What is Heritage Care Center's Medicare star rating?

CMS rates Heritage Care Center 3 out of 5 stars overall, with 3 for health inspections, 3 for staffing and 4 for quality measures (CMS data as of September 1, 2026).

How many deficiencies did Heritage Care Center get at its last inspection?

4 health deficiencies at the standard inspection on June 17, 2025. The Nebraska average is 7.4.

Has Heritage Care Center been fined?

CMS lists no fines in the last three years.

Does Heritage Care Center 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 Heritage Care Center?

CMS lists 19 owners and managers, and links the home to Vetter Senior Living. Legal business name: VSL FAIRBURY LLC.

Heritage Care Center, Fairbury NE: Inspections & Ratings

The record in brief

At its most recent standard inspection, on June 17, 2025, inspectors cited 4 health deficiencies (the Nebraska average is 7.4, the national average 9.2).

None of its 11 health citations since June 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 2.70 hours per resident per day, against 3.98 across Nebraska and 3.86 nationally. Registered nurses accounted for 0.51 of those hours.

42.5% of nursing staff left within the year CMS measured (Nebraska average 48.7%).

CMS links it to Vetter Senior Living, an affiliated group of 22 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.

206/23

205/24

202/25

406/25

108/25

Potential for minimal harm Potential for more than minimal harm Actual harm Immediate jeopardy Found on a complaint visit

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 11 health citations on file.

Severity

Isolated

Pattern

Widespread

Immediate jeopardy

Actual harm

Potential for more than minimal harm

Potential for minimal harm

August 5, 2025Complaint inspection · 1 citation

E

Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.

F689 · Quality of Life and Care · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm, pattern · found on a complaint visit · Corrected (the home has a date of correction) August 29, 2025

Inspectors wroteLicensure Reference Number 175 NAC 12-006.09(I)(i)(4)Based on observations, record review, and interviews, the facility failed to reevaluate and update interventions to prevent elopement on two residents (Resident 1 and Resident 4) of the four sampled residents, and the facility failed to revise interventions to prevent falls on one resident (Resident 7) of three sampled residents. The facility census was 48. A.A record review of Resident 1's Clinical Census revealed an admission date of 5/13/2025. A record review of Resident 1's Minimum Data Set (MDS)(this comprehensive assessment evaluates each resident's functional capabilities) dated 05/19/2025 revealed a brief interview for mental status (BIMS) score of one which indicated the resident had severe cognitive impairment. [...]

June 17, 2025Standard inspection, Complaint inspection · 4 citations

F

Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.

F812 · Nutrition and Dietary · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm, widespread · found on a complaint visit · Corrected (the home has a date of correction) July 25, 2025

Inspectors wroteLicensure Reference Number 175 NAC 12.006.11(C) Licensure Reference Number 175 NAC 12.006.11(E) Based on observation, interview, and record review, the facility failed to ensure recipes were followed during food preparation (prep) and food reached the required minimum final cooking temperature (temp), ensure all stored food was labeled, dated. and sealed, ensure kitchen surfaces were clean to prevent potential foodborne illness. This had the potential to affect all residents that consumed food from the kitchen. The total facility census was 50.
F

Keep all essential equipment working safely.

F908 · Environmental · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm, widespread · found on a complaint visit · Corrected (the home has a date of correction) July 25, 2025

Inspectors wroteLicensure Reference Number 175 NAC 12.006.19(A)(i) Based on observation, interview, and record review, the facility failed to ensure the ovens in the facility's kitchen were maintained in a safe and operating condition. This had the potential to affect all residents that consumed food from the kitchen. The total facility census was 50.
D

Ensure medication error rates are not 5 percent or greater.

F759 · Pharmacy Service · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm, isolated · Corrected (the home has a date of correction) July 25, 2025

Inspectors wroteLicensure Reference Number 175 NAC 12-006.10(D) Based on observations, interviews, and record reviews; the facility failed to ensure medications were administered at the right time for 2 (Residents 29 and 49) of 7 sampled residents for medication administration. The facility also failed to ensure the medication error rate was less than 5%. Observations of 25 opportunities of medication administration revealed 2 medication errors, resulting in an 8% medication error rate. The facility census was 50 at the time of survey.
D

Ensure that residents are free from significant medication errors.

F760 · Pharmacy Service · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm, isolated · Corrected (the home has a date of correction) July 25, 2025

Inspectors wroteLicensure Reference Number 175 NAC 12-006.10(D) Based on observations, record review, and interviews; the facility failed to ensure 2 (Residents 29 and 49) of 2 sampled residents for insulin administration were free from significant medication errors. The facility census was 50 at the time of survey.

February 19, 2025Complaint inspection · 2 citations

E

Immediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident.

F580 · Resident Rights · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm, pattern · found on a complaint visit · Corrected (the home has a date of correction) March 7, 2025

Inspectors wroteLicensure Reference Number 175 NAC 12-006.09(H) Based on interview and record review; the facility failed to notify the medical practitioner of a positive rapid COVID-19 (COVID-a mild to severe respiratory illness that is caused by a coronavirus) POC (point of care) test result in a timely manner for two (Resident 1 and Resident 4) and incorrectly notified the medical practitioner of a residents COVID-19 test result for one (Resident 3) of four sampled residents. The facility census was 48.
D

Ensure each resident’s drug regimen must be free from unnecessary drugs.

F757 · Pharmacy Service · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm, isolated · found on a complaint visit · Corrected (the home has a date of correction) March 7, 2025

Inspectors wroteLicensure Reference Number 175 NAC 12-006.04(f)(i)(5) Based on interview and record review; the facility administered Paxlovid (a medication used to treat COVID-19 (COVID-a mild to severe respiratory illness that is caused by a coronavirus)) that was not positive of COVID per a rapid COVID POC (point of care) test for one (Resident 3) of 4 sampled residents. The facility census was 48.

May 2, 2024Standard inspection · 2 citations

D

Provide specialized rehabilitative services by qualified personnel, when ordered for a resident by a doctor.

F826 · Quality of Life and Care · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm, isolated · Corrected (the home has a date of correction) May 24, 2024

Inspectors wroteLicensure Reference Number 175 NAC 12-006.09D1b Based on record review and interview, the facility failed to ensure Occupational Therapy (OT) Services were provided to Resident 3 as ordered by the physician. This affected 1 Resident sampled for rehabilitation. The facility census was 51.
D

Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.

F880 · Infection Control · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm, isolated · Corrected (the home has a date of correction) May 24, 2024

Inspectors wroteLicensure Reference Number 175 NAC 12-006.17D Based on observation, record review, and interview, the facility failed to perform hand hygiene during catheter cares for 1 (Resident 54) of 1 sampled resident.

June 16, 2023Standard inspection · 2 citations

D

Immediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident.

F580 · Resident Rights · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm, isolated · Corrected (the home has a date of correction) July 17, 2023

Inspectors wroteBased on interviews and record review, the facility failed to notify the physician when 1 (Resident 22) of 3 residents reviewed for insulin use had a blood sugar reading out of the prescribed parameters.
D

Protect each resident from the wrongful use of the resident's belongings or money.

F602 · Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm, isolated · Corrected (the home has a date of correction) July 17, 2023

Inspectors wroteBased on interviews and record review, the facility failed to prevent misappropriation of property for 1 (Resident 17) of 1 resident reviewed for abuse. Specifically, the facility failed to ensure placement of Resident #17's fentanyl patch to prevent misappropriation of the medication.

Fire safety inspections

25 fire safety citations on file: 13 on June 17, 2025, 2 on May 2, 2024, 10 on June 16, 2023.

Every fire safety citation25 citations

F
Provide properly protected cooking facilities.

K 324 · June 17, 2025 · Corrected (the home has a date of correction)
F
Inspect, test, and maintain automatic sprinkler systems.

K 353 · June 17, 2025 · Corrected (the home has a date of correction)
F
Install smoke barrier doors that can resist smoke for at least 20 minutes.

K 374 · June 17, 2025 · Corrected (the home has a date of correction)
F
Meet other general requirements that are deficient.

K 500 · June 17, 2025 · Corrected (the home has a date of correction)
F
Have simulated fire drills held at unexpected times.

K 712 · June 17, 2025 · Corrected (the home has a date of correction)
F
Ensure that building systems meet requirements determined by risk assessment procedures performed by qualified personnel.

K 901 · June 17, 2025 · Corrected (the home has a date of correction)
E
Add doors in an exit area that do not require the use of a key from the exit side unless in case of special locking arrangements.

K 222 · June 17, 2025 · Corrected (the home has a date of correction)
E
Meet other general requirements that are deficient.

K 300 · June 17, 2025 · Corrected (the home has a date of correction)
E
Ensure that special areas are constructed so that walls can resist fire for one hour or have an approved fire extinguishing system.

K 321 · June 17, 2025 · Corrected (the home has a date of correction)
E
Install corridor and hallway doors that block smoke.

K 363 · June 17, 2025 · Corrected (the home has a date of correction)
E
Meet requirements for the use of electrical equipment.

K 919 · June 17, 2025 · Corrected (the home has a date of correction)
E
Ensure proper usage of power strips and extension cords.

K 920 · June 17, 2025 · Corrected (the home has a date of correction)
E
Meet requirements for the use and maintenance of medical gas equipment.

K 922 · June 17, 2025 · Corrected (the home has a date of correction)
F
Have simulated fire drills held at unexpected times.

K 712 · May 2, 2024 · Corrected (the home has a date of correction)
E
Install corridor and hallway doors that block smoke.

K 363 · May 2, 2024 · Corrected (the home has a date of correction)
F
Implement emergency and standby power systems.

E 41 · June 16, 2023 · Corrected (the home has a date of correction)
F
Provide properly protected cooking facilities.

K 324 · June 16, 2023 · Corrected (the home has a date of correction)
F
Inspect, test, and maintain automatic sprinkler systems.

K 353 · June 16, 2023 · Corrected (the home has a date of correction)
F
Install smoke barrier doors that can resist smoke for at least 20 minutes.

K 374 · June 16, 2023 · Corrected (the home has a date of correction)
F
Have properly installed electrical wiring and gas equipment.

K 511 · June 16, 2023 · Corrected (the home has a date of correction)
F
Have generator or other power source capable of supplying service within 10 seconds.

K 918 · June 16, 2023 · Corrected (the home has a date of correction)
F
Ensure proper usage of power strips and extension cords.

K 920 · June 16, 2023 · Corrected (the home has a date of correction)
E
Ensure that special areas are constructed so that walls can resist fire for one hour or have an approved fire extinguishing system.

K 321 · June 16, 2023 · Corrected (the home has a date of correction)
E
Install corridor and hallway doors that block smoke.

K 363 · June 16, 2023 · Corrected (the home has a date of correction)
E
Meet requirements for the use and maintenance of medical gas equipment.

K 922 · June 16, 2023 · Corrected (the home has a date of correction)

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	Nebraska	United States
All nursing staff (RN, LPN and aides)	2.70	3.98	3.86
Registered nurses	0.51	0.67	0.69
All nursing staff on weekends	2.12	3.48	3.42
Nurse aides	1.37
Licensed practical nurses	0.82
Nursing staff turnover (share who left in a year)	42.5%	48.7%	45.8%
Registered nurse turnover	0.0%	44.1%	42.9%
Administrators who left	0

CMS expects 3.20 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 2.93 on weekdays and 2.12 on weekends, 28% lower on weekends (nationally, weekends ran 15% lower). Contract or agency staff worked 0.5% of nursing hours, against 5.3% nationally. Total nursing hours per resident went from 3.28 in April to June 2025 to 2.70 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	2.70	0.51	2.93	2.12	0.5%	0 of 90	48
Oct to Dec 2025	3.33	0.57	3.69	2.41	0.3%	0 of 92	46
Jul to Sep 2025	3.19	0.53	3.56	2.27	0.0%	0 of 92	47
Apr to Jun 2025	3.28	0.51	3.56	2.59	0.0%	0 of 91	49
United States, Jan to Mar 2026	3.75	0.62	3.92	3.33	5.3%	0.5% of days
Nebraska, Jan to Mar 2026	4.01	0.66	4.21	3.53	7.1%	1.6% 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	Nebraska	US
Percentage of long-stay residents whose need for help with daily activities has increased Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1	34.4	19.0	13.9
Percentage of long-stay residents with a catheter inserted and left in their bladder Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1	0.6	1.4	0.8
Percentage of long-stay residents with a urinary tract infection Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1	1.6	2.8	1.6
Percentage of long-stay residents experiencing one or more falls with major injury Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1	2.7	4.5	3.2
Percentage of short-stay residents who newly received an antipsychotic medication Short Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1	0.0	2.0	1.6
Percentage of long-stay residents whose ability to walk independently worsened Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1	24.8	18.2	14.1
Percentage of long-stay residents with pressure ulcers Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1	2.5	4.0	4.6
Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antipsychotic medication Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1	0.0	20.7	15.4

Owners and operators

Legal business name: VSL FAIRBURY LLC. CMS links this home to Vetter Senior Living, a group of 22 nursing homes averaging 4.3 stars overall.

Name	Role	Type	Share	Since
Vetter Senior Living	5% or greater direct ownership interest	Organization	100%	12/23/2016
Sloane, Martina	Contracted managing employee	Individual		08/21/2017
Stroklund, Rebecca	Contracted managing employee	Individual		08/20/2021
Stuhr, Brian	Contracted managing employee	Individual		07/01/2017
Vanekeren, Glenn	Contracted managing employee	Individual		07/01/2017
Vetter, Eldora	Contracted managing employee	Individual		07/01/2017
Vetter, Jack	Contracted managing employee	Individual		07/01/2017
Stuhr, Brian	Corporate officer	Individual		06/15/2017
Vanekeren, Glenn	Corporate officer	Individual		06/15/2017
Vetter, Eldora	Corporate officer	Individual		06/15/2017
Vetter, Jack	Corporate officer	Individual		06/15/2017
Vetter Senior Living	Operational/managerial control	Organization		12/23/2016
Vsl Vetter Health Services LLC	Operational/managerial control	Organization		07/01/2017
Sloane, Martina	Operational/managerial control	Individual		08/21/2017
Stroklund, Rebecca	Operational/managerial control	Individual		08/20/2021
Stuhr, Brian	Operational/managerial control	Individual		07/01/2017
Vanekeren, Glenn	Operational/managerial control	Individual		07/01/2017
Vetter, Eldora	Operational/managerial control	Individual		07/01/2017
Vetter, Jack	Operational/managerial control	Individual		07/01/2017

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.

How are medications reviewed, and how often are antipsychotic or sedating drugs used?Inspectors cited 3 problems in this area, most recently on June 17, 2025: "Ensure medication error rates are not 5 percent or greater."
How do you prevent falls and pressure injuries, and how are families told when one happens?Inspectors cited 2 problems in this area, most recently on August 5, 2025: "Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents."
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 February 19, 2025: "Immediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident."
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 June 17, 2025: "Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards."
Who is on the floor on Saturday and Sunday, and how many residents does each aide care for?Weekend nurse staffing here was 2.12 hours per resident per day, below the Nebraska average of 3.48.

Other nursing homes nearby

Jefferson Community Health & Life Gardenside
Fairbury, 0.4 mi · 4 of 5 stars · 5 citations
Blue Valley Lutheran Nursing Home
Hebron, 22.1 mi · 4 of 5 stars · 10 citations
Good Samaritan Society - Beatrice
Beatrice, 24.9 mi · 3 of 5 stars · 14 citations

Nebraska contacts for a concern about a nursing home

These are the official offices in Nebraska. NursingHomeClear cannot take or act on complaints.

Inspections and complaints: Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Licensure Unit, Long Term Care Facilities, the state agency that inspects nursing homes for CMS and takes complaints about care.
Resident advocate: Nebraska Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program, (800) 942-7830. The long-term care ombudsman is a free, confidential advocate for residents and families, set up under the federal Older Americans Act.

Common questions

What is Heritage Care Center's Medicare star rating?: CMS rates Heritage Care Center 3 out of 5 stars overall, with 3 for health inspections, 3 for staffing and 4 for quality measures (CMS data as of September 1, 2026).
How many deficiencies did Heritage Care Center get at its last inspection?: 4 health deficiencies at the standard inspection on June 17, 2025. The Nebraska average is 7.4.
Has Heritage Care Center been fined?: CMS lists no fines in the last three years.
Does Heritage Care Center 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 Heritage Care Center?: CMS lists 19 owners and managers, and links the home to Vetter Senior Living. Legal business name: VSL FAIRBURY 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.