Cherokee County Nursing Center

Name: Cherokee County Nursing Center
Address: 1504 NORTH CEDAR AVENUE, Tahlequah, OK, 74464, US
Telephone: 9184563456

1504 North Cedar Avenue, Tahlequah, OK 74464 · Cherokee County · 110 certified beds · avg 106 residents/day · certified since Jan 1, 1998

Part of chain: CENTRAL ARKANSAS NURSING CENTERS (38 facilities, chain avg rating 3.6★)

4/5

Health inspection rating (on-site)

Serious findings on record

Fines, last 3 years

5.01

Nurse hours/resident/day (adjusted)

What health inspectors found (on-site government inspections — the most independent evidence available)

Health inspection rating: ★★★★☆4/5 · CMS overall rating: 4/5

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.

All citations in the current public record (24)

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 3, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility used feeding tubes without a valid medical reason or the resident's agreement, or did not provide proper care to residents who have feeding tubes.
Jul 3, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	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.
Mar 5, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft to the proper authorities quickly enough, or did not report the results of its investigation. · from a complaint
Mar 5, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not respond appropriately to alleged violations, such as reports of abuse, neglect, or mistreatment. Facilities must investigate every allegation and protect residents while they do. · from a complaint
Mar 5, 2025	D · Potential for harm, 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. · from a complaint
Feb 16, 2024	E · Potential for harm, repeated	The facility did not allow residents to take their own medications when a clinical review showed they could do so safely. Residents have this right if their care team determines it's appropriate.
Feb 16, 2024	E · Potential for harm, repeated	The facility's medication error rate was 5 percent or higher — meaning too many doses were given incorrectly, such as the wrong drug, dose, or time.
Feb 16, 2024	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not have a working program to monitor how antibiotics are used. Tracking antibiotic use helps make sure these drugs are given only when needed and remain effective.
Feb 10, 2023	E · Potential for harm, repeated	The facility did not honor residents' rights to request, refuse, or stop treatment, to decline participation in medical research, or to make an advance directive — a written statement of their wishes for future medical care.
Feb 10, 2023	E · Potential for harm, repeated	The facility did not update each resident's care assessment at least once every 3 months. These regular check-ins keep the resident's care plan matched to their current condition.
Feb 10, 2023	E · Potential for harm, repeated	The facility did not accurately assess a resident's health and needs. Assessments are the foundation for all the care a resident receives.
Feb 10, 2023	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.
Feb 10, 2023	E · Potential for harm, repeated	The facility did not provide safe, appropriate care for residents who need dialysis — the treatment that filters the blood when kidneys fail.
Feb 10, 2023	E · Potential for harm, repeated	The facility used bed rails without first trying safer alternatives, or without assessing the resident's safety risk, discussing the risks and benefits with the resident or family, getting consent, and installing the rails correctly.
Feb 10, 2023	E · Potential for harm, repeated	The facility did not have a licensed pharmacist review each resident's complete medication regimen and medical chart every month, or did not follow its own rules for reporting medication problems.
Feb 10, 2023	E · Potential for harm, repeated	The facility did not get its food from approved, safe sources, or did not store, prepare, and serve food according to professional food safety standards.
Feb 10, 2023	E · Potential for harm, repeated	The facility did not regularly inspect bed frames, mattresses, and bed rails for safety, or the rails and mattresses were not attached safely to the frames.
Feb 10, 2023	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not give residents proper notice about what Medicare or Medicaid covers, or about charges the resident might owe for services that aren't covered.
Feb 10, 2023	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not reassess a resident after a significant change in their condition, such as a sudden decline in health. A full new assessment is required when a resident's condition changes in a major way.
Feb 10, 2023	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not develop a resident's complete plan of care within 7 days of the full assessment, or the plan wasn't prepared, reviewed, and updated by a team of health professionals as required.
Feb 10, 2023	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not make sure its nurse aides were properly trained — aides working more than 4 months must be trained and competent, and newer aides must be enrolled in training.
Feb 10, 2023	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not keep residents' medications free from unnecessary drugs. Residents should only take medicines they truly need, at the right dose, for a clear reason.
Feb 10, 2023	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not provide timely, quality laboratory tests to meet residents' needs.
Feb 10, 2023	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not protect residents' personal information or did not keep complete, accurate medical records that meet professional standards.

Inspection trend by year

Citations from standard inspections decreased between the last two inspection cycles (3 → 2).

Year	Citations	Worst severity that year
2023	16	E
2024	3	E
2025	5	D

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)

No fines or payment denials in the published 3-year window.

Nurse staffing (from payroll records, adjusted for how much care residents need)

Measure	This facility	Oklahoma avg	U.S. avg	Where it stands
Total nurse staffing (hours per resident per day)	5.01	4.58	3.95	top 28% in Oklahoma; top 13% in the U.S.
Registered Nurse hours	0.34	0.41	0.69	bottom 43% in Oklahoma; bottom 14% in the U.S.
Weekend total nurse staffing	4.53	4.16	3.50	top 28% in Oklahoma; top 12% in the U.S.
Weekend RN hours (not acuity-adjusted)	0.31	0.28	0.48	top 30% in Oklahoma; bottom 33% in the U.S.
Total nursing staff turnover (%)	48.5	55.5	45.8	top 30% in Oklahoma; bottom 41% in the U.S.
RN turnover (%)	0.0	53.6	42.9	—

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 4.13, RN 0.28, weekend 3.73. Staffing rating: 3/5.

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: 3/5 · long-stay residents: 3/5 · short-stay residents: 3/5

Who owns this facility

For profit - Corporation

Owner / manager	Type	Role	Stake	Since
Erwin, Mark	Individual	ADP of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	12/10/2024
Morton, Michael	Individual	Corporate Officer	NOT APPLICABLE	12/12/2024
Morton, Michael	Individual	ADP of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	12/12/2024
Sams, Jerry	Individual	Corporate Officer	NOT APPLICABLE	12/12/2014
Seratt, James	Individual	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	12/10/2024
Seratt, James	Individual	ADP of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	12/10/2024
Ward Manor INC	Organization	ADP of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	12/12/2024

Questions to ask on your visit

Generated from this facility's actual citation record — bring them to a tour and ask the administrator directly.

"How do you decide when a feeding tube is truly needed, and how do staff care for residents who have one?"
"Can you show me how medications are stored and secured on the units, including controlled drugs?"
"When abuse or theft is suspected, who do you notify, how fast, and how do you inform the family?"
"If someone reports suspected abuse or neglect here, what happens in the first 24 hours?"
"Who leads your infection prevention program, and how do you make sure staff follow practices like hand hygiene every day?"
"If my family member is able to manage their own medications, would you allow it, and how is that decided?"
"What is your current medication error rate, and what have you changed to bring errors down?"
"Who oversees antibiotic use here, and how do you decide when an antibiotic is really needed?"
"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
University Park Skilled Nursing and Therapy Memory	0.9 mi	Tahlequah, OK	★★★★☆	4/5
Sequoyah Pointe Skilled Nursing and Therapy	1.2 mi	Tahlequah, OK	★★★★☆	4/5
Fort Gibson Care & Rehab Center	18.7 mi	Fort Gibson, OK	★★★☆☆	3/5
Stilwell Nursing and Rehab	20.0 mi	Stilwell, OK	★★★★☆	4/5

Compare this facility with the 3 closest →

All facilities in Tahlequah →

Facility data as of CMS processing date 2026-08-01. CCN 375324.

The Care File

Visit checklist — Cherokee County Nursing Center

1504 North Cedar Avenue, Tahlequah, OK 74464 · 9184563456

Health inspection rating 4/5 · CMS overall 4/5· Fines (3y): $0

Questions for the administrator:

☐ "How do you decide when a feeding tube is truly needed, and how do staff care for residents who have one?"
☐ "Can you show me how medications are stored and secured on the units, including controlled drugs?"
☐ "When abuse or theft is suspected, who do you notify, how fast, and how do you inform the family?"
☐ "If someone reports suspected abuse or neglect here, what happens in the first 24 hours?"
☐ "Who leads your infection prevention program, and how do you make sure staff follow practices like hand hygiene every day?"
☐ "If my family member is able to manage their own medications, would you allow it, and how is that decided?"
☐ "What is your current medication error rate, and what have you changed to bring errors down?"
☐ "Who oversees antibiotic use here, and how do you decide when an antibiotic is really needed?"
☐ "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?"

While you're there, notice:

☐ Smell and cleanliness in hallways, not just the lobby
☐ How staff speak to residents; call lights answered promptly
☐ Residents up, dressed, and engaged (visit mealtimes and a weekend if you can)

Data: CMS Provider Data Catalog, version 2026-08-01 · CCN 375324 · Verify at medicare.gov/care-compare · Printed from The Care File (thecarefile.com)