The Sequoias

Name: The Sequoias
Address: 501 PORTOLA ROAD, Portola Valley, CA, 94028, US
Telephone: 6508511501

501 Portola Road, Portola Valley, CA 94028 · San Mateo County · 43 certified beds · avg 31 residents/day · certified since Jan 18, 1967

5/5

Health inspection rating (on-site)

Serious findings on record

$12,703

Fines, last 3 years

5.00

Nurse hours/resident/day (adjusted)

What health inspectors found (on-site government inspections — the most independent evidence available)

Health inspection rating: ★★★★★5/5 · CMS overall rating: 5/5

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 (20)

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	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.
Aug 7, 2025	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.
Aug 7, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The 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 7, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not provide pharmacy services that meet each resident's needs, or did not employ or contract with a licensed pharmacist.
Aug 7, 2025	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not have a working program to monitor how antibiotics are used. Tracking antibiotic use helps make sure these drugs are given only when needed and remain effective.
May 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.
May 24, 2024	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not provide a safe, clean, comfortable, and homelike environment, including safe support for residents' daily living needs.
May 24, 2024	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not enter each resident's assessment information into the required format and send it to the state within 7 days of completing the assessment, as the rules require.
May 24, 2024	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.
May 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.
May 24, 2024	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not try to gradually reduce doses of mood- and mind-altering medications or use non-drug approaches first, as required, or used 'as needed' psychiatric drugs without proper limits.
May 24, 2024	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.
May 24, 2024	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not electronically submit complete and accurate staffing information to the government, based on payroll and other verifiable records.
May 24, 2024	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not make sure its nurses and nurse aides had the skills and training needed to properly care for every resident. · from a complaint
Dec 30, 2021	E · Potential for harm, repeated	The 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.
Dec 30, 2021	E · Potential for harm, repeated	The facility provided care that did not meet professional standards of quality — the accepted standards that nurses and other clinicians are expected to follow.
Dec 30, 2021	E · Potential for harm, repeated	The facility did not dispose of garbage and refuse properly.
Dec 30, 2021	E · Potential for harm, repeated	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.
Dec 30, 2021	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not provide enough food and fluids to keep residents healthy, such as preventing unplanned weight loss or dehydration.
Dec 30, 2021	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 decreased between the last two inspection cycles (8 → 5).

Year	Citations	Worst severity that year
2021	6	E
2024	9	F
2025	5	E

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 $12,703.

Date	Type	Amount / length
Oct 30, 2023	Fine	$12,703

Nurse staffing (from payroll records, adjusted for how much care residents need)

Measure	This facility	California avg	U.S. avg	Where it stands
Total nurse staffing (hours per resident per day)	5.00	4.31	3.95	top 14% in California; top 13% in the U.S.
Registered Nurse hours	0.71	0.61	0.69	top 22% in California; top 35% in the U.S.
Weekend total nurse staffing	3.50	3.90	3.50	bottom 31% in California; top 42% in the U.S.
Weekend RN hours (not acuity-adjusted)	0.35	0.51	0.48	bottom 45% in California; bottom 41% in the U.S.
Total nursing staff turnover (%)	6.3	36.7	45.8	top 1% in California; top 1% in the U.S.
RN turnover (%)	0.0	38.1	42.9	top 1% in California; top 1% 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 4.28, RN 0.61, weekend 3.00. 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: 5/5 · long-stay residents: 5/5 · short-stay residents: 5/5

Who owns this facility

Non profit - Corporation

Owner / manager	Type	Role	Stake	Since
McVey, Sarah	Individual	5% or Greater Indirect Ownership Interest	—	09/24/2019
Sequoia Living INC	Organization	5% or Greater Direct Ownership Interest	100%	01/18/1967
Agostino, Valerie	Individual	Corporate Director	NOT APPLICABLE	12/07/2020
Atwood, Martha	Individual	ADP of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	01/03/1994
Chen, Can	Individual	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	10/01/2017
Chen, Can	Individual	ADP of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	10/01/2017
Corriea, Richard	Individual	Corporate Director	NOT APPLICABLE	05/19/2021
Herman, Steven	Individual	Corporate Director	NOT APPLICABLE	01/01/2017
Howie, Carl	Individual	Corporate Director	NOT APPLICABLE	05/01/2011
Ito, Holly	Individual	Corporate Director	NOT APPLICABLE	10/25/2022
Jamison, David	Individual	Corporate Director	NOT APPLICABLE	06/01/2014
Lim, Marianne	Individual	Corporate Director	NOT APPLICABLE	07/21/2020
Lynn, Patricia	Individual	Corporate Director	NOT APPLICABLE	04/29/2020
Mayeda, Nancy	Individual	Corporate Director	NOT APPLICABLE	01/01/2016
McVey, Sarah	Individual	Corporate Officer	NOT APPLICABLE	09/24/2019
McVey, Sarah	Individual	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	09/24/2019
McVey, Sarah	Individual	ADP of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	09/24/2019
Sanderson, Cory	Individual	Corporate Director	NOT APPLICABLE	05/29/2024
Sequoia Living INC	Organization	ADP of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	01/14/2025
Shoemake, Charles	Individual	Corporate Officer	NOT APPLICABLE	08/14/2020

Questions to ask on your visit

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

"What did your most recent kitchen inspection find, and can I see how food is stored and prepared?"
"Before any service that isn't covered by Medicare or Medicaid, how will you notify us and get our agreement?"
"Who is on the team that builds each resident's care plan, and how quickly is it in place after admission?"
"How does your pharmacist review residents' medications, and how quickly can you fill new or urgent prescriptions?"
"Who oversees antibiotic use here, and how do you decide when an antibiotic is really needed?"
"Can we tour the resident rooms, bathrooms, and common areas today, including areas not on the usual tour route?"
"How do you make sure resident assessments are completed and submitted to the state on time?"
"Who completes resident assessments here, and how do you check them for accuracy?"
"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
VI at Palo Alto	5.0 mi	Palo Alto, CA	★★★★★	4/5
Atherton Park Post-Acute	5.6 mi	Menlo Park, CA	★★★★☆	3/5
The Terraces at Los Altos Health Facility	5.6 mi	Los Altos, CA	★★★★☆	3/5
Palo Alto Post-Acute	5.7 mi	Palo Alto, CA	★★★★☆	3/5
Webster House	6.1 mi	Palo Alto, CA	★★★★★	5/5
Devonshire Oaks Nursing Center	6.4 mi	Redwood City, CA	★★★★★	4/5
Villa Siena	7.1 mi	Mountain View, CA	★☆☆☆☆	3/5
Los Altos Post-Acute	7.3 mi	Los Altos, CA	★★★☆☆	3/5
Health Care Ctr at the Forum at Rancho San Antonio	7.6 mi	Cupertino, CA	★★★★☆	2/5
Camino Ridge Post-Acute	7.7 mi	Mountain View, CA	★☆☆☆☆	1/5
Mountain View Healthcare Center	7.7 mi	Mountain View, CA	★★★☆☆	2/5
Sunnyvale Post-Acute Center	8.9 mi	Sunnyvale, CA	★☆☆☆☆	1/5

Compare this facility with the 3 closest →

All facilities in Portola Valley →

Facility data as of CMS processing date 2026-08-01. CCN 055466.

The Care File

Visit checklist — The Sequoias

501 Portola Road, Portola Valley, CA 94028 · 6508511501

Health inspection rating 5/5 · CMS overall 5/5· Fines (3y): $12,703

Questions for the administrator:

☐ "What did your most recent kitchen inspection find, and can I see how food is stored and prepared?"
☐ "Before any service that isn't covered by Medicare or Medicaid, how will you notify us and get our agreement?"
☐ "Who is on the team that builds each resident's care plan, and how quickly is it in place after admission?"
☐ "How does your pharmacist review residents' medications, and how quickly can you fill new or urgent prescriptions?"
☐ "Who oversees antibiotic use here, and how do you decide when an antibiotic is really needed?"
☐ "Can we tour the resident rooms, bathrooms, and common areas today, including areas not on the usual tour route?"
☐ "How do you make sure resident assessments are completed and submitted to the state on time?"
☐ "Who completes resident assessments here, and how do you check them for accuracy?"
☐ "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?"

While you're there, notice:

☐ Smell and cleanliness in hallways, not just the lobby
☐ How staff speak to residents; call lights answered promptly
☐ Residents up, dressed, and engaged (visit mealtimes and a weekend if you can)

Data: CMS Provider Data Catalog, version 2026-08-01 · CCN 055466 · Verify at medicare.gov/care-compare · Printed from The Care File (thecarefile.com)