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NHC Healthcare, Athens

1204 Frye St., Athens, TN 37303 · Mc Minn County · (423) 745-0434

86 certified beds, about 67 residents a day · For profit - Limited Liability company · Medicare and Medicaid since 1971

Certified for Medicaid Certified for Medicare
Overall
5 of 5
Health inspections
5 of 5
Staffing
4 of 5
Quality measures
4 of 5

CMS Care Compare ratings, data as of September 1, 2026 · CCN 445099 · See it on Medicare.gov · Compare with other homes

The record in brief

At its most recent standard inspection, on June 10, 2026, inspectors cited 1 health deficiency (the Tennessee average is 4.4, the national average 9.2).

None of its 8 health citations since November 2019 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 4.07 hours per resident per day, against 3.80 across Tennessee and 3.86 nationally. Registered nurses accounted for 0.56 of those hours.

50.8% of nursing staff left within the year CMS measured (Tennessee average 48.9%).

CMS links it to National Healthcare Corporation, an affiliated group of 71 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.

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 8 health citations on file.

Severity
Isolated
Pattern
Widespread
Immediate jeopardy
0J
0K
0L
Actual harm
0G
0H
0I
Potential for more than minimal harm
8D
0E
0F
Potential for minimal harm
0A
0B
0C
June 10, 2026Standard inspection · 1 citation
  1. D
    Ensure drugs and biologicals used in the facility are labeled in accordance with currently accepted professional principles; and all drugs and biologicals must be stored in locked compartments, separately locked, compartments for controlled drugs.
    F761 · Pharmacy Service · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm, isolated · Corrected (the home has a date of correction) July 7, 2026
    Inspectors wroteBased on facility policy review, medical record review, observation, and interview, the facility failed to properly store medications and medical supplies in 1 of 2 medication carts observed for medication storage.
August 24, 2023Standard inspection · 6 citations
  1. D
    Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.
    F550 · Resident Rights · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm, isolated · Corrected (the home has a date of correction) October 7, 2023
    Inspectors wroteBased on facility policy review, medical record review, observations, and interviews, the facility failed to ensure medical information was not visible for 1 resident (#24) of 24 residents reviewed for dignity.
  2. D
    Coordinate assessments with the pre-admission screening and resident review program; and referring for services as needed.
    F644 · Resident Assessment and Care Planning · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm, isolated · Corrected (the home has a date of correction) October 7, 2023
    Inspectors wroteBased on medical record review and interview, the facility failed to resubmit a Pre-admission Screening and Resident Review (PASARR) timely after a new mental health diagnosis for 2 residents (Residents #1 and #54) of 5 residents reviewed for PASRR.
  3. D
    Develop the complete care plan within 7 days of the comprehensive assessment; and prepared, reviewed, and revised by a team of health professionals.
    F657 · Resident Assessment and Care Planning · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm, isolated · Corrected (the home has a date of correction) October 7, 2023
    Inspectors wroteBased on facility policy review, medical record review, and interview, the facility failed to revise the Comprehensive Care Plan to include hospice services for 1 resident (#18) of 3 residents reviewed for hospice.
  4. D
    Arrange for the provision of hospice services or assist the resident in transferring to a facility that will arrange for the provision of hospice services.
    F849 · Administration · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm, isolated · Corrected (the home has a date of correction) October 7, 2023
    Inspectors wroteBased on facility contract review, facility policy review, medical record review, and interview, the facility failed to ensure a coordinated plan of care with the hospice provider was available in the medical record for 1 resident (#18) of 3 residents reviewed for hospice.
  5. D
    Have the Quality Assessment and Assurance group have the required members and meet at least quarterly
    F868 · Administration · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm, isolated · Corrected (the home has a date of correction) October 7, 2023
    Inspectors wroteBased on facility documentation review and interview the facility failed to ensure that all required members attended the quality assessment and assurance committee (QAA) meetings on a quarterly basis.
  6. 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) October 7, 2023
    Inspectors wroteBased on facility policy review, observation, and interview the facility failed to ensure appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) was worn while providing care for a COVID-19 (an infectious disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus) positive resident.
November 20, 2019Standard inspection · 1 citation
  1. D
    Provide or obtain dental services for each resident.
    F791 · Quality of Life and Care · No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm, isolated · Corrected (the home has a date of correction) December 12, 2019
    Inspectors wroteBased on facility policy review, medical record review, and interview, the facility failed to ensure 1 resident (#11) received routine dental services of 18 residents sampled.

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.

MeasureThis homeTennesseeUnited States
All nursing staff (RN, LPN and aides)4.073.803.86
Registered nurses0.560.600.69
All nursing staff on weekends3.503.313.42
Nurse aides2.23
Licensed practical nurses1.28
Nursing staff turnover (share who left in a year)50.8%48.9%45.8%
Registered nurse turnover11.1%43.2%42.9%
Administrators who left0

CMS expects 3.96 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 4.30 on weekdays and 3.50 on weekends, 19% lower on weekends (nationally, weekends ran 15% lower). Contract or agency staff worked 0.0% of nursing hours, against 5.3% nationally. Total nursing hours per resident went from 3.78 in April to June 2025 to 4.07 in January to March 2026.

QuarterAll nursing staffRegistered nursesWeekdaysWeekendsContract staff shareDays with no RN hoursResidents a day
Jan to Mar 20264.070.564.303.50 0.0%1 of 9067
Oct to Dec 20253.990.614.173.52 0.0%0 of 9269
Jul to Sep 20253.900.614.053.52 0.0%0 of 9269
Apr to Jun 20253.780.543.953.34 0.0%0 of 9172
United States, Jan to Mar 20263.750.623.923.335.3%0.5% of days
Tennessee, Jan to Mar 20263.750.563.953.274.0%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.

Staff pay reports

Staff pay at this home

No staff pay figure for this home has passed review yet. A figure appears only after at least 5 reports from at least 3 different people, sent over at least 60 days, have passed review.

Official wage estimates for Tennessee

JobMedianMiddle halfEmployed
Tennessee, all employers
CNAs (nursing assistants)$18.27$17.09 to $19.6627,040
LPNs and LVNs$28.31$23.64 to $30.1220,830
Registered nurses$39.18$36.28 to $45.7972,200
United States, nursing care facilities
CNAs (nursing assistants)$20.67$17.91 to $22.55534,270
LPNs and LVNs$33.86$30.05 to $37.40188,210
Registered nurses$41.11$37.85 to $47.68142,270

Hourly wages; the middle half runs from the 25th to the 75th percentile. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. BLS has no separate estimate for medication aides. These are survey estimates for whole occupations, not figures for any one home.

How staff pay reports work · CNA pay by state

Quality measures

The measures CMS uses for the quality star. Lower is better for every one of them.

MeasureThis homeTennesseeUS
Percentage of long-stay residents whose need for help with daily activities has increased
Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1
32.314.013.9
Percentage of long-stay residents with a catheter inserted and left in their bladder
Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1
1.20.70.8
Percentage of long-stay residents with a urinary tract infection
Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1
0.51.81.6
Percentage of long-stay residents experiencing one or more falls with major injury
Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1
2.93.43.2
Percentage of short-stay residents who newly received an antipsychotic medication
Short Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1
1.61.71.6
Percentage of long-stay residents whose ability to walk independently worsened
Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1
28.417.214.1
Percentage of long-stay residents with pressure ulcers
Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1
2.35.04.6
Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antipsychotic medication
Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1
14.216.915.4
Percentage of short-stay residents who were rehospitalized after a nursing home admission
Short Stay residents, 20250101-20251231
16.222.623.8
Percentage of short-stay residents who had an outpatient emergency department visit
Short Stay residents, 20250101-20251231
14.011.212.0

Short-term rehab results

For a stay to recover after a hospital visit, these are the results CMS publishes for NHC Healthcare, Athens's Medicare short-stay residents. On returning residents home or to the community, CMS rates it better than the national rate (60.0% of residents, after adjusting for how sick they were). How to read these, and what Medicare pays for.

Went home or back to the community

60.0% this home

Better than the national rate

US median of homes 51.5% · Tennessee: 62 better, 16 worse

Rate of successful return to home or community from a SNF (risk-standardized discharge to community rate). Higher is better. October 2022 to September 2024. 109 eligible stays.

Potentially preventable readmissions

9.3% this home

No different from the national rate

US median of homes 10.7% · Tennessee: 1 better, 7 worse

Rate of potentially preventable hospital readmissions 30 days after discharge from a SNF (risk-standardized rate). Lower is better. October 2022 to September 2024. 117 eligible stays.

Infections that led to a hospital stay

7.6% this home

No different from the national rate

US median of homes 7.1% · Tennessee: 2 better, 1 worse

Percentage of infections residents got during their SNF stay that resulted in hospitalization (risk-standardized rate). Lower is better. October 2023 to September 2024. 80 eligible stays.

Self-care and mobility at discharge

80.0% this home

Median of homes: Tennessee58.3% · US 56.6%

Percentage of residents who are at or above an expected ability to care for themselves and move around at discharge. Higher is better. October 2024 to September 2025. 45 residents counted.

Falls with major injury

1.8% this home

Median of homes: Tennessee0.8% · US 0.0%

Percentage of SNF residents who experience one or more falls with major injury during their SNF stay. Lower is better. October 2024 to September 2025. 57 residents counted.

New or worsened pressure ulcers

1.1% this home

Median of homes: Tennessee1.6% · US 1.7%

Percentage of residents with pressure ulcers or pressure injuries that are new or worsened (adjusted rate). Lower is better. October 2024 to September 2025. 57 residents counted.

Medication list given at discharge

Not reported

CMS note: The number of residents or resident stays is too small to report. Call the facility to discuss this quality measure.

Median of homes: Tennessee98.7% · US 98.7%

Percentage of residents where the SNF provided a current medication list to the resident, family, and/or caregiver at final discharge. Higher is better. October 2024 to September 2025. 6 residents counted.

Source: CMS Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Program - Provider Data, released 2026-09-30. Better, no different and worse are CMS's own comparisons with the national rate, after adjusting for how sick residents were. Medians of homes and the state counts are worked out by us from the same file.

Owners and operators

Legal business name: NHC HEALTHCARE-ATHENS LLC. CMS links this home to National Healthcare Corporation, a group of 71 nursing homes averaging 4 stars overall.

NameRoleTypeShareSince
Morgan Stanley Institutional Advisors LLCIndirect ownership interestOrganization11/08/2024
NHC/Delaware IncIndirect ownership interestOrganization07/01/2000
Nason Jr., HowardManaging control - governing bodyIndividual04/18/2016
Nason Jr., HowardCorporate officerIndividual04/18/2016
National Healthcare CorporationOperational/managerial controlOrganization07/01/2000
NHC-Op LPOperational/managerial controlOrganization07/01/2000
Butler, AddisonOperational/managerial controlIndividual06/27/2022
Dodson, VickiOperational/managerial controlIndividual06/01/2019
Gleaton, ShannonOperational/managerial controlIndividual11/30/2015
Kidd, BrianOperational/managerial controlIndividual01/01/2017
Nason Jr., HowardOperational/managerial controlIndividual04/18/2016
Smith, BertOperational/managerial controlIndividual11/15/2024
Ussery, RobertOperational/managerial controlIndividual07/01/2000
Blackrock IncAdp of the SNFOrganization01/20/2010
Consolidated Staffing, Inc.Adp of the SNFOrganization10/27/2021
National Health CorporationAdp of the SNFOrganization07/07/2025
National Health Investors, Inc.Adp of the SNFOrganization10/17/1991
National Healthcare CorporationAdp of the SNFOrganization07/07/2025
Vanguard Group IncAdp of the SNFOrganization11/30/2006
Butler, AddisonAdp of the SNFIndividual07/07/2025
Dodson, VickiAdp of the SNFIndividual06/01/2019
Kidd, BrianAdp of the SNFIndividual01/01/2017
Smith, BertAdp of the SNFIndividual03/07/2025

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.

  1. When is the care plan meeting, and can family attend it?Inspectors cited 2 problems in this area, most recently on August 24, 2023: "Coordinate assessments with the pre-admission screening and resident review program; and referring for services as needed."
  2. Who is the administrator and director of nursing, and how long have they been in the job?Inspectors cited 2 problems in this area, most recently on August 24, 2023: "Arrange for the provision of hospice services or assist the resident in transferring to a facility that will arrange for the provision of hospice services."
  3. How are medications reviewed, and how often are antipsychotic or sedating drugs used?Inspectors cited 1 problem in this area, most recently on June 10, 2026: "Ensure drugs and biologicals used in the facility are labeled in accordance with currently accepted professional principles; and all drugs and biologicals must be stored in locked compartments, separately locked, compartments for controlled drugs."
  4. How do residents and families raise a complaint or grievance, and how fast is it answered?Inspectors cited 1 problem in this area, most recently on August 24, 2023: "Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights."

Other nursing homes nearby

Tennessee contacts for a concern about a nursing home

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

Common questions

What is NHC Healthcare, Athens's Medicare star rating?
CMS rates NHC Healthcare, Athens 5 out of 5 stars overall, with 5 for health inspections, 4 for staffing and 4 for quality measures (CMS data as of September 1, 2026).
How many deficiencies did NHC Healthcare, Athens get at its last inspection?
1 health deficiency at the standard inspection on June 10, 2026. The Tennessee average is 4.4.
Has NHC Healthcare, Athens been fined?
CMS lists no fines in the last three years.
Does NHC Healthcare, Athens 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 NHC Healthcare, Athens?
CMS lists 23 owners and managers, and links the home to National Healthcare Corporation. Legal business name: NHC HEALTHCARE-ATHENS LLC.

Sources

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