SNF

LIFE CARE CENTER OF MERRIMACK VALLEY

CCN: 225546 · BILLERICA, MA 01862 · Middlesex County

Overview

Address
80 BOSTON ROAD, BILLERICA, MA 01862
Phone
9786672166
Certified beds
124
Avg daily residents
101 (82% of beds filled)
Ownership
For-profit LLC
Provider type
Medicare and Medicaid
Medicare/Medicaid since
1992-03-15
Setting
Urban
2 /5
★★★★★
CMS Overall Rating

CMS 5-Star Ratings

CMS rates every Medicare/Medicaid-certified nursing home on four domains. The Overall rating is driven primarily by Health Inspection results, then adjusted up or down by Staffing and Quality Measures.

Overall Rating
Composite of Health Inspection, Staffing, and Quality Measures.
★★★★★ 2/5
Health Inspection
Based on the three most recent standard surveys, with more weight on recent results.
★★★★★ 2/5
Staffing
Weighted combination of RN and total nurse staffing hours per resident per day, case-mix adjusted.
★★★★★ 4/5
Quality Measures
15 resident-level quality measures split between long-stay and short-stay (post-acute) residents.
★★★★★ 4/5
Quality Measures breakdown
Long-Stay Quality Measures ★★★★★ 4/5
Short-Stay Quality Measures ★★★★★ 4/5

Staffing & Workforce

Direct-care staffing is the strongest operational driver of quality in nursing homes. Values are hours per resident per day, derived from payroll-based journal (PBJ) submissions. "Case-mix" adjusts for resident acuity; "Adjusted" is the CMS rating-input value.

Role Reported Case-mix expected Adjusted Federal floor
Total nurse
All nursing staff combined: RN + LPN + Aide
 4.14 3.70 4.31 ≥ 3.48
Registered Nurse (RN)
Licensed RN hours. Strongest driver of clinical outcomes.
 0.67 0.65 0.70 ≥ 0.55
Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN)
LPN/LVN hours. Often handles medication administration.
 0.92 0.82 0.96 —
Nurse aide
CNA hours. Bulk of direct resident care — bathing, feeding, mobility.
 2.55 2.23 2.65 —
Licensed (RN + LPN)
Combined licensed nurse coverage.
 1.59 — — —
Physical therapist
Rehabilitation therapist hours — important for post-acute / rehab admissions.
 0.08 — — —

Federal minimums (phasing in under the CMS 2024 minimum staffing rule) shown for reference. RN: 0.55 hrs/resident/day. Total nurse: 3.48 hrs/resident/day.

Weekend staffing

Total nurse (weekend)
3.64
hrs / resident / day
RN (weekend)
0.45
hrs / resident / day
Total nurse (adjusted, weekend)
3.80
hrs / resident / day

Weekend under-staffing is a common quality-of-care concern — adverse events are more frequent when licensed coverage drops.

Staff turnover

Total nursing staff turnover
42.5%
annual
RN turnover
52.6%
annual
Administrators departed
0
last 12 months

Resident acuity

Nursing Case-Mix Index
1.31
higher acuity than avg
Case-Mix Index Ratio
0.95
facility / state ratio

Health Inspections

CMS weights three inspection cycles to compute the Health Inspection rating: the most recent (50%), the second most recent (33%), and the oldest (17%). Each standard-survey deficiency is assigned a score based on scope and severity; complaint-survey findings and revisit scores are added to produce the cycle total.

Cycle Date Total defs. Standard Complaint Deficiency score Revisits Total score
Cycle 1 (most recent) 2025-12-10 5 4 1 32 1 32
Cycle 2/3 (prior) 2024-12-04 17 17 9 215 1 215
Total weighted health score
77.8
lower is better

Deficiencies (26)

Individual survey findings. Scope/severity uses the CMS A–L matrix: letters further down the alphabet indicate greater harm and wider scope, up through J–L (immediate jeopardy).

22 D/E/F Actual harm — potential for minor
4 G/H/I Actual harm
Tag Description Scope/Severity Survey date Corrected
0698 Provide safe, appropriate dialysis care/services for a resident who requires such services. E 2025-12-10 2025-12-26
0760 Ensure that residents are free from significant medication errors. E 2025-12-10 2025-12-26
0761 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. D 2025-12-10 2025-12-26
0808 Ensure therapeutic diets are prescribed by the attending physician and may be delegated to a registered or licensed dietitian, to the extent allowed by State law. D 2025-12-10 2025-12-26
0552 Ensure that residents are fully informed and understand their health status, care and treatments. E 2025-08-14 2025-09-05
0655 Create and put into place a plan for meeting the resident's most immediate needs within 48 hours of being admitted G 2024-12-04 2025-01-02
0656 Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured. D 2024-12-04 2025-01-02
0694 Provide for the safe, appropriate administration of IV fluids for a resident when needed. D 2024-12-04 2025-01-02
0698 Provide safe, appropriate dialysis care/services for a resident who requires such services. D 2024-12-04 2025-01-02
0761 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. D 2024-12-04 2025-01-02
0812 Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards. E 2024-12-04 2025-01-02
0842 Safeguard resident-identifiable information and/or maintain medical records on each resident that are in accordance with accepted professional standards. D 2024-12-04 2025-01-02
0880 Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program. E 2024-12-04 2025-01-02
0600 Protect each resident from all types of abuse such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody. H 2024-12-04 2025-01-02
0686 Provide appropriate pressure ulcer care and prevent new ulcers from developing. H 2024-12-04 2025-01-02
0726 Ensure that nurses and nurse aides have the appropriate competencies to care for every resident in a way that maximizes each resident's well being. E 2024-12-04 2025-01-02
0835 Administer the facility in a manner that enables it to use its resources effectively and efficiently. E 2024-12-04 2025-01-02
0837 Establish a governing body that is legally responsible for establishing and implementing policies for managing and operating the facility and appoints a properly licensed administrator responsible for managing the facility. E 2024-12-04 2025-01-02
0838 Conduct and document a facility-wide assessment to determine what resources are necessary to care for residents competently during both day-to-day operations (including nights and weekends) and emergencies. E 2024-12-04 2025-01-02
0840 Employ or obtain outside professional resources to provide services in the nursing home when the facility does not employ a qualified professional to furnish a required service. D 2024-12-04 2025-01-02
0841 Designate a physician to serve as medical director responsible for implementation of resident care policies and coordination of medical care in the facility. H 2024-12-04 2025-01-02
0865 Have a plan that describes the process for conducting QAPI and QAA activities. E 2024-12-04 2025-01-02
0550 Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights. D 2023-11-22 2023-12-12
0756 Ensure a licensed pharmacist perform a monthly drug regimen review, including the medical chart, following irregularity reporting guidelines in developed policies and procedures. D 2023-11-22 2023-12-12
0761 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. E 2023-11-22 2023-12-12
0842 Safeguard resident-identifiable information and/or maintain medical records on each resident that are in accordance with accepted professional standards. D 2023-11-22 2023-12-12

Penalties (1)

Fines issued
1
last 3 years
Total fines
$161,920
Date Type Fine amount
2024-12-04 Fine $161,920

Source: CMS Nursing Home Penalties.

Financial Health (FY 2024)

Payer mix (share of resident days)

Medicare 11.2% Medicaid 71.5% Other 17.3%

Operating performance

Operating Margin
-8.3%
Total Margin
-8.2%
Occupancy Rate
85.8%
Cost per Resident Day
$31

Revenue & costs

Net Patient Revenue
$13.9M
Total Costs
$1.2M
Net Income
-$1.1M

Balance sheet

Total Assets
$4.3M
Total Liabilities
-$692K
Fund Balance
$5.0M
Current Ratio
1.33

Source: CMS SNF Cost Report (FY 2024). Cost report data lags by ~2 years.

Ownership & Corporate Structure

Chain: LIFE CARE CENTERS OF AMERICA

Chain ID
311
Facilities in chain
194
Legal business name
MERRIMACK VALLEY OPERATIONS, LLC
Chain-average star ratings (for peer context)
Overall
3.5
Health
2.9
Staffing
3.3
QM
4.6

Owner / manager organizations (2)

Organization Role Association
LIFE CARE CENTERS OF AMERICA, INC. 5% OR GREATER DIRECT OWNERSHIP INTEREST since 08/06/2015
LIFE CARE CENTERS OF AMERICA, INC. OPERATIONAL/MANAGERIAL CONTROL since 08/06/2015

Owner / manager individuals (14)

Name Role Association
PRESTON, FORREST 5% OR GREATER INDIRECT OWNERSHIP INTEREST since 08/06/2015
FAUSTIN, MOSELINE OPERATIONAL/MANAGERIAL CONTROL since 05/22/2023
FINKEL, NOAH OPERATIONAL/MANAGERIAL CONTROL since 11/01/2021
FLETCHER, TODD OPERATIONAL/MANAGERIAL CONTROL since 05/01/2021
JANIAK, ANDREA OPERATIONAL/MANAGERIAL CONTROL since 08/24/2022
LAY, LISA OPERATIONAL/MANAGERIAL CONTROL since 04/24/2017
LONG, ZOFIA OPERATIONAL/MANAGERIAL CONTROL since 07/01/1999
PRESTON, AUBREY OPERATIONAL/MANAGERIAL CONTROL since 11/27/2024
PRESTON, FORREST OPERATIONAL/MANAGERIAL CONTROL since 08/06/2015
SWANKER, RICHARD OPERATIONAL/MANAGERIAL CONTROL since 01/01/2022
ZIEGLER, JAMES OPERATIONAL/MANAGERIAL CONTROL since 08/06/2015
CROSS, CINDY CORPORATE OFFICER since 08/06/2015
HENRY, TERRY CORPORATE OFFICER since 08/06/2015
THURMOND, JOAN CORPORATE OFFICER since 08/06/2015

Source: CMS Nursing Home Ownership. Percent ownership is rarely disclosed — CMS only requires it for specific roles.

Facility Features

CCRC
No
Hospital-based
No
Resident / family council
Resident
Sprinkler systems
Yes
Abuse citation flag
No
Methodology & sources

Full methodology →

All Data

Every labeled field shipped for this facility by CMS. No national median or percentile context is available for SNFs in the current release.

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Show 113 rows
Source Metric Value Raw key
Cost Report Cost per Resident Day ($) $31 metrics.cost_per_resident_day
Cost Report Current Ratio 1.33 metrics.current_ratio
Cost Report fiscal_year 2,024 fiscal_year
Cost Report Medicaid Day Share (%) 71.5% metrics.medicaid_day_share
Cost Report Medicare Day Share (%) 11.2% metrics.medicare_day_share
Cost Report Net Income ($) $-1,139,831 metrics.net_income
Cost Report Net Patient Revenue ($) $13,918,487 metrics.net_patient_revenue
Cost Report Occupancy Rate (%) 85.8% metrics.occupancy_rate
Cost Report Operating Margin (%) -8.3% metrics.operating_margin
Cost Report Total Assets ($) $4,280,654 metrics.total_assets
Cost Report Total Costs ($) $1,213,206 metrics.total_costs
Cost Report Total Fund Balances ($) $4,973,008 metrics.fund_balance
Cost Report Total Liabilities ($) $-692,354 metrics.total_liabilities
Cost Report Total Margin (%) -8.2% metrics.total_margin
Provider Information Abuse Icon N Abuse Icon
Provider Information Adjusted LPN Staffing Hours per Resident per Day 0.96200 Adjusted LPN Staffing Hours per Resident per Day
Provider Information Adjusted Nurse Aide Staffing Hours per Resident per Day 2.65366 Adjusted Nurse Aide Staffing Hours per Resident per Day
Provider Information Adjusted RN Staffing Hours per Resident per Day 0.69666 Adjusted RN Staffing Hours per Resident per Day
Provider Information Adjusted Total Nurse Staffing Hours per Resident per Day 4.31232 Adjusted Total Nurse Staffing Hours per Resident per Day
Provider Information Adjusted Weekend Total Nurse Staffing Hours per Resident per Day 3.79746 Adjusted Weekend Total Nurse Staffing Hours per Resident per Day
Provider Information Administrator turnover footnote — Administrator turnover footnote
Provider Information Automatic Sprinkler Systems in All Required Areas Yes Automatic Sprinkler Systems in All Required Areas
Provider Information Average Number of Residents per Day 101.3 Average Number of Residents per Day
Provider Information Average Number of Residents per Day Footnote — Average Number of Residents per Day Footnote
Provider Information Case-Mix LPN Staffing Hours per Resident per Day 0.82221 Case-Mix LPN Staffing Hours per Resident per Day
Provider Information Case-Mix Nurse Aide Staffing Hours per Resident per Day 2.23458 Case-Mix Nurse Aide Staffing Hours per Resident per Day
Provider Information Case-Mix RN Staffing Hours per Resident per Day 0.64808 Case-Mix RN Staffing Hours per Resident per Day
Provider Information Case-Mix Total Nurse Staffing Hours per Resident per Day 3.70487 Case-Mix Total Nurse Staffing Hours per Resident per Day
Provider Information Case-Mix Weekend Total Nurse Staffing Hours per Resident per Day 3.26546 Case-Mix Weekend Total Nurse Staffing Hours per Resident per Day
Provider Information Chain Average Health Inspection Rating 2.9 Chain Average Health Inspection Rating
Provider Information Chain Average Overall 5-star Rating 3.5 Chain Average Overall 5-star Rating
Provider Information Chain Average QM Rating 4.6 Chain Average QM Rating
Provider Information Chain Average Staffing Rating 3.3 Chain Average Staffing Rating
Provider Information Chain ID 311 Chain ID
Provider Information Chain Name LIFE CARE CENTERS OF AMERICA Chain Name
Provider Information City/Town BILLERICA City/Town
Provider Information CMS Certification Number (CCN) 225546 CMS Certification Number (CCN)
Provider Information Continuing Care Retirement Community N Continuing Care Retirement Community
Provider Information County/Parish Middlesex County/Parish
Provider Information Date First Approved to Provide Medicare and Medicaid Services 1992-03-15 Date First Approved to Provide Medicare and Medicaid Services
Provider Information Geocoding Footnote — Geocoding Footnote
Provider Information Health Inspection Rating 2 Health Inspection Rating
Provider Information Health Inspection Rating Footnote — Health Inspection Rating Footnote
Provider Information Latitude 42.5927 Latitude
Provider Information Legal Business Name MERRIMACK VALLEY OPERATIONS, LLC Legal Business Name
Provider Information Location 80 BOSTON ROAD,BILLERICA,MA,01862 Location
Provider Information Long-Stay QM Rating 4 Long-Stay QM Rating
Provider Information Long-Stay QM Rating Footnote — Long-Stay QM Rating Footnote
Provider Information Longitude -71.297 Longitude
Provider Information Most Recent Health Inspection More Than 2 Years Ago N Most Recent Health Inspection More Than 2 Years Ago
Provider Information Number of administrators who have left the nursing home 0 Number of administrators who have left the nursing home
Provider Information Number of Certified Beds 124 Number of Certified Beds
Provider Information Number of Citations from Infection Control Inspections — Number of Citations from Infection Control Inspections
Provider Information Number of Facilities in Chain 194 Number of Facilities in Chain
Provider Information Number of Fines 1 Number of Fines
Provider Information Number of Payment Denials 0 Number of Payment Denials
Provider Information Nursing Case-Mix Index 1.31247 Nursing Case-Mix Index
Provider Information Nursing Case-Mix Index Ratio 0.95269 Nursing Case-Mix Index Ratio
Provider Information Overall Rating 2 Overall Rating
Provider Information Overall Rating Footnote — Overall Rating Footnote
Provider Information Ownership Type For profit - Limited Liability company Ownership Type
Provider Information Physical Therapist Staffing Footnote — Physical Therapist Staffing Footnote
Provider Information Processing Date 2026-03-01 Processing Date
Provider Information Provider Address 80 BOSTON ROAD Provider Address
Provider Information Provider Changed Ownership in Last 12 Months N Provider Changed Ownership in Last 12 Months
Provider Information Provider Name LIFE CARE CENTER OF MERRIMACK VALLEY Provider Name
Provider Information Provider Resides in Hospital N Provider Resides in Hospital
Provider Information Provider SSA County Code 090 Provider SSA County Code
Provider Information Provider Type Medicare and Medicaid Provider Type
Provider Information QM Rating 4 QM Rating
Provider Information QM Rating Footnote — QM Rating Footnote
Provider Information Rating Cycle 1 Health Deficiency Score 32 Rating Cycle 1 Health Deficiency Score
Provider Information Rating Cycle 1 Health Revisit Score 0 Rating Cycle 1 Health Revisit Score
Provider Information Rating Cycle 1 Number of Complaint Health Deficiencies 1 Rating Cycle 1 Number of Complaint Health Deficiencies
Provider Information Rating Cycle 1 Number of Health Revisits 1 Rating Cycle 1 Number of Health Revisits
Provider Information Rating Cycle 1 Number of Standard Health Deficiencies 4 Rating Cycle 1 Number of Standard Health Deficiencies
Provider Information Rating Cycle 1 Standard Survey Health Date 2025-12-10 Rating Cycle 1 Standard Survey Health Date
Provider Information Rating Cycle 1 Total Health Score 32 Rating Cycle 1 Total Health Score
Provider Information Rating Cycle 1 Total Number of Health Deficiencies 5 Rating Cycle 1 Total Number of Health Deficiencies
Provider Information Rating Cycle 2 Number of Standard Health Deficiencies 17 Rating Cycle 2 Number of Standard Health Deficiencies
Provider Information Rating Cycle 2 Standard Health Survey Date 2024-12-04 Rating Cycle 2 Standard Health Survey Date
Provider Information Rating Cycle 2/3 Health Deficiency Score 215 Rating Cycle 2/3 Health Deficiency Score
Provider Information Rating Cycle 2/3 Health Revisit Score 0 Rating Cycle 2/3 Health Revisit Score
Provider Information Rating Cycle 2/3 Number of Complaint Health Deficiencies 9 Rating Cycle 2/3 Number of Complaint Health Deficiencies
Provider Information Rating Cycle 2/3 Number of Health Revisits 1 Rating Cycle 2/3 Number of Health Revisits
Provider Information Rating Cycle 2/3 Total Health Score 215 Rating Cycle 2/3 Total Health Score
Provider Information Rating Cycle 2/3 Total Number of Health Deficiencies 17 Rating Cycle 2/3 Total Number of Health Deficiencies
Provider Information Registered Nurse hours per resident per day on the weekend 0.44574 Registered Nurse hours per resident per day on the weekend
Provider Information Registered Nurse turnover 52.6 Registered Nurse turnover
Provider Information Registered Nurse turnover footnote — Registered Nurse turnover footnote
Provider Information Reported Licensed Staffing Hours per Resident per Day 1.59162 Reported Licensed Staffing Hours per Resident per Day
Provider Information Reported LPN Staffing Hours per Resident per Day 0.92312 Reported LPN Staffing Hours per Resident per Day
Provider Information Reported Nurse Aide Staffing Hours per Resident per Day 2.54640 Reported Nurse Aide Staffing Hours per Resident per Day
Provider Information Reported Physical Therapist Staffing Hours per Resident Per Day 0.07630 Reported Physical Therapist Staffing Hours per Resident Per Day
Provider Information Reported RN Staffing Hours per Resident per Day 0.66850 Reported RN Staffing Hours per Resident per Day
Provider Information Reported Staffing Footnote — Reported Staffing Footnote
Provider Information Reported Total Nurse Staffing Hours per Resident per Day 4.13802 Reported Total Nurse Staffing Hours per Resident per Day
Provider Information Short-Stay QM Rating 4 Short-Stay QM Rating
Provider Information Short-Stay QM Rating Footnote — Short-Stay QM Rating Footnote
Provider Information Special Focus Status — Special Focus Status
Provider Information Staffing Rating 4 Staffing Rating
Provider Information Staffing Rating Footnote — Staffing Rating Footnote
Provider Information State MA State
Provider Information Telephone Number 9786672166 Telephone Number
Provider Information Total Amount of Fines in Dollars 161920.00 Total Amount of Fines in Dollars
Provider Information Total number of nurse staff hours per resident per day on the weekend 3.64397 Total number of nurse staff hours per resident per day on the weekend
Provider Information Total Number of Penalties 1 Total Number of Penalties
Provider Information Total nursing staff turnover 42.5 Total nursing staff turnover
Provider Information Total nursing staff turnover footnote — Total nursing staff turnover footnote
Provider Information Total Weighted Health Survey Score 77.750 Total Weighted Health Survey Score
Provider Information Urban Y Urban
Provider Information With a Resident and Family Council Resident With a Resident and Family Council
Provider Information ZIP Code 01862 ZIP Code