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Hilltop Estates
2520 Avenue M, Gothenburg, NE 69138 (opens Google Maps) · Dawson County · (308) 537-7138· 64 certified beds · avg 41 residents/day · certified since Jul 2, 1995 · Medicare and Medicaid certified
Certified for both programmes. Certification means the facility can bill Medicaid — it does not mean a Medicaid-funded bed is free right now, so ask directly. Who pays for nursing home care →
2/5
Health inspection rating (on-site)
inspected Jun 16, 2026
0
Serious findings on record
$0
Fines, last 3 years
4.61
Nurse hours/resident/day (adjusted)
Every record stays on this page.
What health inspectors found (on-site government inspections — the most independent evidence available)
New to these records? How to read an inspection report →
Health inspection rating: ★★☆☆☆2/5 · CMS overall rating: 2/5 · how star ratings work →
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 quality measures from resident assessments and claims.
Inspection findings in the public record
Showing the latest 3 of 15 inspection findings. Open the full record below to read every finding.
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. F-0803
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. F-0812
The facility did not make sure residents were fully informed about their own health, care, and treatments in a way they could understand. F-0552
View all 15 inspection findingsShow only the latest 3 findings
CMS publishes roughly the last three inspection cycles plus recent complaint investigations. Older surveys drop out of the record as new ones are completed — that window is CMS's, not ours. Within it, every citation CMS publishes for this facility is listed here: none excluded.
| Date | Severity | What the facility was cited for |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 16, 2026 | F · Potential for more than minimal harm, widespread | 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. · F-0803 |
| Jun 16, 2026 | F · Potential for more than minimal harm, widespread | 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. · F-0812 |
| Jun 16, 2026 | E · Potential for more than minimal harm, pattern | The facility did not make sure residents were fully informed about their own health, care, and treatments in a way they could understand. · F-0552 |
| Jun 16, 2026 | D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolated | 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. · F-0637 |
| Jun 16, 2026 | D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolated | The facility did not accurately assess a resident's health and needs. Assessments are the foundation for all the care a resident receives. · F-0641 |
| Jun 16, 2026 | D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolated | The facility did not provide treatment and care that follows the doctor's orders and matches the resident's own preferences and goals. · F-0684 |
| Jun 16, 2026 | D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolated | The facility did not provide pharmacy services that meet each resident's needs, or did not employ or contract with a licensed pharmacist. · F-0755 |
| Jun 16, 2026 | D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolated | 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. · F-0880 |
| Mar 18, 2025 | F · Potential for more than minimal harm, widespread | 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. · F-0812 |
| Mar 18, 2025 | F · Potential for more than minimal harm, widespread | 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. · F-0880 |
| Mar 18, 2025 | D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolated | The facility did not provide necessary behavioral health care and services — support for residents' mental and emotional wellbeing, including conditions like depression and anxiety. · F-0740 |
| Mar 18, 2025 | D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolated | 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. · F-0759 |
| Mar 21, 2024 | F · Potential for more than minimal harm, widespread | 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. · F-0812 |
| Mar 21, 2024 | F · Potential for more than minimal harm, widespread | 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. · F-0880 |
| Mar 21, 2024 | D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolated | 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. · F-0582 |
Inspection trend by year
Citations from standard inspections increased between the last two inspection cycles (4 → 8).
All citationsSerious citations (G–L)
2024
All citations: 3
Serious citations (G–L): 0
2025
All citations: 4
Serious citations (G–L): 0
2026
All citations: 8
Serious citations (G–L): 0
All bars start at zero. Exact values and supporting details remain below.
| Year | Citations | Serious (G–L) | Worst severity that year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 3 | 0 | F |
| 2025 | 4 | 0 | F |
| 2026 | 8 | 0 | F |
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)
Nurse staffing (from payroll records, adjusted for how much care residents need)
What these staffing numbers mean →
This facilityNebraska averageU.S. average
Total nurse staffing (hours per resident per day)
This facility: 4.61
Nebraska average: 4.33
U.S. average: 3.95
Registered Nurse hours
This facility: 0.82
Nebraska average: 0.72
U.S. average: 0.69
Weekend total nurse staffing
This facility: 3.80
Nebraska average: 3.79
U.S. average: 3.50
All bars start at zero. Exact values and supporting details remain below.
| Measure | This facility | Nebraska avg | U.S. avg | Where it stands |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total nurse staffing (hours per resident per day) | 4.61 | 4.33 | 3.95 | top 37% in Nebraska; top 20% in the U.S. |
| Registered Nurse hours | 0.82 | 0.72 | 0.69 | top 33% in Nebraska; top 26% in the U.S. |
| Weekend total nurse staffing | 3.80 | 3.79 | 3.50 | top 44% in Nebraska; top 29% in the U.S. |
| Weekend RN hours (not acuity-adjusted) | 0.50 | 0.47 | 0.48 | top 35% in Nebraska; top 32% in the U.S. |
| Total nursing staff turnover (%) | 46.4 | 48.7 | 45.8 | top 49% in Nebraska; bottom 46% in the U.S. |
| RN turnover (%) | 22.2 | 44.1 | 42.9 | top 23% in Nebraska; top 17% in the U.S. |
Hours are per resident per day for the most recent quarter of payroll data in this CMS release (2026-08-01) — the same quarter for every facility — 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 4.11, RN 0.73, weekend 3.38.Comparing with Medicare Care Compare? Care Compare shows the raw figure (4.11 here, displayed there as hours and minutes), not the adjusted one above. Both are correct; they answer different questions. Staffing rating: 4/5.
Quality measures: assessments & claims
Note: CMS combines facility-reported resident assessments (MDS) with claims-based measures. These are different sources from on-site inspection findings. Read the measures alongside inspection and staffing records; a high QM rating does not establish that a home is safe.
Quality measures rating: 3/5 · long-stay residents: 3/5 · short-stay residents: 2/5
Costs & payment
Price evidence · separate from quality
No verified facility-specific private-pay price is available in our data for Hilltop Estates. CMS inspection and staffing records do not tell us what this home will charge you.
Calculate a stay from a quote you receive
Use a written private-pay quote. This worksheet adds only the amounts you enter; it does not calculate Medicare, Medicaid or insurance benefits.
Formula: (room rate + daily extras) × days + one-time charges. A 30-day scenario is not a calendar-month quote. Refundable deposits, rate changes and charges you omit are not automatically included. Entries are not saved or sent to our server.
Before you compare prices
- Request the room type, effective date and itemized daily rate in writing.
- Ask about therapy, medicines, supplies, care-level charges, deposits, refunds and annual increases.
- Confirm insurance or Medicaid eligibility and bed availability directly; certification alone does not guarantee either.
Understand who pays for care · How we handle price evidence · Report an incorrect price
Who owns this facility
How to read ownership records →
Ownership records as published by CMS on 2026-08-01. CMS records when an owner joined but not when they left. Listed here and no longer involved? Tell us →
For profit - Corporation
| Owner / manager | Type | Role | Stake | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bartruff, Craig | Individual | 5% or Greater Direct Ownership Interest | — | 10/19/2009 |
| K C Health Care Enterprises INC | Organization | 5% or Greater Direct Ownership Interest | — | 02/15/1995 |
| Bahe, Scott | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 03/15/1998 |
| Bahe, Scott | Individual | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 03/15/1998 |
| Bahe, Scott | Individual | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 03/15/1998 |
| Bartruff, Craig | Individual | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 03/15/1995 |
| Bartruff, Craig | Individual | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 03/15/1995 |
| Donner, Tiffany | Individual | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 11/11/2016 |
| Donner, Tiffany | Individual | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 11/11/2016 |
| Family Physical Therapy & Sports Center | Organization | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 12/01/2021 |
| Family Physical Therapy & Sports Center | Organization | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 03/05/2025 |
| Flatwater Bank | Organization | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/1995 |
| Flatwater Bank | Organization | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 03/05/2025 |
| K C Health Care Enterprises INC | Organization | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 03/15/1995 |
| Key Rehabilitation INC | Organization | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2024 |
| Key Rehabilitation INC | Organization | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 02/24/2025 |
| Luminate HCC LLC | Organization | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 12/01/2023 |
| Luminate HCC LLC | Organization | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 02/21/2025 |
| Osborn, Shirley | Individual | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 05/01/2019 |
| Osborn, Shirley | Individual | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 05/01/2019 |
Showing 20 of 26 parties CMS has on file for this facility; 6 are not displayed. The full list is in the CMS Ownership dataset.
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 reviews your menus, and can I see this week's menu and join my family member for a meal?"
- "What did your most recent kitchen inspection find, and can I see how food is stored and prepared?"
- "How do you explain health changes and treatment options to residents and their families?"
- "If my family member's health suddenly changes, how quickly do you reassess them and update their care?"
- "Who completes resident assessments here, and how do you check them for accuracy?"
- "How do you make sure each resident's care follows the doctor's orders, and what changed after this citation?"
- "How does your pharmacist review residents' medications, and how quickly can you fill new or urgent prescriptions?"
- "Who leads your infection prevention program, and how do you make sure staff follow practices like hand hygiene every day?"
Also worth asking anywhere
- "What is your current ratio of nursing staff to residents on day, evening, and weekend shifts?"
- "Can I see the plan of correction for the findings in your most recent state inspection?"
- "CMS reports 46% total nursing staff turnover here — who on the care team has been with you longest?"
- "The ownership record on file lists 26 owning or managing parties — who makes the decisions about staffing levels?"
- "Can I visit again unannounced, at a mealtime or on a weekend?"
Nearby facilities (within 20 miles)
| Facility | Distance | City | Overall | Inspection | Flags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emerald Nursing & Rehab Cozad | 9.9 mi | Cozad, NE | ★☆☆☆☆ | 2/5 |
Facility data as of CMS processing date 2026-08-01. CCN 285163.