Smith Medical Nursing Care Ctr
501 East McCarty St, Sandersville, GA 31082 · Washington County · 56 certified beds · avg 48 residents/day · certified since Dec 13, 2004
What health inspectors found (on-site government inspections — the most independent evidence available)
Health inspection rating: ★☆☆☆☆1/5 · CMS overall rating: 1/5
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)
▲ Immediate jeopardy, one-off · Jan 31, 2023 · F-0678
The facility did not provide basic life support, such as CPR, before emergency medical help arrived — care that's required when it matches the doctor's orders and the resident's own written wishes.
Why it matters: In a cardiac or breathing emergency, failure to start CPR promptly can be the difference between life and death.
Severity (J): Inspectors found a situation that put a resident's life or safety in immediate danger, affecting one or a few residents. The facility must fix it immediately — these citations often come with large fines.
Corrected: Mar 15, 2023 (Deficient, Provider has date of correction)
▲ Immediate jeopardy, one-off · Jan 31, 2023 · F-0835
The facility was not managed in a way that uses its money, staff, and resources effectively and efficiently to care for residents.
Why it matters: Poor administration often shows up as understaffing, supply shortages, and care problems across the whole facility.
Severity (J): Inspectors found a situation that put a resident's life or safety in immediate danger, affecting one or a few residents. The facility must fix it immediately — these citations often come with large fines.
Corrected: Mar 15, 2023 (Deficient, Provider has date of correction)
All citations in the current public record (32)
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 7, 2025 | F · Potential for harm, facility-wide | The facility did not honor residents' right to voice complaints without discrimination or retaliation, or did not have a working complaint process that resolves issues promptly. |
| Aug 7, 2025 | F · Potential for harm, facility-wide | The facility did not observe each nurse aide's job performance or provide regular training as required. |
| Aug 7, 2025 | F · Potential for harm, facility-wide | 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. |
| Aug 7, 2025 | F · Potential for harm, facility-wide | 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. |
| Aug 7, 2025 | F · Potential for harm, facility-wide | The facility did not have enough fresh-air ventilation, whether through windows, mechanical systems, or both. |
| Aug 7, 2025 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | 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. |
| Mar 19, 2025 | D · Potential for 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. · from a complaint |
| Mar 24, 2024 | F · Potential for harm, facility-wide | 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. |
| Mar 24, 2024 | F · Potential for harm, facility-wide | 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. |
| Mar 24, 2024 | F · Potential for harm, facility-wide | The facility did not electronically submit complete and accurate staffing information to the government, based on payroll and other verifiable records. |
| Mar 24, 2024 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | The facility did not provide a safe, clean, comfortable, and homelike environment, including safe support for residents' daily living needs. |
| Mar 24, 2024 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The 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. |
| Mar 24, 2024 | D · Potential for 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. |
| Mar 24, 2024 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not serve food and drinks that were appetizing, attractive, and at a safe and pleasant temperature. |
| Mar 24, 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. |
| Jan 31, 2023 | ▲ J · Immediate jeopardy, one-off | The facility did not provide basic life support, such as CPR, before emergency medical help arrived — care that's required when it matches the doctor's orders and the resident's own written wishes. |
| Jan 31, 2023 | ▲ J · Immediate jeopardy, one-off | The facility was not managed in a way that uses its money, staff, and resources effectively and efficiently to care for residents. |
| Jan 31, 2023 | F · Potential for harm, facility-wide | 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. |
| Jan 31, 2023 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | The facility did not designate a qualified infection preventionist — a trained person responsible for running the infection prevention and control program. |
| Jan 31, 2023 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | The facility did not develop and follow policies and procedures for offering residents flu and pneumonia vaccinations. |
| Jan 31, 2023 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | The facility did not educate residents and staff about COVID-19 vaccination, offer the vaccine to those eligible after that education, or properly document everyone's vaccination status. |
| Jan 31, 2023 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | The facility did not keep its building and grounds safe, functional, clean, and comfortable for residents, staff, and visitors. |
| Jan 31, 2023 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not honor residents' right to receive the visitors they choose, at the times they choose. |
| Jan 31, 2023 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | 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. |
| Jan 31, 2023 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not accurately assess a resident's health and needs. Assessments are the foundation for all the care a resident receives. |
| Jan 31, 2023 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The 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. |
| Jan 31, 2023 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The 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 31, 2023 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not provide the help residents need with basic daily activities — like bathing, dressing, eating, and using the bathroom — for residents who cannot do these things on their own. |
| Jan 31, 2023 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not provide the care needed to maintain or improve residents' movement and flexibility — such as range-of-motion exercises — leading to avoidable decline. |
| Jan 31, 2023 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not provide or arrange dental services for its residents. Nursing homes are responsible for making sure residents can get dental care. |
| Jan 31, 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. |
| Jan 31, 2023 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not have a working call system — the button or cord residents use to summon help — in each resident's bathroom and bathing area. |
Inspection trend by year
Citations from standard inspections stayed about the same across the last two inspection cycles (8 → 6).
| Year | Citations | Serious (G–L) | Worst severity that year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 17 | 2 | J ▲ |
| 2024 | 8 | 0 | F |
| 2025 | 7 | 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)
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 | Georgia avg | U.S. avg | Where it stands |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total nurse staffing (hours per resident per day) | 3.24 | 3.54 | 3.95 | bottom 37% in Georgia; bottom 24% in the U.S. |
| Registered Nurse hours | 0.29 | 0.50 | 0.69 | bottom 22% in Georgia; bottom 9% in the U.S. |
| Weekend total nurse staffing | 3.24 | 3.09 | 3.50 | top 32% in Georgia; bottom 44% in the U.S. |
| Weekend RN hours (not acuity-adjusted) | 0.17 | 0.35 | 0.48 | bottom 17% in Georgia; bottom 8% in the U.S. |
| Total nursing staff turnover (%) | 45.9 | 46.0 | 45.8 | top 50% in Georgia; bottom 47% in the U.S. |
| RN turnover (%) | 0.0 | 44.5 | 42.9 | — |
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 2.58, RN 0.23, weekend 2.59. Staffing rating: 2/5.
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: 4/5 · short-stay residents: —/5
Who owns this facility
For profit - Corporation
| Owner / manager | Type | Role | Stake | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poole, Katie | Individual | 5% or Greater Direct Ownership Interest | 100% | 03/07/1967 |
| Poole, Katie | Individual | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 03/07/1967 |
| Thompson, Janice | Individual | W-2 Managing Employee | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/10/1991 |
| Thompson, Janice | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 12/16/2004 |
| Wadley, Linda | Individual | W-2 Managing Employee | NOT APPLICABLE | 11/05/2004 |
Questions to ask on your visit
Generated from this facility's actual citation record — bring them to a tour and ask the administrator directly.
- "Are staff on every shift trained and certified in CPR, and how do they know each resident's resuscitation wishes?"
- "What were the findings behind this administration citation, and what has leadership changed since?"
- "Walk me through what happens when a resident or family files a grievance — who responds and how fast?"
- "How often do you evaluate your nurse aides and what ongoing training do they receive?"
- "Can you show me how medications are stored and secured on the units, including controlled drugs?"
- "What did your most recent kitchen inspection find, and can I see how food is stored and prepared?"
- "How is fresh air circulated through the building, and how is the ventilation system maintained?"
- "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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington Co Extended Care Facility | 0.6 mi | Sandersville, GA | ★★★☆☆ | 3/5 | |
| Heritage Inn of Sandersville Health and Rehab | 0.9 mi | Sandersville, GA | ★★★★★ | 5/5 | |
| Wrightsville Manor Health and Rehab | 18.4 mi | Wrightsville, GA | ★☆☆☆☆ | 1/5 | |
| Pruitthealth - Toomsboro | 19.8 mi | Toomsboro, GA | ★★★★★ | 5/5 |
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Facility data as of CMS processing date 2026-08-01. CCN 115691.