13 of the 694 Medicare-certified nursing homes in Florida (2%) are government-run, and all are listed below. 8 of the 13 graded homes earn an A and 0 earn a D or F. They average 5.22 nursing hours per resident per day, 1.4 hours above the 3.82 for every home in Florida. Edward J Healey Rehabilitation And Nursing Center in Riviera Beach grades highest at A (99 out of 100).
How government-run homes in Florida compare
This group set against every nursing home in Florida, from the current CMS release.
Edward J Healey is county-owned, and that shows up in how it's run: nurse staffing runs 5.56 hours per resident day against a national average of 3.86, and turnover sits at 6.4% while the typical American nursing home churns through nearly half its staff each year. Just two deficiencies sit on the current record, none involving harm or abuse, and the most recent inspection closed out in December 2024. Weekend staffing dips about 9% below weekday levels, worth asking about if your family visits Saturdays or Sundays. The low turnover matters most here, steady, familiar aides usually mean better day-to-day care than any scoreboard can capture.
Memorial Manor runs on 4.84 nurse hours per resident per day, roughly a quarter more staffing than the typical Florida nursing home, and weekends dip only about 10% below its own weekday level, a smaller drop than many homes show. Staff turnover sits at 16% against a national average near 46%, which matters more than any single inspection score. The 12 deficiencies on record include none at the harm level and none related to abuse, and the most recent inspection was in October 2024. It's a hospital-district home with 120 certified beds, so it answers to a public board rather than a private operator.
Jackson Memorial runs on county money, and the staffing numbers show it: 5.66 nurse hours per resident per day, roughly 47% above the national average, with a 12.2% turnover rate against a national 45.8%. That kind of retention is rare, and it means your family member sees familiar faces. The tradeoffs are real, though. Weekend coverage dips about 15% below weekday levels, and the current inspection record carries nine deficiencies, one serious enough to involve harm or jeopardy. The last inspection was August 2025, so the picture is recent. Quality and staffing measures both score at the top; the health inspection side sits in the middle.
Gulf Coast Medical Center's skilled nursing unit runs on government ownership through the hospital district, and the numbers show a place that's mostly held together by staffing. At 5.82 nurse hours per resident day, it's about half again the national average, and turnover sits at 19.3% against a national 45.8%, unusually stable for the industry. Weekend coverage dips only about 11% below weekdays. Inspections tell a messier story: a 5-star health inspection rating, but six deficiencies on record, one serious enough to involve harm or jeopardy, and a $14,521 fine. The last inspection was August 2023, so the record is dated. Quality measures land at 4 stars. Strong staffing and low turnover are real, but that one harm-level deficiency is the detail worth asking about directly.
Ardie R Copas State Veterans Nursing Home in Port Saint Lucie runs on 5.94 nursing hours per resident per day, roughly half again what the typical American nursing home provides, and it holds a top federal staffing rating. Weekend coverage dips about 12 percent below its own weekday pace, but the floor stays high. Staff turnover is 35.6 percent against a national average of 45.8 percent, meaning fewer caregivers are walking out the door than elsewhere. Inspectors visited in June 2025 and logged 14 deficiencies, none of them causing harm or jeopardy, though one was abuse-related. State-run ownership and a strong inspection record round out the picture.
Jackson Memorial Perdue runs on county money, and that shows up in the staffing numbers: 4.67 nurse hours per resident per day, roughly a fifth above the national figure, with weekend coverage dipping about 16% below its own weekdays. Turnover sits at 23.6%, about half the national rate, which matters more than any single inspection score, stable crews know the residents. The tradeoff is a longer deficiency record: 16 citations, one serious enough to involve harm or jeopardy, and two fines totaling $28,045. The most recent inspection was April 2026. Quality and staffing measures both rate at the top of CMS's scale; the health inspection side is more mixed at three stars.
Baldomero Lopez Memorial Veterans Nursing Home runs on 4.76 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 23% above the national average, and that staffing depth is the main reason it holds up well. The tradeoff is a weekend dip of about 13% against its own weekday levels, so care may feel thinner on Saturdays and Sundays. Turnover sits at 47.5%, a touch above the national figure, and the record shows 8 deficiencies, none at harm or jeopardy level but one tied to abuse, worth asking about directly. Inspectors last visited in January 2024, and the state runs the place, which tends to mean steadier budgets but slower change.
Clifford Chester Sims, the state-run veterans home in Panama City, runs on 5.28 nursing hours per resident day, roughly 37% more than the national average, and that shows up as five stars for staffing. Weekend coverage dips about 10% below weekdays, so ask how that plays out on a Saturday. Turnover sits at 45%, essentially the national rate, which is unremarkable for a workforce this size. The health inspection record is where it separates itself: five stars, three deficiencies total, none at harm or jeopardy level, none abuse-related, and a clean April 2025 inspection. The catch is quality measures, where two stars suggests outcomes don't fully track the staffing investment.
Alexander "Sandy" Nininger State Veterans Nursing runs on unusually strong staffing for a Florida home: 5.57 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 44% above the national average, with weekend coverage dipping only about 10% below weekdays. Turnover sits at 24.4%, well under the 45.8% national figure, which suggests a stable crew rather than a revolving door. The trade-off shows up in oversight. Inspections turned up 23 deficiencies, one serious enough to reach harm or jeopardy level, and a $38,659 fine. The most recent inspection was January 2025, so the record is current. Strong hands on deck, but the state has found real problems worth asking about directly.
Emory L Bennett Memorial sits in Daytona Beach as a state-run veterans home with 120 certified beds. The staffing numbers here are genuinely strong, 4.53 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 17% above the national average, which is enough for the federal staffing rating to hit the top mark. Two things pull against that. Weekend coverage drops about 13% below the home's own weekday level, so the weekday-to-weekend gap is real. And staff turnover runs 58% against a national 45.8%, meaning the people delivering that above-average care keep changing. The record shows 15 deficiencies, one at harm level, no abuse findings, and a single fine of $9,503. Inspectors last visited in October 2024.
Clyde E Lassen State Veterans Nursing Home runs on a split record. Its last inspection, in August 2025, produced five deficiencies and none of them rose to harm or jeopardy, a clean enough survey to earn the top inspection rating from CMS. But look at the staffing rating: 1 out of 5, the lowest mark CMS gives. Annual turnover sits at 56% against a national average of 45.8%, meaning well over half the workforce leaves each year, and quality measures land midrange at 3. The state owns and operates it, which may explain some stability in oversight but not in the aides and nurses at the bedside. A place can pass inspection and still run thin.
Douglas Jacobson State Veterans Nursing Home runs on state government ownership in Port Charlotte with 120 certified beds, and its nurse staffing sits at 4.67 hours per resident day, roughly 21% above the national average. But look past that headline number and the picture gets uneven: weekend staffing drops about 15% below its own weekday level, so coverage depends on which day your family member needs help. The current inspection record carries 20 deficiencies, five of them at harm or jeopardy level and five abuse-related, with seven fines totaling $139,435 and a September 2024 inspection. Annual turnover of 52.1% tops the national 45.8% average, meaning the people providing that generous staffing are often new to the building.
Alwyn C Cashe State Veterans Nursing Home runs on state government ownership in Orlando, and the staffing numbers stand out first: 5.30 nurse hours per resident day, about 37 percent above the national average. That's real coverage, though weekends dip roughly 13 percent below weekdays, and turnover sits at 72.5 percent against a national 45.8, meaning the people providing that care keep changing. The inspection record is where things get harder to explain away: 22 deficiencies, four at harm or jeopardy level, four tied to abuse, and 11 fines totaling $68,731. The most recent inspection was February 2025, so the picture is current, not stale. Strong hours, unstable workforce, and a serious regulatory record.
Frequently asked questions
How many government-run nursing homes are there in Florida?
There are 13 government-run Medicare-certified nursing homes in Florida, 2% of the 694 nursing homes there.
Are government-run nursing homes better staffed?
In Florida they average 5.22 total nursing hours per resident per day, against 3.82 for all nursing homes in Florida, a difference of +1.4 hours. Staff turnover averages 36% against 41.4%.
Which government-run nursing home grades best in Florida?