F773: Provide or obtain laboratory tests/services when ordered and promptly tell the ordering practitioner of the results
F773 is one of the federal requirements every Medicare and Medicaid certified nursing home must meet. CMS describes it as: Provide or obtain laboratory tests/services when ordered and promptly tell the ordering practitioner of the results.
It sits in CMS's administration category.
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). 35.6% of F773 citations came from a complaint visit rather than a routine inspection.
By letter: B 1, D 461, E 27, G 7, H 1, J 6, K 5, L 1.
What inspectors wrote
Three recent F773 citations from different states, quoted from the inspectors' statements of deficiencies (CMS form 2567). Names are removed by CMS.
Inspectors wrote, July 10, 2026, scope and severity DBased on record review and interview, the facility failed to ensure physician-ordered laboratory services were provided for 1 of 1 residents reviewed for laboratory monitoring (Resident #13).
Ayers Health and Rehabilitation Center, Trenton, FL
Inspectors wrote, July 1, 2026, scope and severity DBased on record review and staff interview, the facility failed to ensure laboratory testing for a comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP) and lipid panel were obtained in the month of June 2026, as ordered by the physician. This affected one (Resident #1) of five residents reviewed for unnecessary medications.
Continuing Healthcare at Cedar Hill, Zanesville, OH
Inspectors wrote, June 26, 2026, scope and severity DBased on interview and record review, the facility failed to implement the physician's orders to draw laboratory tests (a medical analysis of a body sample (blood, urine, tissue) to check health, diagnose diseases and monitor chronic conditions) for one of one sampled resident (Resident 2). This deficient practice had the potential to result in the delay of the identification of medical concerns, which could delay the care and services necessary for Resident 2.
Longwood Manor Conv.hospital, Los Angeles, CA
Most recent F773 citations at the harm or jeopardy level
Newest first, all 20 in the current files. Each home's page shows the citation in full context, with its correction status.
| Inspection | Home | Town | Letter | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 12, 2026 | Lake Mariam Health and Rehabilitation Center | Winter Haven, FL | J | Complaint |
| February 27, 2026 | Focused Care at Hogan Park | Midland, TX | G | Complaint |
| January 21, 2026 | Prescott House | North Andover, MA | G | Standard |
| December 24, 2025 | Bria of Elmwood Park | Elmwood Park, IL | J | Complaint |
| November 28, 2025 | Thrive Rehabilitation of Pearland | Pearland, TX | J | Complaint |
| November 20, 2025 | Onondaga Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing | Minoa, NY | K | Standard |
| June 4, 2025 | Avir at Magnolia | Luling, TX | H | Complaint |
| April 22, 2025 | Careview Health and Rehab of Minocqua | Minocqua, WI | G | Complaint |
| April 17, 2025 | Highland Pines Rehabilitation Center | Clearwater, FL | K | Complaint |
| March 7, 2025 | Fitchburg Rehabilitation and Nursing Center | Fitchburg, MA | G | Standard |
| January 29, 2025 | Medway Country Manor Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitat | Medway, MA | L | Complaint |
| January 7, 2025 | Brookwood Skilled Nursing and Therapy | Oklahoma City, OK | J | Complaint |
| October 11, 2024 | Veteran Village | Florence, SC | G | Standard |
| September 4, 2024 | Green Valley Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center | Fort Worth, TX | J | Complaint |
| July 11, 2024 | Bishop Rehabilitation and Nursing Center | Syracuse, NY | K | Complaint |
| July 11, 2024 | Twin Oaks Center | Danvers, MA | G | Standard |
| April 30, 2024 | Seabreeze Nursing and Rehabilitation | Texas City, TX | K | Complaint |
| February 21, 2024 | Bria of Elmwood Park | Elmwood Park, IL | G | Complaint |
| January 24, 2024 | Abbey Rehabilitation and Nursing Center | Saint Petersburg, FL | K | Complaint |
| October 4, 2023 | Avante Rehabilitation Center | Irving, TX | J | Complaint |
Most recent F773 citations
F773 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.
By inspection year: 2018 3, 2019 21, 2020 4, 2021 17, 2022 36, 2023 70, 2024 134, 2025 141, 2026 83.
Common questions
- What is F773 in a nursing home inspection?
- F773 is the federal requirement to "provide or obtain laboratory tests/services when ordered and promptly tell the ordering practitioner of the results". CMS files it under administration. A home cited under F773 did not meet that requirement at the inspection.
- How often is F773 cited?
- The CMS files as of September 1, 2026 list 509 F773 citations at 487 nursing homes, 119 of them in the 12 months to that date. 3.9% were rated as actual harm or immediate jeopardy.
- Is a F773 citation serious?
- It depends on the letter. Most F773 citations (95.9%) were rated as potential for more than minimal harm, D to F. 12 were immediate jeopardy, the most serious 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