Worcester Senior AdvisorFitchburg Healthcare is a 160-bed Medicare- and Medicaid-certified nursing home at 1199 John Fitch Hwy in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. CMS gives Fitchburg Healthcare an overall rating of 1 out of 5 stars, based on CMS data as of October 1, 2026.
How does CMS rate Fitchburg Healthcare in Fitchburg, MA?
CMS gives Fitchburg Healthcare an overall rating of 1 out of 5 stars; its health inspection rating is 1, staffing 2 and quality measures 3, each out of 5.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Overall rating (CMS) | 1 of 5 |
| Health inspection rating (CMS) | 1 of 5 |
| Staffing rating (CMS) | 2 of 5 |
| Quality measures rating (CMS) | 3 of 5 |
| Certified beds | 160 |
| Ownership type (CMS) | For profit - Limited Liability company |
| Operator chain (CMS) | Next Step Healthcare (14 facilities) |
| Legal business name | 1199 John Fitch Highway Operator Llc |
| First certified for Medicare/Medicaid | December 1, 1974 |
| CMS certification number | 225216 |
What deficiencies has CMS recorded at Fitchburg Healthcare?
February 11, 2026 is the date of Fitchburg Healthcare's latest standard health inspection in CMS's data, and that cycle produced 13 cited deficiencies.
The previous standard survey was on October 1, 2024. The Worcester County median for the latest cycle is 6, so Fitchburg Healthcare sits above the local middle. In Massachusetts the Department of Public Health conducts these surveys for CMS.
CMS reports 1 fine totaling $21,567 and 0 payment denials in its three-year window.
How well staffed is Fitchburg Healthcare?
Each resident at Fitchburg Healthcare gets about 3.47 hours of nursing staff time per day in CMS's payroll data (lower than the Worcester County median of 3.72), 0.40 hours of it from registered nurses.
Total nursing-staff turnover is 39.7% (about the same as the Worcester County median of 39.0%), and 0 administrators have left in the CMS measurement period. For context, MassHealth's payment rules use a standard of 3.58 nursing hours per resident per day; CMS's payroll-based figure of 3.47 is measured differently, so treat the comparison as a prompt for questions rather than a verdict.
Does Fitchburg Healthcare usually have open beds?
CMS reports an average of 128 residents a day in Fitchburg Healthcare's 160 certified beds, about 80% full against a county median of 87%.
A home running near capacity may have a waiting list for long-term beds even when short-stay rehab beds open up; a home with many empty beds may be easier to enter but deserves questions about why. Ask which units have openings and whether long-term and rehab residents share a floor.
Which nursing homes are closest to Fitchburg Healthcare?
With 160 certified beds it is larger than the county median of 124; the closest other certified home is Fitchburg Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Fitchburg, in the same ZIP code, rated 1 of 5 by CMS.
| Residence / provider | Miles away | CMS overall rating | Certified beds | Nurse hours / resident / day | Deficiencies cited |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fitchburg Rehabilitation and Nursing Center 94 Summer Street, 01420 | 0.0 | 1 of 5 | 87 | 3.28 | 11 |
| Highlands, the 335 Nichols Road, 01420 | 0.0 | 3 of 5 | 168 | 3.98 | 7 |
| Leominster Rehabilitation and Nursing Center 44 Keystone Drive, 01453 | 5.3 | 1 of 5 | 106 | 3.56 | 5 |
| Life Care Center of Leominster 370 West Street, 01453 | 5.3 | 4 of 5 | 133 | 4.06 | 7 |
| Gardner Rehabilitation and Nursing Center 59 Eastwood Circle, 01440 | 8.6 | 2 of 5 | 124 | 4.13 | 9 |
What is around Fitchburg Healthcare in Fitchburg?
Fitchburg Healthcare sits in Fitchburg; the nearest hospital with an emergency department in CMS's data is UMass Memorial HealthAlliance Hospitals, about 5.3 miles away in a straight line, and the local Aging Services Access Point is Aging Services of North Central Massachusetts at (978) 537-7411.
The next closest hospital is Heywood Hospital at about 8.6 miles; distances are straight lines, not drive times.
The same address also holds The Gables of Fitchburg (certified assisted living).
What should families ask Fitchburg Healthcare before choosing it?
Its public data points to specific questions: ask to see the statement of deficiencies and plan of correction for the 13 deficiencies cited on February 11, 2026.
- Nursing turnover of 39.7% is above the county median; ask how many aides on each shift come from staffing agencies.
- Ask what the $21,567 in CMS fines were for and whether the issue is resolved.
- CMS records a resident council here; ask when it meets and whether families can attend.
- If MassHealth may pay later, confirm Fitchburg Healthcare keeps residents who convert from private pay to MassHealth, and how the $72.80 monthly personal needs allowance is handled.
