Heritage of Emerson

Name: Heritage of Emerson
Address: 607 Nebraska Street, Emerson, NE, 68733, US
Telephone: 4026952683

607 Nebraska Street, Emerson, NE 68733 · Dakota County · 38 certified beds · avg 35 residents/day · certified since Mar 12, 1998

Part of chain: VETTER SENIOR LIVING (22 facilities, chain avg rating 4.2★)

4/5

Health inspection rating (on-site)

Serious findings on record

Fines, last 3 years

3.68

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: 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 (9)

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
Jun 5, 2025	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. · from a complaint
Jun 5, 2025	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.
Jun 5, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	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.
Jun 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
Jun 13, 2024	E · Potential for harm, repeated	The facility did not make sure its nurse aides had the skills needed to care for residents, including training in dementia care and abuse prevention.
Jun 13, 2024	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 20, 2023	F · Potential for harm, facility-wide	The facility did not perform required COVID-19 testing on residents and staff.
Apr 20, 2023	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not give residents (and their representatives and the ombudsman, a state advocate for residents) proper advance notice before a transfer or discharge, including information about their right to appeal.
Apr 20, 2023	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not provide safe and appropriate pain management for a resident who needed it.

Inspection trend by year

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

Year	Citations	Worst severity that year
2023	3	F
2024	2	E
2025	4	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	Nebraska avg	U.S. avg	Where it stands
Total nurse staffing (hours per resident per day)	3.68	4.33	3.95	bottom 26% in Nebraska; bottom 46% in the U.S.
Registered Nurse hours	1.00	0.72	0.69	top 17% in Nebraska; top 16% in the U.S.
Weekend total nurse staffing	3.19	3.79	3.50	bottom 22% in Nebraska; bottom 41% in the U.S.
Weekend RN hours (not acuity-adjusted)	0.46	0.47	0.48	top 42% in Nebraska; top 39% in the U.S.
Total nursing staff turnover (%)	39.3	48.7	45.8	top 32% in Nebraska; top 35% in the U.S.
RN turnover (%)	42.9	44.1	42.9	top 48% in Nebraska; bottom 49% 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 3.04, RN 0.83, weekend 2.63. 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: 5/5 · long-stay residents: 5/5 · short-stay residents: —/5

Who owns this facility

For profit - Corporation

Owner / manager	Type	Role	Stake	Since
Vetter Senior Living	Organization	5% or Greater Direct Ownership Interest	100%	12/23/2016
Huggenberger, Shellee	Individual	Contracted Managing Employee	NOT APPLICABLE	07/01/2017
Huggenberger, Shellee	Individual	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	07/01/2017
Stuhr, Brian	Individual	Contracted Managing Employee	NOT APPLICABLE	07/01/2017
Stuhr, Brian	Individual	Corporate Officer	NOT APPLICABLE	06/15/2017
Stuhr, Brian	Individual	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	07/01/2017
Timm, Matthew	Individual	Contracted Managing Employee	NOT APPLICABLE	07/01/2017
Timm, Matthew	Individual	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	07/01/2017
Vanekeren, Glenn	Individual	Contracted Managing Employee	NOT APPLICABLE	07/01/2017
Vanekeren, Glenn	Individual	Corporate Officer	NOT APPLICABLE	06/15/2017
Vanekeren, Glenn	Individual	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	07/01/2017
Vetter Senior Living	Organization	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	12/23/2016
Vetter, Eldora	Individual	Contracted Managing Employee	NOT APPLICABLE	07/01/2017
Vetter, Eldora	Individual	Corporate Officer	NOT APPLICABLE	06/15/2017
Vetter, Eldora	Individual	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	07/01/2017
Vetter, Jack	Individual	Contracted Managing Employee	NOT APPLICABLE	07/01/2017
Vetter, Jack	Individual	Corporate Officer	NOT APPLICABLE	06/15/2017
Vetter, Jack	Individual	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	07/01/2017
VSL Vetter Health Services LLC	Organization	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	07/01/2017

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?"
"How do you make sure each resident's care follows the doctor's orders, and what changed after this citation?"
"What did your most recent kitchen inspection find, and can I see how food is stored and prepared?"
"When abuse or theft is suspected, who do you notify, how fast, and how do you inform the family?"
"What specific training do your nurse aides complete in dementia care and abuse prevention, and how often is it refreshed?"
"What is your current policy for testing residents and staff when someone shows symptoms or there's an outbreak?"
"If you ever planned to discharge or transfer my family member, how much written notice would we receive and how could we appeal?"
"How do you assess and manage residents' pain, especially for those who have trouble communicating?"
"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
Wakefield Health Care Center	7.6 mi	Wakefield, NE	★★★★★	4/5
Wayne Countryview Care and Rehabilitation	14.7 mi	Wayne, NE	★★★☆☆	3/5
Adept Nursing & Rehab of South Sioux City	19.9 mi	South Sioux City, NE	★☆☆☆☆	2/5
Pioneer Valley Living and Rehab	19.9 mi	Sergeant Bluff, IA	★☆☆☆☆	1/5

Compare this facility with the 3 closest →

All facilities in Emerson →

Facility data as of CMS processing date 2026-08-01. CCN 285222.

The Care File

Visit checklist — Heritage of Emerson

607 Nebraska Street, Emerson, NE 68733 · 4026952683

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

Questions for the administrator:

☐ "Who leads your infection prevention program, and how do you make sure staff follow practices like hand hygiene every day?"
☐ "How do you make sure each resident's care follows the doctor's orders, and what changed after this citation?"
☐ "What did your most recent kitchen inspection find, and can I see how food is stored and prepared?"
☐ "When abuse or theft is suspected, who do you notify, how fast, and how do you inform the family?"
☐ "What specific training do your nurse aides complete in dementia care and abuse prevention, and how often is it refreshed?"
☐ "What is your current policy for testing residents and staff when someone shows symptoms or there's an outbreak?"
☐ "If you ever planned to discharge or transfer my family member, how much written notice would we receive and how could we appeal?"
☐ "How do you assess and manage residents' pain, especially for those who have trouble communicating?"
☐ "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 285222 · Verify at medicare.gov/care-compare · Printed from The Care File (thecarefile.com)