21 of the 656 Medicare-certified nursing homes in Pennsylvania (3%) are government-run, and all are listed below. 9 of the 21 graded homes earn an A and 0 earn a D or F. Nurse staff turnover runs 39.4%, 5.1 points lower than the 44.5% across all homes there. Gino J Merli Veterans Center in Scranton grades highest at A (98 out of 100).
How government-run homes in Pennsylvania compare
This group set against every nursing home in Pennsylvania, from the current CMS release.
Nursing hours per resident per day
4.2
All homes in Pennsylvania: 3.89
Better than the local average
Nurse staff turnover
39.4%
All homes in Pennsylvania: 44.5%
Better than the local average
Average ElderGrade score
76.5/100
All homes in Pennsylvania: 73.9/100
Better than the local average
Grade spread
A
B
C
9 grade A, 3 grade B, 9 grade C,
The best-graded government-run home in Pennsylvania is
Gino J Merli Veterans Center
in Scranton, PA, grade A, 98/100.
Nurse staffing at Gino J Merli Veterans Center runs 5.40 hours per resident day, roughly 40% above the national average, and the state-run home in Scranton holds a 30.1% turnover rate against a national 45.8%. Those numbers matter because consistent hands on deck tend to show up in outcomes. The trade-offs sit elsewhere: weekend staffing drops about 18% below its own weekday level, and the current inspection record carries six deficiencies, including one at the harm or jeopardy level and one abuse-related, with the last inspection dated April 2026. So the picture is a well-staffed, low-turnover home with real quality marks and a handful of serious findings the family should ask about directly.
The state-run veterans home in Spring City runs 238 certified beds and staffs nurses at 5.46 hours per resident day, roughly 41% above the national average, with weekend coverage dipping about 16% below its own weekday level. Staff turnover sits at 28.2%, better than the 45.8% national figure. Where it slips is inspections: a 2-out-of-5 health inspection rating, 14 deficiencies on the current record, three of them at the harm or jeopardy level and one abuse-related, plus a $15,733 fine. The most recent inspection was May 9, 2025. Strong staffing and quality scores, weaker inspection history, that's the tradeoff to weigh if you're considering this home.
Cedarbrook is a county-run home in Allentown with 670 beds, and the staffing picture is the strongest thing it has going. At 4.00 nurse hours per resident day, it sits about 4% above the national average, and turnover of 28.5% is well below the 45.8% national figure, a real advantage for a building this size, since consistent staff usually means residents see familiar faces. Weekends run roughly 10% lighter than weekdays, so ask how that plays out on the halls. Sixteen deficiencies on the current record, none at harm or jeopardy level, though two are abuse-related and worth asking about directly. The last inspection was April 2026, so the record is recent.
Berks Heim runs on county money, and the numbers suggest that's mostly working in its favor. Staff turnover sits at 25.6%, well under the national 45.8%, which matters more than raw hours, familiar faces tend to notice small changes before they become falls or pressure sores. The trade-off shows up in coverage: 3.73 nurse hours per resident day is slightly under the national 3.86, and weekends run about 15% thinner than weekdays, so timing your visits matters. Nine deficiencies on record, none at harm or jeopardy level, though one is abuse-related and worth asking about directly. Inspectors were last in December 2025.
South Mountain Restoration Center runs 5.65 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 46 percent more than the national average of 3.86. That staffing depth shows up in the federal stars: five out of five for staffing and five for health inspections, with quality measures at four. The current record carries six deficiencies, none at the harm or jeopardy level and none tied to abuse. Weekend coverage does thin out by about 22 percent against weekdays, and turnover sits at 50.4 percent, a bit above the national 45.8 percent. As a state-run home with a September 2025 inspection behind it, the core picture here is consistent coverage and a clean harm record, with weekend shifts worth asking about directly.
Indian Haven is county-owned, which matters here, government homes often run leaner on frills but steadier on staffing, and that shows up in its four-out-of-five staffing score. Total nurse coverage sits at 3.75 hours per resident day, roughly 3% under the national average, and weekends drop about 4% below its own weekday numbers, so weekend coverage is worth asking about directly. Turnover at 40% actually beats the national 45.8%. The harder reading is the inspection record: 44 deficiencies, including one at harm level and two abuse-related, with a two-out-of-five health inspection score. Quality measures scored five out of five, but that's self-reported data. One fine on record, $8,281, with the last inspection dated January 2026.
The Pennsylvania Soldiers and Sailors Home in Erie is a state-run veterans' home with 107 certified beds, and the staffing numbers are the first thing that stands out: 5.83 nurse hours per resident day against a national average of 3.86. That's about half again the typical home, and turnover sits at 35.2% versus 45.8% nationally, meaning workers tend to stay longer here than at most places. Weekend coverage dips roughly 14% below its own weekday levels, which is worth asking about if your family visits Saturday or Sunday. The ten deficiencies on the current record include two tied to abuse, though none rose to the harm or jeopardy level. A March 2026 inspection, a four-star health inspection, and a two-star quality measure score round out a mixed but generally steady picture.
Pocopson Home is county-run, and the staffing numbers show it: 4.53 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 17% above the national average, with a five-star CMS staffing rating and turnover at 31.1% against a national 45.8%. Weekends run about 13% thinner than weekdays, which is worth asking about if your family visits then. The trade-off sits in the inspection record, 4 out of 5 stars, but five deficiencies on file, two at harm or jeopardy level and three tied to abuse, plus two fines totaling $16,036. Quality measures came in at 2 out of 5. Staffing is this home's strength; the safety history is what you'd want to press on directly.
John J. Kane Regional Center-Mc gets its residents more nursing time than most homes nationally, 4.12 hours per resident day against a 3.86 average, and families often notice that on weekdays. Weekends are thinner, though, running about 13% below the home's own weekday staffing. The county-run facility carries 21 deficiencies on its current record, including five at the harm or jeopardy level and three tied to abuse, plus four fines totaling $59,395. Staff turnover sits at 52.1%, higher than the 45.8% national figure, which matters for anyone who needs consistent caregivers. Its last inspection was November 2024, so the record is recent. Quality measures score well; the inspection side is where the concerns cluster.
Neshaminy Manor is county-owned, and that shows up in the numbers in a good way: only 3 deficiencies on its current record, none at the harm level, none abuse-related, and a recent inspection in February 2026. The trade-off is staffing. At 3.43 nurse hours per resident day, it sits about 11% below the national average of 3.86, and weekends run roughly 11% thinner than weekdays, so a Saturday shift isn't the same as a Tuesday one. What offsets that is retention: 17% annual turnover against a national average near 46% means familiar faces, which matters for consistent care. Worth asking how they cover weekends.
Westmoreland Manor runs 408 certified beds as a county-owned home, and its staffing sits about 5% under the national average at 3.67 nurse hours per resident day, with weekends dropping roughly 8% below its own weekday levels, so coverage thins exactly when families tend to visit. Turnover is 46.5%, essentially matching the national 45.8%, meaning roughly half the nursing staff cycles through in a year. The inspection record is the heavier concern: 32 deficiencies, four at harm or jeopardy level and two abuse-related, with the most recent inspection dated April 2026. County ownership can mean stable public funding, but it hasn't translated into a clean survey history here.
Pleasant Ridge Manor runs a county-owned operation in Girard with 300 beds, and its nurse staffing sits about 15% above the national average, 4.45 hours per resident day against 3.86. That's a real cushion, though weekends run roughly 11% thinner than weekdays, and staff turnover hits 71.5% against a national 45.8%, so the people delivering that care churn heavily. Inspections are recent, from June 2025, and the health inspection rating is strong, but the current record carries 21 deficiencies, including one at the harm level and two tied to abuse. A single fine of $10,033 rounds it out. Good staffing numbers, but the turnover and deficiency history are what pull the overall picture down.
John J. Kane Regional Center-Ro runs 240 beds under Allegheny County's ownership, and its inspection record is the hardest thing to get past: 66 deficiencies on file, including four at the harm or jeopardy level and ten tied to abuse. Two fines totaling $90,344 sit alongside that history. Staffing hours come in around 3.59 per resident day, roughly 7% under the national average, and turnover runs at 61.9% against a national 45.8%, meaning well over half the nursing staff leaves each year. Weekend coverage actually runs slightly above its own weekday level, which is unusual. The county's most recent inspection closed in April 2025.
Rouse Warren County Home sits in Youngsville, and it's owned by the county, which tends to mean slower change and steadier budgets than a for-profit chain. The staffing numbers are genuinely good, 4.18 nurse hours per resident day, about 8% above the national average, but weekends run roughly 9% thinner than weekdays, so the coverage your relative gets on a Saturday may not match what they get on a Tuesday. Turnover of 48.4% is slightly worse than the national average, meaning familiar faces cycle out faster than you'd hope. The current inspection record shows 19 deficiencies, including two at harm level and one abuse-related, with a $22,967 fine.
John J. Kane Regional Center-Sc runs 311 certified beds as a county-owned home in Pittsburgh, and the staffing numbers sit roughly 9% under the national average at 3.52 nurse hours per resident day. Weekends dip about 5% below its own weekday coverage, while turnover at 44.3% actually edges slightly under the national rate. What stands out is the inspection record: 12 deficiencies, including two at harm or jeopardy level and five tied to abuse, with the most recent inspection in September 2024. The quality measure stars look strong, but that inspection history is the piece worth asking about directly.
The Kane Regional Center's Glen Hazel campus runs on thin nurse coverage: 2.82 hours per resident day against a national average of 3.86, and weekends dip about 12% below its own weekday level. That gap shows up in the staffing rating, which sits down with the inspection and quality ratings. Inspectors cited 18 deficiencies on the current record, including two at the harm or jeopardy level and three tied to abuse. Staff turnover of 56.3% runs well above the 45.8% national figure, so residents see a lot of new faces. Allegheny County owns and operates it, and the last state survey was in June 2025.
Fair Acres is one of the largest county-run homes in Pennsylvania, with 778 beds, and its staff retention is genuinely unusual: turnover of 21.5% sits far below the national rate of 45.8%, meaning the people who work here tend to stay. The problem is how few of them there are per resident, 2.79 nursing hours per resident day against a national average of 3.86, and weekend coverage drops roughly 7% below its own weekday level. Inspectors cited eight deficiencies on the current record, including one at the harm level and one abuse-related, with the most recent inspection dated February 2026. Low turnover helps, but it doesn't stretch thin staffing.
Delaware Valley Veteran's Home is state-run and holds 171 certified beds, and its staffing numbers are its strongest asset: 4.23 nurse hours per resident day, roughly 10% above the national average, with turnover at 29.6% compared to 45.8% nationally. Weekend coverage dips about 14% below weekday levels, so families should ask how that gap gets managed. The inspection record is where the picture dims. Twenty-two deficiencies are on file, three at harm or jeopardy level and two abuse-related, with a $10,036 fine and a survey completed in July 2025. Strong quality and staffing ratings sit alongside real regulatory findings, worth weighing carefully before deciding.
Hollidaysburg Veterans Home runs on unusually deep staffing for a nursing home, 5.13 nurse hours per resident day, roughly a third more than the national average, with weekend coverage dipping only about 10% below weekdays. Turnover sits at 23.3%, about half the national rate, which suggests aides and nurses tend to stay. The trouble shows up in inspections: 41 deficiencies on the current record, including three at harm or jeopardy level and five tied to abuse, and the state's most recent look came in June 2025. A state-run veterans home with steady staff and a thin inspection record is the tradeoff here, call about those harm-level findings before you visit.
Southwestern Veterans Center has real strengths on paper. Its 4.27 nurse staffing hours per resident day beats the national average by about 11%, and that shows up in a five-star staffing rating. But weekends run roughly 13% thinner than weekdays, so the coverage your family member gets on a Saturday won't match a Tuesday. The trouble sits elsewhere: 36 deficiencies on the current record, including three at harm or jeopardy level and two tied to abuse, plus a $245,564 fine. Staff turnover matches the national rate at 45.8%, meaning nearly half the nursing staff leaves each year. Quality measures look strong at four stars, but a two-star inspection record is what's dragging this home's overall standing down.
Frequently asked questions
How many government-run nursing homes are there in Pennsylvania?
There are 21 government-run Medicare-certified nursing homes in Pennsylvania, 3% of the 656 nursing homes there.
Are government-run nursing homes better staffed?
In Pennsylvania they average 4.2 total nursing hours per resident per day, against 3.89 for all nursing homes in Pennsylvania, a difference of +0.31 hours. Staff turnover averages 39.4% against 44.5%.
Which government-run nursing home grades best in Pennsylvania?