individual | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 09/02/2025 |
| Dickson, Zachary | Individual | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 03/30/2026 |
| Fletcher, Todd | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 05/01/2021 |
| Fletcher, Todd | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 11/02/2020 |
| Fletcher, Todd | Individual | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 05/01/2021 |
| Henry, Terry | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 08/16/1999 |
| Lay, Lisa | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 04/24/2017 |
| Lay, Lisa | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 02/09/2018 |
| Lay, Lisa | Individual | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 04/24/2017 |
| Life Care Centers of America, INC. | Organization | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 07/01/1991 |
| Preston, Aubrey | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 03/06/2025 |
| Preston, Aubrey | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 03/06/2025 |
| Preston, Aubrey | Individual | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 03/06/2025 |
| Preston, Aubrey | Individual | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 08/31/1988 |
| Schmidt, Derek | Individual | Managing Control - Governing Body | NOT APPLICABLE | 08/01/2023 |
Questions to ask on your visit
Generated from this facility's actual citation record — bring them to a tour and ask the administrator directly.
- "Who leads your infection prevention program, and how do you make sure staff follow practices like hand hygiene every day?"
- "What systems do you use to prevent medication errors, and what happens when one occurs?"
- "What do you do daily to keep residents moving, and how do you help residents at risk of losing mobility?"
- "What is your falls rate, and what specific steps do you take to prevent falls and supervise residents at risk?"
- "How do you monitor residents' weight and eating, and what happens when someone starts losing weight?"
- "Can you give me examples of how your staff protect residents' dignity in everyday care, like bathing and dressing?"
- "How many residents here use oxygen or breathing equipment, and who checks that equipment each shift?"
- "How do you coordinate and monitor care for residents who receive dialysis?"
- "What is your current ratio of nursing staff to residents on day, evening, and weekend shifts?"
- "Can I see the results and plan of correction from your most recent state inspection?"
Nearby facilities (within 20 miles)
| Facility | Distance | City | Overall | Inspection | Flags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health Center at Franklin Park | 0.5 mi | Denver, CO | ★★★★☆ | 3/5 | |
| City Park Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center | 0.6 mi | Denver, CO | ★★★☆☆ | 2/5 | abuse |
| Denver North Care Center | 0.9 mi | Denver, CO | ★★★☆☆ | 3/5 | |
| Uptown Care Center | 1.1 mi | Denver, CO | ★★★★☆ | 2/5 | abuse |
| City Scape Rehabilitation & Care Center LLC | 2.4 mi | Denver, CO | ★★☆☆☆ | 1/5 | abuse |
| Juniper Village - the Spearly Center | 3.0 mi | Denver, CO | ★★☆☆☆ | 2/5 | |
| Hilltop Park Post Acute | 3.3 mi | Denver, CO | ★★☆☆☆ | 1/5 | |
| Berkley Manor Care Center | 3.6 mi | Denver, CO | ★★★★★ | 3/5 | |
| Sloan's Lake Rehabilitation Center | 3.7 mi | Denver, CO | ★★★★★ | 5/5 | |
| Crestmoor Care Center | 3.8 mi | Denver, CO | ★★★☆☆ | 2/5 | abuse |
| Center at Lowry, LLC | 3.9 mi | Denver, CO | ★★★☆☆ | 2/5 | |
| South Valley Post Acute Rehabilitation | 4.1 mi | Denver, CO | ★★★★☆ | 4/5 |
Compare this facility with the 3 closest →
Facility data as of CMS processing date 2026-08-01. CCN 065255.