Heartland Care Center

Name: Heartland Care Center
Address: 604 East Fenton PO Box 608, Marcus, IA, 51035, US
Telephone: 7123762500

604 East Fenton Po Box 608, Marcus, IA 51035 · Cherokee County · 38 certified beds · avg 25 residents/day · certified since Aug 1, 1998

3/5

Health inspection rating (on-site)

Serious findings on record

Fines, last 3 years

5.80

Nurse hours/resident/day (adjusted)

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

Health inspection rating: ★★★☆☆3/5 · 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.

All citations in the current public record (18)

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
May 7, 2026	E · Potential for harm, repeated	The facility did not employ enough qualified food and nutrition staff, including a qualified dietician, to properly run its food service.
May 7, 2026	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.
May 7, 2026	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not immediately notify the resident, their doctor, and a family member when something significant happened — such as an injury, a decline in health, or a room change. Families and doctors are entitled to know right away.
May 7, 2026	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not have enough nursing staff each day to meet every resident's needs, or did not have a licensed nurse in charge on each shift. Adequate staffing is one of the strongest predictors of good care.
May 7, 2026	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.
Sep 25, 2025	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. · from a complaint
Apr 10, 2025	E · Potential for harm, repeated	The facility did not try to gradually reduce doses of mood- and mind-altering medications or use non-drug approaches first, as required, or used 'as needed' psychiatric drugs without proper limits.
Apr 10, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not give the resident or their representative written notice of how long it would hold the resident's bed during a hospital stay or approved leave.
Apr 10, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not coordinate resident assessments with the state's pre-admission screening program for mental illness and intellectual disabilities, or failed to refer residents for the special services they need.
Apr 10, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not develop or follow a complete care plan for each resident — the written roadmap covering all of a resident's needs, with measurable goals and timelines.
Apr 10, 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.
Apr 4, 2024	E · Potential for harm, repeated	The facility's menus did not meet residents' nutritional needs, or were not prepared in advance, followed as written, kept up to date, or reviewed by a dietician.
Apr 4, 2024	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.
Apr 4, 2024	D · Potential for harm, one-off	When a resident had a planned discharge, the facility did not make sure the necessary information was communicated to the resident and to the doctors or facility taking over their care.
Apr 4, 2024	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.
Apr 4, 2024	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not provide appropriate care related to bladder and bowel needs — including care for residents who use catheters and steps to prevent urinary tract infections.
Apr 4, 2024	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not develop and follow policies and procedures for offering residents flu and pneumonia vaccinations.
Apr 4, 2024	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not educate residents and staff about COVID-19 vaccination, offer the vaccine to those eligible after that education, or properly document everyone's vaccination status.

Inspection trend by year

Citations from standard inspections stayed about the same across the last two inspection cycles (5 → 5).

Year	Citations	Worst severity that year
2024	7	E
2025	6	E
2026	5	E

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	Iowa avg	U.S. avg	Where it stands
Total nurse staffing (hours per resident per day)	5.80	4.37	3.95	top 4% in Iowa; top 5% in the U.S.
Registered Nurse hours	2.51	0.85	0.69	top 1% in Iowa; top 1% in the U.S.
Weekend total nurse staffing	4.63	3.86	3.50	top 12% in Iowa; top 10% in the U.S.
Weekend RN hours (not acuity-adjusted)	1.26	0.51	0.48	top 1% in Iowa; top 3% in the U.S.
Total nursing staff turnover (%)	35.5	44.0	45.8	top 31% in Iowa; top 25% in the U.S.
RN turnover (%)	14.3	42.1	42.9	top 11% in Iowa; top 7% 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 4.45, RN 1.93, weekend 3.55. Staffing rating: 5/5.

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: 4/5 · short-stay residents: 5/5

Who owns this facility

Non profit - Corporation

Owner / manager	Type	Role	Stake	Since
Sioux Valley Memorial Hospital Association	Organization	5% or Greater Direct Ownership Interest	100%	07/19/2023
Alesch, Lisa	Individual	Managing Control - Governing Body	NOT APPLICABLE	01/01/2026
Brady, Dennis	Individual	Managing Control - Governing Body	NOT APPLICABLE	01/01/2026
Geha, Andrew	Individual	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	09/19/2019
Geha, Andrew	Individual	ADP of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	09/19/2019
Gross, Rozanne	Individual	Managing Control - Governing Body	NOT APPLICABLE	01/01/2026
Heartland Care Center INC	Organization	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	07/19/2023
Heartland Care Center INC	Organization	ADP of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	07/19/2023
Irwin, Kristi	Individual	Managing Control - Governing Body	NOT APPLICABLE	01/01/2026
Jordan, Gary	Individual	Managing Control - Governing Body	NOT APPLICABLE	01/01/2026
Leavitt, Robert	Individual	Managing Control - Governing Body	NOT APPLICABLE	01/01/2026
Nielsen, Tim	Individual	Corporate Officer	NOT APPLICABLE	10/20/2025
Nielsen, Tim	Individual	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	10/20/2025
Nielsen, Tim	Individual	ADP of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	10/20/2025
Schlenger, Edward	Individual	Managing Control - Governing Body	NOT APPLICABLE	01/01/2026
Schneider, John	Individual	Managing Control - Governing Body	NOT APPLICABLE	01/01/2026
Sioux Valley Memorial Hospital Association	Organization	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	07/19/2023
Sioux Valley Memorial Hospital Association	Organization	ADP of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	07/19/2023

Questions to ask on your visit

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

"Do you have a qualified dietician on staff, and how involved are they in each resident's nutrition plan?"
"What did your most recent kitchen inspection find, and can I see how food is stored and prepared?"
"If my family member falls or their condition changes, exactly when and how will I be notified?"
"What is your nurse and aide staffing ratio on each shift, including nights and weekends?"
"Who leads your infection prevention program, and how do you make sure staff follow practices like hand hygiene every day?"
"How many residents here use oxygen or breathing equipment, and who checks that equipment each shift?"
"What is your approach to psychiatric medications — how do you try non-drug options first and work to reduce doses over time?"
"If my family member goes to the hospital, how long will you hold their bed, and will we get that in writing?"
"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
Happy Siesta Health Care Center	8.3 mi	Remsen, IA	★★★★☆	4/5
Careage Hills Rehabilitation and Healthcare	13.5 mi	Cherokee, IA	★★☆☆☆	2/5
Cherokee Specialty Care	13.7 mi	Cherokee, IA	★★★☆☆	3/5
Accura Healthcare of Cherokee, LLC	14.3 mi	Cherokee, IA	★★★☆☆	3/5
Good Samaritan - Lemars	17.5 mi	Le Mars, IA	★★★★☆	4/5
Accura Healthcare of Le Mars	18.0 mi	Le Mars, IA	★★★★☆	3/5
Kingsley Specialty Care	18.0 mi	Kingsley, IA	★☆☆☆☆	1/5
Prairie Ridge Care Center	18.0 mi	Orange City, IA	★★★★★	4/5
Accura Healthcare of Aurelia, LLC	19.8 mi	Aurelia, IA	★★★☆☆	3/5

Compare this facility with the 3 closest →

All facilities in Marcus →

Facility data as of CMS processing date 2026-08-01. CCN 165397.

The Care File

Visit checklist — Heartland Care Center

604 East Fenton Po Box 608, Marcus, IA 51035 · 7123762500

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

Questions for the administrator:

☐ "Do you have a qualified dietician on staff, and how involved are they in each resident's nutrition plan?"
☐ "What did your most recent kitchen inspection find, and can I see how food is stored and prepared?"
☐ "If my family member falls or their condition changes, exactly when and how will I be notified?"
☐ "What is your nurse and aide staffing ratio on each shift, including nights and weekends?"
☐ "Who leads your infection prevention program, and how do you make sure staff follow practices like hand hygiene every day?"
☐ "How many residents here use oxygen or breathing equipment, and who checks that equipment each shift?"
☐ "What is your approach to psychiatric medications — how do you try non-drug options first and work to reduce doses over time?"
☐ "If my family member goes to the hospital, how long will you hold their bed, and will we get that in writing?"
☐ "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 165397 · Verify at medicare.gov/care-compare · Printed from The Care File (thecarefile.com)