Home / North Carolina / Morganton
Grace Heights Health & Rehabilitation
109 Foothills Drive, Morganton, NC 28655 · Burke County · (828) 580-7000
120 certified beds, about 95 residents a day · For profit - Limited Liability company · Medicare and Medicaid since 1980
CMS Care Compare ratings, data as of September 1, 2026 · CCN 345187 · See it on Medicare.gov · Compare with other homes
The record in brief
At its most recent standard inspection, on January 23, 2026, inspectors cited 0 health deficiencies (the North Carolina average is 4.7, the national average 9.2).
None of its 3 health citations since August 2023 was rated as actual harm or immediate jeopardy.
CMS lists no fines against this home in the last three years.
Nurses and nurse aides worked 3.88 hours per resident per day, against 3.85 across North Carolina and 3.86 nationally. Registered nurses accounted for 0.43 of those hours.
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 3 health citations on file.
January 23, 2026Standard inspection · 0 citations
September 11, 2024Standard inspection · 1 citation
- E Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
Inspectors wroteBased on observations and staff interviews, the facility failed to label and date leftover food items stored for use and failed to keep a food storage area clean. These practices occurred in the walk-in refrigerator and had the potential to affect food served to residents.
March 7, 2024Complaint inspection · 2 citations
- D Provide safe and appropriate respiratory care for a resident when needed.
Inspectors wroteBased on record review and staff interview, the facility failed to ensure an order for oxygen was clarified and transcribed from a discharge summary on admission for a resident admitted following a re-hospitalization for COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) pneumonia. This deficient practice affected 1 of 2 residents reviewed for respiratory care (Resident #1).
- D Safeguard resident-identifiable information and/or maintain medical records on each resident that are in accordance with accepted professional standards.
Inspectors wroteBased on record review and staff interview, the facility failed to document vital signs and an assessment when a resident complained of shortness of breath. This deficient practice affected 1 of 2 residents reviewed for inaccurate medical record (Resident #1).
August 31, 2023Standard inspection · 0 citations
Fire safety inspections
9 fire safety citations on file: 2 on January 23, 2026, 2 on September 11, 2024, 5 on August 31, 2023.
Every fire safety citation9 citations
- 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 an approved automatic sprinkler system.
- D Provide properly protected cooking facilities.
- D Install an approved automatic sprinkler system.
- F Have properly installed electrical wiring and gas equipment.
- F Ensure heating and ventilation systems that have been properly installed according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- D Use approved construction type or materials.
- D Inspect, test, and maintain automatic sprinkler systems.
- D Ensure smoke barriers are constructed to a 1 hour fire resistance rating.
Fines and payment denials
CMS lists no fines or payment denials against this home in the last three years. The national average is 0.9 fines per home.
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) | 3.88 | 3.85 | 3.86 |
| Registered nurses | 0.43 | 0.62 | 0.69 |
| All nursing staff on weekends | 3.47 | 3.42 | 3.42 |
| Nurse aides | 2.60 | ||
| Licensed practical nurses | 0.85 | ||
| Nursing staff turnover (share who left in a year) | not reported | 49.0% | 45.8% |
| Registered nurse turnover | not reported | 45.6% | 42.9% |
| Administrators who left | 1 |
CMS expects 3.75 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 4.05 on weekdays and 3.47 on weekends, 14% 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 3.91 in April to June 2025 to 3.88 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 | 3.88 | 0.43 | 4.05 | 3.47 | 0.1% | 0 of 90 | 95 |
| Oct to Dec 2025 | 4.54 | 0.67 | 4.74 | 3.99 | 0.1% | 0 of 31 | 66 |
| Jul to Sep 2025 | 3.99 | 0.36 | 4.28 | 3.12 | 0.3% | 0 of 12 | 96 |
| Apr to Jun 2025 | 3.91 | 0.31 | 4.16 | 3.28 | 0.1% | 0 of 91 | 100 |
| 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 | 14.2 | 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 | 0.0 | 2.3 | 1.6 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents experiencing one or more falls with major injury Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.2 |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who newly received an antipsychotic medication Short Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 1.6 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose ability to walk independently worsened Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 15.2 | 18.3 | 14.1 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with pressure ulcers Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 3.1 | 5.5 | 4.6 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antipsychotic medication Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 4.4 | 14.0 | 15.4 |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who were rehospitalized after a nursing home admission Short Stay residents, 20250101-20251231 | 31.9 | 22.9 | 23.8 |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who had an outpatient emergency department visit Short Stay residents, 20250101-20251231 | 20.4 | 12.9 | 12.0 |
| Number of hospitalizations per 1000 long-stay resident days Long Stay residents, 20250101-20251231 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 1.9 |
| Number of outpatient emergency department visits per 1000 long-stay resident days Long Stay residents, 20250101-20251231 | 0.5 | 1.8 | 1.8 |
Owners and operators
Legal business name: GRACE HEIGHTS 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.
- Can we see a week of menus and the kitchen, and how are special diets handled?Inspectors cited 1 problem in this area, most recently on September 11, 2024: "Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards."
- 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 7, 2024: "Provide safe and appropriate respiratory care for a resident when needed."
- When is the care plan meeting, and can family attend it?Inspectors cited 1 problem in this area, most recently on March 7, 2024: "Safeguard resident-identifiable information and/or maintain medical records on each resident that are in accordance with accepted professional standards."
- How long has the current administrator been here?CMS counts 1 administrator who left in the period it measured.
Other nursing homes nearby
- Magnolia Lane Nursing and Rehabilitation Center Morganton, 2.3 mi · 2 of 5 stars · 23 citations
- Autumn Care of Drexel Morganton, 3.6 mi · 4 of 5 stars · 17 citations
- College Pines Health and Rehabilitation Connelly Springs, 7.5 mi · 5 of 5 stars · 6 citations
- Carolina Rehab Center of Burke Connelly Spring, 10.3 mi · 3 of 5 stars · 20 citations
- Shaire Nursing Center Lenoir, 11 mi · 4 of 5 stars · 11 citations
- Hickory Falls Health and Rehabilitation Granite Falls, 12.6 mi · 4 of 5 stars · 3 citations
- Hibriten Mountain Nursing and Rehabilitation Lenoir, 13 mi · 1 of 5 stars · 46 citations
- Deer Park Health and Rehabilitation Nebo, 14.1 mi · 1 of 5 stars · 39 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 Grace Heights Health & Rehabilitation's Medicare star rating?
- CMS rates Grace Heights Health & Rehabilitation 5 out of 5 stars overall, with 5 for health inspections, 2 for staffing and 5 for quality measures (CMS data as of September 1, 2026).
- How many deficiencies did Grace Heights Health & Rehabilitation get at its last inspection?
- 0 health deficiencies at the standard inspection on January 23, 2026. The North Carolina average is 4.7.
- Has Grace Heights Health & Rehabilitation been fined?
- CMS lists no fines in the last three years.
- Does Grace Heights Health & 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 Grace Heights Health & Rehabilitation?
- CMS lists 2 owners and managers, and links the home to Sanstone Health & Rehabilitation. Legal business name: GRACE HEIGHTS 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.