Hilltop Health and Rehabilitation
188 Oscar Justice Road, Rutherfordton, NC 28139 · Rutherford County · 80 certified beds · avg 73 residents/day · certified since Dec 13, 1972
Part of chain: ASCENT HEALTHCARE MANAGEMENT (6 facilities, chain avg rating 2.2★)
What health inspectors found (on-site government inspections — the most independent evidence available)
Health inspection rating: ★★★★☆4/5 · CMS overall rating: 3/5
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)
▲ Actual harm, one-off · Sep 13, 2023 · F-0550 · triggered by a complaint
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.
Why it matters: Being treated without dignity harms a resident's self-worth, mental health, and overall quality of life.
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: Sep 18, 2023 (Deficient, Provider has date of correction)
▲ Actual harm, one-off · Sep 13, 2023 · F-0558
The facility did not make reasonable adjustments to fit each resident's individual needs and preferences — things like call buttons within reach, preferred wake-up times, or accessible room setups.
Why it matters: Ignoring individual needs — like leaving a call button out of reach — can leave residents helpless, frustrated, or in danger.
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: Sep 18, 2023 (Deficient, Provider has date of correction)
All citations in the current public record (12)
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 12, 2026 | 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 12, 2026 | 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. |
| Jan 9, 2025 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | The facility did not provide activities that meet residents' needs and interests. Nursing homes must offer meaningful activity programs, not just leave residents idle. |
| Jan 9, 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. |
| Sep 13, 2023 | ▲ G · Actual 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. · from a complaint |
| Sep 13, 2023 | ▲ G · Actual harm, one-off | The facility did not make reasonable adjustments to fit each resident's individual needs and preferences — things like call buttons within reach, preferred wake-up times, or accessible room setups. |
| Sep 13, 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. |
| Sep 13, 2023 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | 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. |
| Sep 13, 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. |
| Sep 13, 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. |
| Sep 13, 2023 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not run an ongoing quality assurance committee that reviews care problems and creates plans to fix them. |
| Sep 13, 2023 | 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. |
Inspection trend by year
Citations from standard inspections stayed about the same across the last two inspection cycles (2 → 2).
| Year | Citations | Serious (G–L) | Worst severity that year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 8 | 2 | G ▲ |
| 2025 | 2 | 0 | E |
| 2026 | 2 | 0 | 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)
1 fine totaling $7,530.
| Date | Type | Amount / length |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 13, 2023 | Fine | $7,530 |
Nurse staffing (from payroll records, adjusted for how much care residents need)
| Measure | This facility | North Carolina avg | U.S. avg | Where it stands |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total nurse staffing (hours per resident per day) | 3.13 | 4.01 | 3.95 | bottom 10% in North Carolina; bottom 19% in the U.S. |
| Registered Nurse hours | 0.35 | 0.64 | 0.69 | bottom 17% in North Carolina; bottom 16% in the U.S. |
| Weekend total nurse staffing | 2.79 | 3.56 | 3.50 | bottom 12% in North Carolina; bottom 20% in the U.S. |
| Weekend RN hours (not acuity-adjusted) | 0.21 | 0.41 | 0.48 | bottom 22% in North Carolina; bottom 15% in the U.S. |
| Total nursing staff turnover (%) | 61.0 | 49.0 | 45.8 | bottom 21% in North Carolina; bottom 15% in the U.S. |
| RN turnover (%) | 44.4 | 45.7 | 42.9 | top 48% in North Carolina; bottom 45% 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 3.05, RN 0.34, weekend 2.71. Staffing rating: 1/5.
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: 4/5 · long-stay residents: 5/5 · short-stay residents: 4/5
Who owns this facility
For profit - Limited Liability company
| Owner / manager | Type | Role | Stake | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Friedman, Yisroel | Individual | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2024 |
| Punzell, Steven | Individual | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 04/10/2025 |
| Summerlin, Wesley | Individual | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2024 |
| Summerlin, Wesley | Individual | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 05/01/2025 |
Questions to ask on your visit
Generated from this facility's actual citation record — bring them to a tour and ask the administrator directly.
- "Can you give me examples of how your staff protect residents' dignity in everyday care, like bathing and dressing?"
- "Can you give me examples of how you adjust daily routines and room setups to fit each resident's preferences?"
- "Can you show me how medications are stored and secured on the units, including controlled drugs?"
- "How do you keep residents' medical records accurate, complete, and secure?"
- "Can I see this month's activities calendar, and what do you offer residents who can't leave their rooms?"
- "Who leads your infection prevention program, and how do you make sure staff follow practices like hand hygiene every day?"
- "Does a pharmacist review every resident's medications and chart monthly, and how are their concerns acted on?"
- "What systems do you use to prevent medication errors, and what happens when one occurs?"
- "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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oak Grove Healthcare | 3.7 mi | Rutherfordton, NC | ★★★★☆ | 5/5 | |
| Willow Ridge of NC | 4.1 mi | Rutherfordton, NC | ★★☆☆☆ | 2/5 | |
| Fair Haven of Forest City, LLC | 7.7 mi | Forest City, NC | ★★★★☆ | 4/5 | |
| Fair Haven Home INC | 8.3 mi | Bostic, NC | ★★★★★ | 5/5 | |
| Deer Park Health and Rehabilitation | 16.8 mi | Nebo, NC | ★☆☆☆☆ | 1/5 | abuseSFF |
| Willowbrooke Court SC Ctr at Tryon Estates | 19.7 mi | Columbus, NC | ★★★★★ | 5/5 |
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Facility data as of CMS processing date 2026-08-01. CCN 345083.