All states › North Carolina › Burnsville › Smoky Ridge Health and Rehabilitation
310 Pensacola Road Burnsville, NC 28714 · Yancey County
CMS certification number 345305 · See this home on Medicare Care Compare
Is Smoky Ridge Health and Rehabilitation 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 Smoky Ridge Health and Rehabilitation as of October 2026.
CMS rates it 2 out of 5 stars overall, below the North Carolina average of 3.0.
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.
Staffing
Nursing staff spend about 3.25 hours per resident per day at Smoky Ridge Health and Rehabilitation, below the North Carolina median of 3.57 (US median: 3.72). About 0.81 of those hours are from registered nurses. On weekends it falls to 2.88 hours, 11% below its all-week average. 61.3% of nursing staff left within a year (North Carolina median 48.5%). High turnover can mean residents see unfamiliar caregivers; ask how long the nurses on the unit have worked there.
About this nursing home
Paying for care at Smoky Ridge Health and Rehabilitation: Medicare and Medicaid
Smoky Ridge Health and Rehabilitation 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 North Carolina'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 June 26, 2026 and found 2 deficiencies. In total, inspectors issued 22 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 22 citations at Smoky Ridge Health and Rehabilitation across 4 inspection dates, 16 of them from complaint investigations. 1 was at the actual-harm level (G–I), most recently on March 20, 2024. The most common areas cited were resident assessment and care planning (8) and nutrition and dietary (3). The most serious was cited under the CMS rule to "protect each resident from all types of abuse such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody" (tag F0600, level G, March 20, 2024). 2 citations were under CMS's abuse, neglect and exploitation rules.
June 26, 2026 · 2 citations
EEnsure each resident receives an accurate assessment.
DNotify the appropriate authorities when residents with MD or ID services has a significant change in condition.
March 20, 2025 · 5 citations · includes complaint inspection
DHonor 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.
DProtect each resident from the wrongful use of the resident's belongings or money.
DEnsure each resident receives an accurate assessment.
DCoordinate assessments with the pre-admission screening and resident review program; and referring for services as needed.
DNotify the appropriate authorities when residents with MD or ID services has a significant change in condition.
March 20, 2024 · 1 citation, includes actual harm · includes complaint inspection
GProtect each resident from all types of abuse such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody.
December 1, 2023 · 14 citations · includes complaint inspection
FProcure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
FSet up an ongoing quality assessment and assurance group to review quality deficiencies and develop corrective plans of action.
FProvide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
EHonor 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.
EPASARR screening for Mental disorders or Intellectual Disabilities
EProvide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
EEnsure the resident's doctor reviews the resident's care, writes, signs and dates progress notes and orders, at each required visit.
EEnsure 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.
EEnsure each resident receives and the facility provides food that accommodates resident allergies, intolerances, and preferences, as well as appealing options.
DKeep residents' personal and medical records private and confidential.
DEnsure each resident receives an accurate assessment.
DDevelop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured.
DEnsure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
BEnsure food and drink is palatable, attractive, and at a safe and appetizing temperature.
Questions to ask on a tour of Smoky Ridge Health and Rehabilitation
- Inspectors cited the home at the actual-harm level on March 20, 2024 under the rule on freedom from abuse, neglect, and exploitation. What changed afterwards, and can I see the plan of correction?
- CMS cited the home under its abuse and neglect rules on March 20, 2025. How are staff trained, and how are concerns reported?
- Nursing staff turnover was 61.3% a year. How many of the staff come from agencies?
- Do you have a Medicaid bed open now, and will you admit someone whose Medicaid application is still pending?
- 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
1 penalty in the last three years, including $59,631 in fines.
| Date | Type | Amount or length |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 20, 2024 | Fine | $59,631 |
Rating history
| CMS month | Overall | Inspection | Staffing | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | 2/5 | 2/5 | 3/5 | 2/5 |
| August 2026 | 2/5 | 2/5 | 3/5 | 2/5 |
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Location
Hospitals near Smoky Ridge Health and Rehabilitation
The Medicare-certified hospitals closest to this nursing home, with their CMS data. Ask the home which hospital it usually sends residents to.
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12.8 mi
Blue Ridge Regional Hospital Spruce PineEmergency room ★★★☆☆ Medicare overall 3 of 5Median ER visit 1h 55m for patients treated and sent home
- 20.8 mi
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22.6 mi
The McDowell Hospital MarionEmergency room ★★★☆☆ Medicare overall 3 of 5Median ER visit 2h 24m 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
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Other Brighton Healthcare nursing homes in North Carolina
- Glenbridge Health and Rehabilitation · Boone · 1 stars
- River Bend Health and Rehabilitation · Asheville · 1 stars
- Deer Park Health and Rehabilitation · Nebo · 1 stars
Affiliation comes from CMS's affiliated-entity data, October 2026. All 8 Brighton Healthcare 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.