Home / North Carolina / Connelly Springs
College Pines Health and Rehabilitation
95 Locust Street, Connelly Springs, NC 28612 · Burke County · (828) 580-6800
100 certified beds, about 91 residents a day · For profit - Corporation · Medicare and Medicaid since 1993
CMS Care Compare ratings, data as of September 1, 2026 · CCN 345446 · See it on Medicare.gov · Compare with other homes
The record in brief
At its most recent standard inspection, on April 29, 2026, inspectors cited 2 health deficiencies (the North Carolina average is 4.7, the national average 9.2).
Of 6 health citations since November 2023, 2 were rated as actual harm or immediate jeopardy to residents (2 immediate jeopardy).
CMS lists 2 fines totaling $16,801 in the last three years; the largest was $8,401, and the latest is dated March 6, 2024.
Nurses and nurse aides worked 3.99 hours per resident per day, against 3.85 across North Carolina and 3.86 nationally. Registered nurses accounted for 0.51 of those hours.
24.5% of nursing staff left within the year CMS measured (North Carolina average 49.0%).
CMS links it to Sanstone Health & Rehabilitation, an affiliated group of 18 nursing homes.
Health inspections
Federal rules call for a standard inspection at least every 15 months, plus a visit whenever a complaint is filed. Each mark below is one citation, colored by how serious inspectors rated it. How to read a citation.
Under each citation, the quoted text is the inspector's own summary from the federal statement of deficiencies (CMS form 2567), word for word apart from a privacy scrub; CMS removes residents' and staff names before it publishes the text. The full notes are on Medicare.gov.
Where its citations fall on CMS's grid
CMS rates every citation by how much harm it caused (rows) and how many residents it touched (columns). The count in each box is this home's, across all 6 health citations on file.
April 29, 2026Standard inspection · 2 citations
- D Ensure each resident receives an accurate assessment.
Inspectors wroteBased on record review and staff interviews, the facility failed to code the Minimum Data Set (MDS) assessment accurately in the area of medications for 1 of 5 sampled residents (Resident #6).
- B Honor the resident's right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely.
Inspectors wroteBased on observations and staff interviews, the facility failed to maintain window screens in resident's room in good condition (Resident #44, #31, #49, #54, #4, #19, #3, #15, #108, #32, #48, #92, #58, #73, #83, #7, #64, #106, #14,#94, #29, #38, #72, #53). The deficient practice affected 18 of 65 rooms on 6 of 6 halls observed for environmental concerns.
March 13, 2025Standard inspection · 0 citations
March 6, 2024Complaint inspection · 3 citations
- J Immediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident.
Inspectors wroteBased on record review and Medical Doctor (MD) and staff interviews, the facility failed to notify the MD or on-call provider when Resident #1, who was on anticoagulant medication and had a history of brain bleeds, had an unwitnessed fall with obvious head injury for 1 of 3 residents reviewed for accidents and notification. On 02/13/24 at approximately 1:30 AM Resident #1 was found lying on the floor of her room in between the bed and wall with her head next to the nightstand. Upon assessment by Nurse #1, Resident #1 had a laceration to the right eyebrow area, a quarter-sized hematoma to the right forehead, and bruising to the right hand. Resident #1 exhibited no signs of respiratory distress. [...]
- J Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
Inspectors wroteBased on record review and Medical Doctor (MD) and staff interviews, the facility failed to recognize the seriousness of a head injury following a fall and seek medical treatment for a resident on Eliquis (anticoagulant medication) with a history of brain bleeds for 1 of 3 residents reviewed for accidents (Resident #1). On 02/13/24 at approximately 1:30 AM Resident #1 was found lying on the floor of her room in between the bed and wall with her head next to the nightstand. Upon assessment by Nurse #1, Resident #1 had a laceration to the right eyebrow area, a quarter-sized hematoma to the right forehead, and bruising to the right hand. Resident #1 exhibited no signs of respiratory distress. [...]
- D Set up an ongoing quality assessment and assurance group to review quality deficiencies and develop corrective plans of action.
Inspectors wroteBased on observations, record review, and staff interviews, the facility's Quality Assessment and Assurance (QAA) Committee failed to maintain implemented procedures and monitor the interventions that the committee put into place following the recertification and complaint investigation survey completed on 03/26/21. This was for two repeat deficiencies in the areas of quality of care and notification that were originally cited during the recertification and complaint investigation survey completed on 03/26/21 and subsequently recited during the complaint investigation completed on 03/06/24. The continued failure of the facility during two federal surveys of record shows a pattern of the facility's inability to sustain an effective QAA Program.
November 30, 2023Standard inspection · 1 citation
- D Coordinate assessments with the pre-admission screening and resident review program; and referring for services as needed.
Inspectors wroteBased on record review and staff interviews the facility failed to ensure a Preadmission Screening and Resident Review (PASRR), level II was completed after new mental health diagnoses for 1 of 3 residents (Resident # 80) reviewed for PASRR.
Fire safety inspections
9 fire safety citations on file: 6 on April 29, 2026, 2 on March 13, 2025, 1 on November 30, 2023.
Every fire safety citation9 citations
- E Inspect, test, and maintain automatic sprinkler systems.
- D Keep aisles, corridors, and exits free of obstruction in case of emergency.
- D Install emergency lighting that can last at least 1 1/2 hours.
- D Ensure that special areas are constructed so that walls can resist fire for one hour or have an approved fire extinguishing system.
- D Install corridor and hallway doors that block smoke.
- D Ensure smoke barriers are constructed to a 1 hour fire resistance rating.
- D Keep aisles, corridors, and exits free of obstruction in case of emergency.
- D Have approved installation, maintenance and testing program for fire alarm systems.
- D Ensure heating and ventilation systems that have been properly installed according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Fines and payment denials
| Date | Penalty | Amount or length |
|---|---|---|
| March 6, 2024 | Fine | $8,400 |
| March 6, 2024 | Fine | $8,401 |
A payment denial means Medicare and Medicaid stopped paying for new admissions for that period.
Staffing
Hours of care per resident per day, from the payroll records every home sends CMS. Higher means more staff time with each resident.
| Measure | This home | North Carolina | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| All nursing staff (RN, LPN and aides) | 3.99 | 3.85 | 3.86 |
| Registered nurses | 0.51 | 0.62 | 0.69 |
| All nursing staff on weekends | 3.33 | 3.42 | 3.42 |
| Nurse aides | 2.60 | ||
| Licensed practical nurses | 0.88 | ||
| Nursing staff turnover (share who left in a year) | 24.5% | 49.0% | 45.8% |
| Registered nurse turnover | 40.0% | 45.6% | 42.9% |
| Administrators who left | 0 |
CMS expects 3.70 hours a day for residents as sick as this home's (its case-mix figure). The staffing star compares the two.
Staffing by quarter, from daily payroll records
Every nursing home sends CMS its staff hours for each day (the Payroll Based Journal). Here they are added up by quarter. The latest quarter is the one behind the figures above. In January to March 2026, nursing staff hours per resident were 4.26 on weekdays and 3.33 on weekends, 22% lower on weekends (nationally, weekends ran 15% lower). Contract or agency staff worked 0.1% of nursing hours, against 5.3% nationally. Total nursing hours per resident went from 4.02 in April to June 2025 to 3.99 in January to March 2026.
| Quarter | All nursing staff | Registered nurses | Weekdays | Weekends | Contract staff share | Days with no RN hours | Residents a day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan to Mar 2026 | 3.99 | 0.51 | 4.26 | 3.33 | 0.1% | 0 of 90 | 91 |
| Oct to Dec 2025 | 4.34 | 0.56 | 4.62 | 3.62 | 0.0% | 0 of 92 | 94 |
| Jul to Sep 2025 | 3.90 | 0.48 | 4.17 | 3.21 | 0.1% | 0 of 92 | 98 |
| Apr to Jun 2025 | 4.02 | 0.49 | 4.27 | 3.39 | 0.1% | 0 of 91 | 92 |
| United States, Jan to Mar 2026 | 3.75 | 0.62 | 3.92 | 3.33 | 5.3% | 0.5% of days | |
| North Carolina, Jan to Mar 2026 | 3.65 | 0.53 | 3.82 | 3.25 | 8.0% | 0.7% of days |
Hours per resident per day: staff hours in the quarter divided by resident days (the daily census CMS derives from resident assessments). Registered nurses include the director of nursing and RNs with administrative duties; aides include nurse aides in training and medication aides, as in CMS's own staffing measure. How these are calculated.
Quality measures
The measures CMS uses for the quality star. Lower is better for every one of them.
| Measure | This home | North Carolina | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose need for help with daily activities has increased Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 0.4 | 15.6 | 13.9 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a catheter inserted and left in their bladder Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 0.8 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a urinary tract infection Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 1.6 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents experiencing one or more falls with major injury Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 5.4 | 3.5 | 3.2 |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who newly received an antipsychotic medication Short Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 0.0 | 1.4 | 1.6 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose ability to walk independently worsened Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 3.7 | 18.3 | 14.1 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with pressure ulcers Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 2.2 | 5.5 | 4.6 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antipsychotic medication Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 2.5 | 14.0 | 15.4 |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who were rehospitalized after a nursing home admission Short Stay residents, 20250101-20251231 | 20.0 | 22.9 | 23.8 |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who had an outpatient emergency department visit Short Stay residents, 20250101-20251231 | 20.0 | 12.9 | 12.0 |
| Number of hospitalizations per 1000 long-stay resident days Long Stay residents, 20250101-20251231 | 1.3 | 1.8 | 1.9 |
| Number of outpatient emergency department visits per 1000 long-stay resident days Long Stay residents, 20250101-20251231 | 1.1 | 1.8 | 1.8 |
Owners and operators
Legal business name: COLLEGE PINES REHABILITATION AND SKILLED NURSING CENTER LLC. CMS links this home to Sanstone Health & Rehabilitation, a group of 18 nursing homes averaging 4.3 stars overall.
| Name | Role | Type | Share | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sprenger, Christopher | 5% or greater direct ownership interest | Individual | 100% | 07/01/2019 |
| Sprenger, Christopher | Operational/managerial control | Individual | 07/01/2019 |
As listed in the CMS ownership file, which names owners with a 5% or greater stake and the people and companies with operational or managerial control.
Questions to ask on a visit
Chosen from this home's own inspection record.
- When is the care plan meeting, and can family attend it?Inspectors cited 2 problems in this area, most recently on April 29, 2026: "Ensure each resident receives an accurate assessment."
- How do residents and families raise a complaint or grievance, and how fast is it answered?Inspectors cited 2 problems in this area, most recently on April 29, 2026: "Honor the resident's right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely."
- How do you prevent falls and pressure injuries, and how are families told when one happens?Inspectors cited 1 problem in this area, most recently on March 6, 2024: "Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals."
- Who is the administrator and director of nursing, and how long have they been in the job?Inspectors cited 1 problem in this area, most recently on March 6, 2024: "Set up an ongoing quality assessment and assurance group to review quality deficiencies and develop corrective plans of action."
- Who is on the floor on Saturday and Sunday, and how many residents does each aide care for?Weekend nurse staffing here was 3.33 hours per resident per day, below the North Carolina average of 3.42.
Other nursing homes nearby
- Carolina Rehab Center of Burke Connelly Spring, 3.7 mi · 3 of 5 stars · 20 citations
- Autumn Care of Drexel Morganton, 4.6 mi · 4 of 5 stars · 17 citations
- Hickory Falls Health and Rehabilitation Granite Falls, 5.6 mi · 4 of 5 stars · 3 citations
- Grace Heights Health & Rehabilitation Morganton, 7.5 mi · 5 of 5 stars · 3 citations
- Shaire Nursing Center Lenoir, 7.7 mi · 4 of 5 stars · 11 citations
- Trinity Ridge Hickory, 9.8 mi · 5 of 5 stars · 5 citations
- Magnolia Lane Nursing and Rehabilitation Center Morganton, 9.8 mi · 2 of 5 stars · 23 citations
- The Greens at Viewmont Hickory, 10 mi · 2 of 5 stars · 19 citations
North Carolina contacts for a concern about a nursing home
These are the official offices in North Carolina. NursingHomeClear cannot take or act on complaints.
- Inspections and complaints: NC Division of Health Service Regulation, Nursing Home Licensure and Certification Section, the state agency that inspects nursing homes for CMS and takes complaints about care.
- Resident advocate: North Carolina Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program. The long-term care ombudsman is a free, confidential advocate for residents and families, set up under the federal Older Americans Act.
- State inspection reports: NC DHSR Regulated Facilities search (Statements of Deficiencies), where North Carolina publishes its own records on licensed homes.
Common questions
- What is College Pines Health and Rehabilitation's Medicare star rating?
- CMS rates College Pines Health and Rehabilitation 5 out of 5 stars overall, with 4 for health inspections, 4 for staffing and 5 for quality measures (CMS data as of September 1, 2026).
- How many deficiencies did College Pines Health and Rehabilitation get at its last inspection?
- 2 health deficiencies at the standard inspection on April 29, 2026. The North Carolina average is 4.7.
- Has College Pines Health and Rehabilitation been fined?
- Yes. CMS lists 2 fines totaling $16,801 in the last three years.
- Does College Pines Health and Rehabilitation accept Medicaid?
- It is certified to take Medicaid (CMS lists it as "Medicare and Medicaid"). Certification does not mean a Medicaid bed is open: ask the admissions office.
- Who owns College Pines Health and Rehabilitation?
- CMS lists 2 owners and managers, and links the home to Sanstone Health & Rehabilitation. Legal business name: COLLEGE PINES REHABILITATION AND SKILLED NURSING CENTER LLC.
Sources
- Ratings, staffing and fines: CMS Provider Information, released September 30, 2026, data as of September 1, 2026.
- Citations: CMS Health Deficiencies and Fire Safety Deficiencies.
- Owners: CMS Ownership. Penalties: CMS Penalties.
- Staffing by quarter: CMS Payroll Based Journal Daily Nurse Staffing, April 2025 to March 2026, summed by NursingHomeClear.
- Inspector summaries: CMS Full Statement of Deficiencies (CMS-2567 text), data as of September 1, 2026. Each quote is the part of the statement before the detailed findings.
- Inspection reports with the inspectors' full notes are on this home's Medicare.gov page.
- Something wrong on this page? Ask for a correction. We fix errors in our copy of the data; findings themselves can only be changed by CMS and the state.
- NursingHomeClear is independent and not affiliated with CMS, Medicare or any state agency. This page reports federal records; it does not rate, recommend or endorse any home, and it is not medical or legal advice.