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F772: Have an agreement with an approved laboratory to obtain services, if on-site laboratory services aren't provided

F772 is one of the federal requirements every Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing home must meet. CMS describes it as: Have an agreement with an approved laboratory to obtain services, if on-site laboratory services aren't provided. It sits in CMS's administration category.

58citations in the CMS files
58homes cited at least once
8in the 12 months to September 2026
0.0%rated actual harm or immediate jeopardy

CMS Health Deficiencies file, data as of September 1, 2026. The files hold each home's last three standard inspections and three years of complaint visits.

How seriously inspectors rate it

Every citation gets a letter for how much harm inspectors found and how many residents it touched (how to read the letters). 39.7% of F772 citations came from a complaint visit rather than a routine inspection.

  • Immediate jeopardy (J, K, L)0 (0.0%)
  • Actual harm (G, H, I)0 (0.0%)
  • Potential for more than minimal harm (D, E, F)58 (100.0%)
  • Potential for minimal harm (A, B, C)0 (0.0%)

By letter: D 53, E 5.

What inspectors wrote

Three recent F772 citations from different states, quoted from the inspectors' statements of deficiencies (CMS form 2567). Names are removed by CMS.

Inspectors wrote, May 22, 2026, scope and severity DBased on record review and interview, the facility failed to ensure a resident received laboratory services as ordered by the physician for 2 of 3 residents reviewed for laboratory services. (Residents C and D)

Lincolnshire Health & Rehabilitation Center, Merrillville, IN

Inspectors wrote, April 23, 2026, scope and severity DBased on interview and record review, the facility failed to ensure laboratory services were provided timely for one sampled Resident (#5), out of a total sample of 21 residents. Specifically, the facility failed to obtain a urine for urinalysis and culture as indicated in physician's orders.

Saugus Center, Saugus, MA

Inspectors wrote, February 13, 2026, scope and severity DBased on facility document review, policy review, and staff interview, the facility failed to maintain and provide a written agreement for laboratory services to ensure required laboratory services are available timely to meet resident needs.

Bickford Health Care Center, Windsor Locks, CT

Most recent F772 citations

InspectionHomeTownLetter
May 22, 2026Lincolnshire Health & Rehabilitation CenterMerrillville, IN D
April 23, 2026Saugus CenterSaugus, MA D
March 3, 2026Hickory Creek at HuntingtonHuntington, IN D
February 13, 2026Bickford Health Care CenterWindsor Locks, CT D
January 21, 2026Victoria Haven Nursing FacilityNorwood, MA D
December 5, 2025Alpha Home - a Waters CommunityIndianapolis, IN D
September 17, 2025Roosevelt Rehabilitation and Healthcare CenterPhiladelphia, PA D
September 16, 2025Galion Meadows Skilled Nursing and RehabilitationGalion, OH D
May 29, 2025Gardens of Mayfield VillageMayfield Heights, OH D
May 1, 2025Ignite Medical Resort Crown Point LLCCrown Point, IN D
April 30, 2025Medilodge of West BloomfieldWest Bloomfield, MI D
March 13, 2025Ignite Medical Resort Okc, LLCOklahoma City, OK D
February 19, 2025Solano Post AcuteVallejo, CA D
January 30, 2025Terrace Post AcuteVan Nuys, CA D
January 3, 2025Springfield Rehabilitation and Healthcare CenterSpringfield, PA D
December 19, 2024Independence Rehab and NursingPhiladelphia, PA D
December 18, 2024St. Mary Health Care CenterWorcester, MA D
December 11, 2024Kingwood Skilled Nursing and TherapyOklahoma City, OK E
November 13, 2024Embassy of HearthsideState College, PA E
October 24, 2024Hanover Healthcare CenterMassillon, OH D
October 16, 2024St. Elizabeth Rehabilitation & Nursing CenterBaltimore, MD D
September 27, 2024Life Care Center of Coos BayCoos Bay, OR D
September 10, 2024Ellicott City Healthcare CenterEllicott City, MD D
August 20, 2024Pleasant Valley Health Care CenterMuskogee, OK D
August 12, 2024Shores Nursing and Rehab CenterPort Saint Joe, FL D

F772 citations by state

Counts depend on how many homes a state has and how often its inspectors visit, so a larger number is not by itself a worse record.

StateCitations
Ohio10
California7
Oklahoma7
Virginia7
Massachusetts5
Pennsylvania5
Indiana4
Connecticut3
Maryland3
Oregon2
Arkansas1
Florida1
Michigan1
Texas1
Washington1

By inspection year: 2018 2, 2019 1, 2020 1, 2021 3, 2022 7, 2023 10, 2024 19, 2025 10, 2026 5.

Common questions

What is F772 in a nursing home inspection?
F772 is the federal requirement to "have an agreement with an approved laboratory to obtain services, if on-site laboratory services aren't provided". CMS files it under administration. A home cited under F772 did not meet that requirement at the inspection.
How often is F772 cited?
The CMS files as of September 1, 2026 list 58 F772 citations at 58 nursing homes, 8 of them in the 12 months to that date. 0.0% were rated as actual harm or immediate jeopardy.
Is a F772 citation serious?
It depends on the letter. Most F772 citations (100.0%) were rated as potential for more than minimal harm, D to F. None in the current files is at the immediate jeopardy level.

The interpretive guidance inspectors use for each F-tag is CMS's State Operations Manual, Appendix PP. NursingHomeClear reports the citations as CMS records them and is not affiliated with CMS. All F-tags · Methodology

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