Lewis County General Hospital-Nursing Home Unit
7785 North State Street, Lowville, NY 13367 · Lewis County · 160 certified beds · avg 109 residents/day · certified since Jan 1, 1975
What health inspectors found (on-site government inspections — the most independent evidence available)
Health inspection rating: ★★☆☆☆2/5 · CMS overall rating: 2/5
⚠ The most recent standard health inspection was more than 2 years ago — conditions may have changed.
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)
▲ Immediate jeopardy, repeated · Oct 10, 2024 · F-0600 · triggered by a complaint
The facility did not protect residents from abuse or neglect. This covers physical, mental, and sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect, by anyone — staff, other residents, or visitors.
Why it matters: Abuse and neglect cause direct physical and emotional harm and are among the most serious failures a nursing home can have.
Severity (K): A life-threatening or extremely dangerous situation affected several residents. Among the most serious findings an inspection can produce.
Corrected: Nov 22, 2024 (Deficient, Provider has date of correction)
▲ Actual harm, one-off · Jul 6, 2022 · F-0689
The facility did not keep the environment free of accident hazards, or did not provide enough supervision to prevent accidents like falls.
Why it matters: This is one of the most common citations and directly relates to falls and injuries, which can be devastating for older adults.
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: Aug 31, 2022 (Deficient, Provider has date of correction)
All citations in the current public record (16)
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 10, 2024 | ▲ K · Immediate jeopardy, repeated | The facility did not protect residents from abuse or neglect. This covers physical, mental, and sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect, by anyone — staff, other residents, or visitors. · from a complaint |
| Oct 10, 2024 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | The facility was not managed in a way that uses its money, staff, and resources effectively and efficiently to care for residents. · from a complaint |
| Oct 10, 2024 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not provide the right treatment and services for residents with dementia or signs of dementia. Dementia care requires specific approaches, training, and patience. · from a complaint |
| Jul 30, 2024 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | The facility did not keep the environment free of accident hazards, or did not provide enough supervision to prevent accidents like falls. · from a complaint |
| Jul 30, 2024 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | The facility did not serve food and drinks that were appetizing, attractive, and at a safe and pleasant temperature. |
| Jul 30, 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. |
| Jul 30, 2024 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not allow residents to take their own medications when a clinical review showed they could do so safely. Residents have this right if their care team determines it's appropriate. |
| Jul 30, 2024 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not provide special eating equipment and utensils — like adaptive cups or easy-grip silverware — for residents who need them, along with appropriate help at meals. |
| Jul 6, 2022 | ▲ G · Actual harm, one-off | The facility did not keep the environment free of accident hazards, or did not provide enough supervision to prevent accidents like falls. |
| Jul 6, 2022 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | The facility was not properly licensed, or did not operate in compliance with federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and accepted professional standards. |
| Jul 6, 2022 | 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. |
| Jul 6, 2022 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not respond appropriately to alleged violations, such as reports of abuse, neglect, or mistreatment. Facilities must investigate every allegation and protect residents while they do. |
| Jul 6, 2022 | 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. |
| Jul 6, 2022 | 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. |
| Dec 6, 2019 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not make its inspection results easy for residents to see, or made it hard for residents to contact advocacy agencies like the ombudsman. |
| Dec 6, 2019 | 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. |
Inspection trend by year
Citations from standard inspections stayed about the same across the last two inspection cycles (6 → 5).
| Year | Citations | Serious (G–L) | Worst severity that year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2 | 0 | D |
| 2022 | 6 | 1 | G ▲ |
| 2024 | 8 | 1 | K ▲ |
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 $160,046.
| Date | Type | Amount / length |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 10, 2024 | Fine | $160,046 |
Nurse staffing (from payroll records, adjusted for how much care residents need)
| Measure | This facility | New York avg | U.S. avg | Where it stands |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total nurse staffing (hours per resident per day) | 4.77 | 3.58 | 3.95 | top 8% in New York; top 17% in the U.S. |
| Registered Nurse hours | 0.92 | 0.68 | 0.69 | top 14% in New York; top 20% in the U.S. |
| Weekend total nurse staffing | 3.98 | 3.13 | 3.50 | top 11% in New York; top 23% in the U.S. |
| Weekend RN hours (not acuity-adjusted) | 0.34 | 0.48 | 0.48 | bottom 47% in New York; bottom 40% in the U.S. |
| Total nursing staff turnover (%) | 42.9 | 40.3 | 45.8 | bottom 41% in New York; top 44% in the U.S. |
| RN turnover (%) | 59.3 | 39.8 | 42.9 | bottom 13% in New York; bottom 23% 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 4.41, RN 0.85, weekend 3.69. Staffing rating: 4/5.
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: 2/5 · short-stay residents: 4/5
Who owns this facility
Government - County
| Owner / manager | Type | Role | Stake | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hellinger, Jeffrey | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 10/18/2016 |
| Hellinger, Jeffrey | Individual | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 10/18/2016 |
| Jones, Jennifer | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 12/31/2015 |
| Lehman, John | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2020 |
| Mastascusa, Marguerite | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 11/01/2012 |
| McDowell, Philip | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 12/01/2016 |
| Meny, Howard | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 11/01/2020 |
| Musnicki, Donald | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2015 |
| Rennie, Karen | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2019 |
| Ross, Susan | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 07/01/2018 |
| Schwartz, John | Individual | Managing Control - Governing Body | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2024 |
| Schwartz, John | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2024 |
| Schwartz, John | Individual | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2024 |
| Tuttle-Malone, Shirley | Individual | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2020 |
| Tuttle-Malone, Shirley | Individual | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 04/03/2025 |
| Wurz, Debra | Individual | Managing Control - Governing Body | NOT APPLICABLE | 02/26/2020 |
| Wurz, Debra | Individual | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 02/26/2020 |
| Wurz, Debra | Individual | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 02/26/2020 |
| Young, Michael | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 10/10/2010 |
Questions to ask on your visit
Generated from this facility's actual citation record — bring them to a tour and ask the administrator directly.
- "Tell me about this abuse or neglect citation — what happened, and what specific changes did you make afterward?"
- "What is your falls rate, and what specific steps do you take to prevent falls and supervise residents at risk?"
- "What were the findings behind this administration citation, and what has leadership changed since?"
- "What specific dementia training do your staff receive, and how do you handle difficult moments without medication?"
- "Could I join residents for a meal to see the food quality and temperature for myself?"
- "What did your most recent kitchen inspection find, and can I see how food is stored and prepared?"
- "If my family member is able to manage their own medications, would you allow it, and how is that decided?"
- "What adaptive eating equipment do you provide, and how do you decide who needs help at meals?"
- "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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carthage Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing | 14.0 mi | Carthage, NY | ★☆☆☆☆ | 2/5 |
Compare this facility with the 1 closest →
Facility data as of CMS processing date 2026-08-01. CCN 335428.