California ›Merced

La Sierra Care Center

2424 M Street, Merced, CA 95340 · Merced County · 68 certified beds · avg 66 residents/day · certified since Jan 1, 1967

Part of chain: CAMBRIDGE HEALTHCARE SERVICES (32 facilities, chain avg rating 2.5★)

3/5
Health inspection rating (on-site)
0
Serious findings on record
$0
Fines, last 3 years
4.11
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: 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.

All citations in the current public record (38)

CMS publishes roughly the last three inspection cycles plus recent complaint investigations. Older surveys drop out of the record as new ones are completed.

DateSeverityWhat the facility was cited for
Jan 23, 2026E · Potential for harm, repeatedThe facility did not employ enough qualified food and nutrition staff, including a qualified dietician, to properly run its food service.
Jan 23, 2026E · Potential for harm, repeatedThe 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.
Jan 23, 2026E · Potential for harm, repeatedThe facility did not provide food that accounts for each resident's allergies, intolerances, and personal preferences, or did not offer appealing alternatives.
Jan 23, 2026E · Potential for harm, repeatedThe facility did not get its food from approved, safe sources, or did not store, prepare, and serve food according to professional food safety standards.
Jan 23, 2026E · Potential for harm, repeatedThe facility did not protect residents' personal information or did not keep complete, accurate medical records that meet professional standards.
Jan 23, 2026E · Potential for harm, repeatedThe facility had resident rooms smaller than required — at least 80 square feet per person in shared rooms and 100 square feet in single rooms.
Jan 23, 2026D · Potential for harm, one-offThe 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.
Jan 23, 2026D · Potential for harm, one-offThe 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.
Jan 23, 2026D · Potential for harm, one-offThe facility provided care that did not meet professional standards of quality — the accepted standards that nurses and other clinicians are expected to follow.
Jan 23, 2026D · Potential for harm, one-offThe 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.
Jan 23, 2026D · Potential for harm, one-offThe 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.
Nov 19, 2025D · Potential for harm, one-offThe facility did not create and follow a basic care plan covering a new resident's most immediate needs within 48 hours of admission. The first days are when a new resident is most vulnerable. · from a complaint
Apr 3, 2025D · Potential for harm, one-offThe facility provided care that did not meet professional standards of quality — the accepted standards that nurses and other clinicians are expected to follow. · from a complaint
Oct 23, 2024E · Potential for harm, repeatedThe facility did not provide each resident with a nourishing, tasty, well-balanced diet that meets their daily nutritional and special dietary needs. · from a complaint
Aug 23, 2024F · Potential for harm, facility-wideThe facility did not serve food and drinks that were appetizing, attractive, and at a safe and pleasant temperature.
Aug 23, 2024F · Potential for harm, facility-wideThe facility did not get its food from approved, safe sources, or did not store, prepare, and serve food according to professional food safety standards.
Aug 23, 2024F · Potential for harm, facility-wideThe facility had resident rooms smaller than required — at least 80 square feet per person in shared rooms and 100 square feet in single rooms.
Aug 23, 2024E · Potential for harm, repeatedThe 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.
Aug 23, 2024E · Potential for harm, repeatedThe facility did not keep residents free from significant medication errors — such as giving the wrong drug, the wrong dose, or missing a critical medication.
Aug 23, 2024D · Potential for harm, one-offThe facility did not accurately assess a resident's health and needs. Assessments are the foundation for all the care a resident receives.
Aug 23, 2024D · Potential for harm, one-offThe facility did not properly complete the required screening (called PASARR) that identifies whether a person entering a nursing home has a mental illness or intellectual disability and needs specialized services.
Aug 23, 2024D · Potential for harm, one-offThe 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.
Aug 23, 2024D · Potential for harm, one-offThe facility did not provide enough food and fluids to keep residents healthy, such as preventing unplanned weight loss or dehydration.
Aug 23, 2024D · Potential for harm, one-offThe 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.
Aug 23, 2024D · Potential for harm, one-offThe facility did not provide pharmacy services that meet each resident's needs, or did not employ or contract with a licensed pharmacist.
Aug 23, 2024D · Potential for harm, one-offThe facility did not protect residents' personal information or did not keep complete, accurate medical records that meet professional standards.
Aug 23, 2024C · Minimal risk, facility-wideThe facility did not post its nurse staffing information every day. Nursing homes must publicly display how many nurses and aides are on duty each day.
Oct 9, 2023D · Potential for harm, one-offThe 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. · from a complaint
Apr 29, 2021F · Potential for harm, facility-wideThe facility's quality committee — the internal group responsible for finding and fixing care problems — did not have the required members or did not meet at least every three months.
Apr 29, 2021E · Potential for harm, repeatedThe facility did not honor residents' right to form and take part in resident or family groups, such as a resident council.
Apr 29, 2021E · Potential for harm, repeatedThe facility did not provide activities that meet residents' needs and interests. Nursing homes must offer meaningful activity programs, not just leave residents idle.
Apr 29, 2021E · Potential for harm, repeatedThe facility did not keep the environment free of accident hazards, or did not provide enough supervision to prevent accidents like falls.
Apr 29, 2021E · Potential for harm, repeatedThe facility had resident rooms smaller than required — at least 80 square feet per person in shared rooms and 100 square feet in single rooms.
Apr 29, 2021D · Potential for harm, one-offThe 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.
Apr 29, 2021D · Potential for harm, one-offThe facility provided care that did not meet professional standards of quality — the accepted standards that nurses and other clinicians are expected to follow.
Apr 29, 2021D · Potential for harm, one-offThe 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.
Apr 29, 2021D · Potential for harm, one-offThe 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 29, 2021D · Potential for harm, one-offThe facility did not provide at least one adequately sized room for dining and activities, with good lighting, airflow, and furniture.

Inspection trend by year

Citations from standard inspections stayed about the same across the last two inspection cycles (13 → 11).

YearCitationsSerious (G–L)Worst severity that year
2021100F
202310D
2024140F
202520D
2026110E

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)

MeasureThis facilityCalifornia avgU.S. avgWhere it stands
Total nurse staffing (hours per resident per day)4.114.313.95bottom 49% in California; top 35% in the U.S.
Registered Nurse hours0.540.610.69top 40% in California; bottom 44% in the U.S.
Weekend total nurse staffing3.823.903.50top 44% in California; top 29% in the U.S.
Weekend RN hours (not acuity-adjusted)0.390.510.48top 46% in California; top 49% in the U.S.
Total nursing staff turnover (%)54.936.745.8bottom 7% in California; bottom 25% in the U.S.
RN turnover (%)85.738.142.9bottom 2% in California; bottom 3% 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 3.93, RN 0.52, weekend 3.66. 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: 5/5 · short-stay residents: 1/5

Who owns this facility

For profit - Limited Liability company

Owner / managerTypeRoleStakeSince
Bering Properties LLCOrganization5% or Greater Indirect Ownership Interest—02/01/2007
BH AllianceOrganizationIndirect Ownership InterestNOT APPLICABLE11/01/2006
Crescent Facilities Operations LLCOrganization5% or Greater Direct Ownership Interest100%02/07/2007
Ira & Rachel Smedra Family Irrevocable Gift TrustOrganization5% or Greater Indirect Ownership Interest—02/01/2007
Jenmax Enterprises LLCOrganization5% or Greater Indirect Ownership Interest—02/01/2007
Jennifer Nurit Smedra Trust 1997 TrustOrganization5% or Greater Indirect Ownership Interest—02/01/2007
JK-CSH JV LLCOrganization5% or Greater Indirect Ownership Interest—11/01/2006
Manhattan Five Partners LLCOrganization5% or Greater Indirect Ownership Interest—11/01/2006
The Hyman & Betty Ingber Family TrustOrganization5% or Greater Indirect Ownership Interest—10/10/2013
The Jacob Wintner TrustOrganizationIndirect Ownership InterestNOT APPLICABLE11/01/2006
The Wintner Living Trust Dated 7/08/1992OrganizationIndirect Ownership InterestNOT APPLICABLE02/01/2007
Win Win Enterprises, LLCOrganization5% or Greater Indirect Ownership Interest—02/01/2007
Wintner, JacobIndividualIndirect Ownership InterestNOT APPLICABLE02/01/2007
2424 M Street LLCOrganizationADP of the SNFNOT APPLICABLE12/15/2006
Bretsch, GregoryIndividualManaging Control - Governing BodyNOT APPLICABLE02/25/2019
Bretsch, GregoryIndividualOperational/Managerial ControlNOT APPLICABLE02/25/2019
Bretsch, GregoryIndividualADP of the SNFNOT APPLICABLE02/25/2019
Butenko, JulieIndividualOperational/Managerial ControlNOT APPLICABLE07/24/2023
Butenko, JulieIndividualADP of the SNFNOT APPLICABLE07/24/2023
Cambridge Healthcare Services LLCOrganizationOperational/Managerial ControlNOT APPLICABLE04/01/2014

Questions to ask on your visit

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

Nearby facilities (within 20 miles)

FacilityDistanceCityOverallInspectionFlags
Merced Nursing & Rehabilitation Ctr0.1 miMerced, CA★★★★☆3/5
Golden Merced Care Center0.3 miMerced, CA★★★☆☆3/5
Franciscan Post-Acute Care Center0.8 miMerced, CA★★★★☆4/5
Merced Behavioral Center1.4 miMerced, CA★★★★★5/5
Anberry Post Acute3.0 miMerced, CA★★★☆☆3/5
Anberry Nursing and Rehabilitation Center7.1 miAtwater, CA★★★★★4/5
Grace Home INC.14.5 miLivingston, CA★★★★★5/5
Palms Care Center17.4 miChowchilla, CA★★★★☆4/5
Chowchilla Memorial Healthcare District17.4 miChowchilla, CA★★★★☆4/5

Compare this facility with the 3 closest →

All facilities in Merced →

Facility data as of CMS processing date 2026-08-01. CCN 055271.