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Jo Ellen Smith Convalescent Center

All states › Louisiana › New Orleans › Jo Ellen Smith Convalescent Center

4502 General Meyer Avenue New Orleans, LA 70131 · Orleans County

(504) 361-7923

All 11 nursing homes in New Orleans, LA (11 take Medicaid)

Accepts Medicare Accepts Medicaid 180 certified beds For profit

CMS certification number 195204 · See this home on Medicare Care Compare

Ratings come from CMS and are updated monthly; these are from October 2026. Check the latest inspection report and visit in person before you decide.

Is Jo Ellen Smith Convalescent Center a good nursing home? Reviews, ratings and inspection record

There are no official resident reviews of nursing homes: Medicare's Care Compare publishes inspections, staffing and quality data instead. Here is what that record shows for Jo Ellen Smith Convalescent Center as of October 2026.

CMS rates it 4 out of 5 stars overall, above the Louisiana average of 2.6. Inspectors issued 13 citations in the last three years. CMS reports no fines or payment denials in that time. For short-term rehab patients CMS rates quality 1 out of 5; for long-term residents, 4 out of 5. Those results differ a lot, so ask about the unit your family member would be on.

Online reviews from families and residents are on Google Maps and other sites; they reflect individual experiences and aren't checked by CMS. The full inspection reports, including what inspectors observed, are on Medicare Care Compare.

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Compare with the 3 closest homes

Staffing

Nursing staff spend about 3.80 hours per resident per day at Jo Ellen Smith Convalescent Center, about the same as the Louisiana median of 3.73 (US median: 3.72). About 0.15 of those hours are from registered nurses. On weekends it falls to 3.12 hours, 18% below its all-week average. Ask how weekends are staffed. 37.5% of nursing staff left within a year (Louisiana median 46.4%).

Nursing care per resident per day 3.80 hours
Above the Louisiana median of 3.73 Registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and aides combined, from payroll records.
Registered nurse hours 0.15 per resident a day RNs handle assessments, medications and changes in condition.
Weekend nursing care 3.12 hours Per resident a day. A big drop from weekdays can mean thin weekend staffing.
Nursing staff turnover 37.5% a year Share of nursing staff who left over a year. Lower usually means steadier care.
Registered nurse turnover 20% a year Share of registered nurses who left over a year.
Administrators who left 0 in the past year Frequent leadership changes are worth asking about on a visit.

About this nursing home

Certified beds180
Residents per day 115 About 64% of beds filled, on average
OwnershipFor profit - Corporation
Payment acceptedMedicare and Medicaid
Certified sinceAugust 1986
Part of a chainPriority Management
Legal business namePRIORITY GROUP HOLDINGS, L.L.C.

Paying for care at Jo Ellen Smith Convalescent Center: Medicare and Medicaid

Jo Ellen Smith Convalescent Center is certified for both Medicare and Medicaid. Medicare Part A can cover a short skilled-nursing or rehab stay here after a qualifying hospital stay of at least three inpatient days (observation days don't count), for up to 100 days per benefit period. Medicaid can pay for long-term care for residents who meet Louisiana's income and asset rules. Being certified doesn't guarantee a Medicaid bed is open, so ask whether the home accepts residents whose Medicaid application is still pending.

In 2026 Medicare covers days 1–20 in full after the Part A deductible ($1,736 per benefit period); for days 21–100 you pay $217 a day; after day 100 you pay all costs. Medicare doesn't pay for long-term custodial care. Medicare's coverage rules.

Health inspections

The most recent standard inspection was on March 12, 2026 and found 3 deficiencies, plus 2 from complaint inspections in the same period. In total, inspectors issued 13 citations in the last three years.

Each citation has a scope and severity letter from A to L. A–C: potential for minimal harm. D–F: potential for more than minimal harm. G–I: actual harm. J–L: immediate jeopardy to resident health or safety.

What the inspections found

Over the last three years, inspectors issued 13 citations at Jo Ellen Smith Convalescent Center across 7 inspection dates, 6 of them from complaint investigations. None were at the actual-harm or immediate-jeopardy levels; 12 were "potential for more than minimal harm" (D–F) and 1 was minimal (A–C). The most common areas cited were pharmacy service (5) and quality of life and care (4). The most serious was cited under the CMS rule to "honor the resident's right to request, refuse, and/or discontinue treatment, to participate in or refuse to participate in experimental research, and to formulate an advance directive" (tag F0578, level E, March 12, 2026).

March 12, 2026 · 3 citations

EHonor the resident's right to request, refuse, and/or discontinue treatment, to participate in or refuse to participate in experimental research, and to formulate an advance directive.

Potential for more than minimal harm · Resident Rights Deficiencies · Tag F0578 · Deficient, Provider has date of correction (Apr 3, 2026)

DProvide appropriate care for a resident to maintain and/or improve range of motion (ROM), limited ROM and/or mobility, unless a decline is for a medical reason.

Potential for more than minimal harm · Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies · Tag F0688 · Deficient, Provider has date of correction (Apr 3, 2026)

DProvide pharmaceutical services to meet the needs of each resident and employ or obtain the services of a licensed pharmacist.

Potential for more than minimal harm · Pharmacy Service Deficiencies · Tag F0755 · Deficient, Provider has date of correction (Apr 3, 2026)

January 15, 2026 · 2 citations · includes complaint inspection

EEnsure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality.

Potential for more than minimal harm · Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies · Tag F0658 · Complaint inspection · Deficient, Provider has date of correction (Feb 6, 2026)

BSafeguard resident-identifiable information and/or maintain medical records on each resident that are in accordance with accepted professional standards.

Potential for minimal harm · Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies · Tag F0842 · Complaint inspection · Deficient, Provider has date of correction (Feb 6, 2026)

August 5, 2025 · 1 citation · includes complaint inspection

EProvide pharmaceutical services to meet the needs of each resident and employ or obtain the services of a licensed pharmacist.

Potential for more than minimal harm · Pharmacy Service Deficiencies · Tag F0755 · Complaint inspection · Deficient, Provider has date of correction (Aug 21, 2025)

March 19, 2025 · 3 citations

EProvide pharmaceutical services to meet the needs of each resident and employ or obtain the services of a licensed pharmacist.

Potential for more than minimal harm · Pharmacy Service Deficiencies · Tag F0755 · Deficient, Provider has date of correction (Apr 11, 2025)

DDevelop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured.

Potential for more than minimal harm · Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies · Tag F0656 · Deficient, Provider has date of correction (Apr 11, 2025)

DEnsure that feeding tubes are not used unless there is a medical reason and the resident agrees; and provide appropriate care for a resident with a feeding tube.

Potential for more than minimal harm · Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies · Tag F0693 · Deficient, Provider has date of correction (Apr 11, 2025)

September 5, 2024 · 1 citation · includes complaint inspection

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

Potential for more than minimal harm · Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies · Tag F0689 · Complaint inspection · Deficient, Provider has date of correction (Sep 27, 2024)

March 7, 2024 · 1 citation

DProvide appropriate care for residents who are continent or incontinent of bowel/bladder, appropriate catheter care, and appropriate care to prevent urinary tract infections.

Potential for more than minimal harm · Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies · Tag F0690 · Deficient, Provider has date of correction (Mar 31, 2024)

December 14, 2023 · 2 citations · includes complaint inspection

DProvide pharmaceutical services to meet the needs of each resident and employ or obtain the services of a licensed pharmacist.

Potential for more than minimal harm · Pharmacy Service Deficiencies · Tag F0755 · Complaint inspection · Deficient, Provider has date of correction (Jan 14, 2024)

DEnsure 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.

Potential for more than minimal harm · Pharmacy Service Deficiencies · Tag F0761 · Complaint inspection · Deficient, Provider has date of correction (Jan 14, 2024)

Questions to ask on a tour of Jo Ellen Smith Convalescent Center

  1. Weekend staffing is 18% below the all-week average. Who is on duty on Saturday nights?
  2. CMS rates short-stay quality 1 out of 5. How often do rehab patients go back to the hospital, and how many therapy sessions a week are typical?
  3. Do you have a Medicaid bed open now, and will you admit someone whose Medicaid application is still pending?
  4. When is the first care-plan meeting, and can family attend?

Questions come from this home's CMS data: its inspections, staffing and ownership record.

Fines and payment denials

CMS reports no fines or payment denials for this home in the last three years.

Rating history

CMS monthOverallInspectionStaffingQuality
October 2026 4/5 4/5 3/5 2/5
August 2026 4/5 4/5 2/5 4/5
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Location

Hospitals near Jo Ellen Smith Convalescent Center

The Medicare-certified hospitals closest to this nursing home, with their CMS data. Ask the home which hospital it usually sends residents to.

  • 1.8 mi
    St Bernard Parish Hospital Chalmette
    Emergency room ★★★★☆ Medicare overall 4 of 5
    Median ER visit 3h 0m for patients treated and sent home
  • 4.1 mi
    St Charles Surgical Hospital New Orleans
    No ER listed in Medicare data
  • 4.3 mi
    Tulane Medical Center New Orleans
    Emergency room ★★☆☆☆ Medicare overall 2 of 5
    Median ER visit 2h 37m for patients treated and sent home

Hospital ratings, ER visit times and more at Hospitals In Each State
Source: CMS Care Compare. Distances are approximate.

Nearby nursing homes

Willow Wood at Woldenberg Village New Orleans · 1.4 mi away ★★★★☆ Inspection 4/5 · Staffing 3/5 120 beds · Medicaid
Our Lady of Wisdom Community Care Center New Orleans · 1.9 mi away ★★★★☆ Inspection 4/5 · Staffing 3/5 138 beds · Medicaid
St Jude's Health & Wellness Center New Orleans · 4.5 mi away ★☆☆☆☆ Inspection 1/5 · Staffing 3/5 116 beds · Medicaid
Bayside Healthcare Center Gretna · 4.9 mi away ★★★☆☆ Inspection 3/5 · Staffing 2/5 151 beds · Medicaid
Lafon Nursing Facility of the Holy Family New Orleans · 5.4 mi away ★☆☆☆☆ Inspection 2/5 · Staffing 1/5 155 beds · Medicaid

More nursing homes near Jo Ellen Smith Convalescent Center ›   All nursing homes in New Orleans ›

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Other Priority Management nursing homes in Louisiana

Affiliation comes from CMS's affiliated-entity data, October 2026. All 38 Priority Management nursing homes ›

Source: CMS Provider Data Catalog (provider information, health deficiencies, penalties), October 2026. Inspection citations and penalties cover the last three years. Nursing Homes In Each State is independent and not affiliated with CMS or Medicare. About the data · Report a problem with this listing. Is this your nursing home? Feature it here.

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https://www.nursinghomesineachstate.com/louisiana/new-orleans/jo-ellen-smith-convalescent-center/ · Data: CMS, October 2026 · Nursing Homes In Each State, not affiliated with CMS or Medicare.