Nursing homes across Jefferson County, Kansas, graded on the federal inspection
record, nurse staffing and staff turnover. County rank is shown on each home's profile.
F W Huston Medical Center runs 38 certified beds in Winchester under nonprofit ownership, and its recent inspection history is genuinely reassuring, 20 deficiencies on record, but none at the harm or jeopardy level and none tied to abuse. The tradeoff shows up in the intangibles: weekend nurse coverage drops roughly 9% below its own weekday level, and 48.9% annual turnover sits above the national rate of 45.8%, which matters in a small rural building where familiar faces are part of the care. Overall staffing of 3.72 hours per resident day lands about 4% under the national average, and the quality measure score is on the weaker side even as the staffing score holds up. A survey from August 2025 means inspectors have looked recently.
Valley Health Care Center in Valley Falls is a 40-bed for-profit partnership, and the numbers tell a split story. On inspections and quality measures it looks strong, a 4 out of 5 on health inspections, a perfect 5 on quality measures, and no deficiencies at the harm level or tied to abuse. What drags it down is staffing, which scores just 1 out of 5, meaning the people caring for residents here are stretched noticeably thinner than at the average American nursing home. Its last inspection was recent, in April 2025, so that picture is current. Good clinical outcomes paired with weak staffing is worth asking about directly: how many aides are on the floor at night, and what does turnover look like?
Heritage Gardens runs about 3.84 nurse staffing hours per resident day, essentially matching the national average of 3.86, but weekends drop roughly 9% below what the home staffs on weekdays, so the coverage your family member gets depends on the day of the week. Staff turnover sits at 54.5%, well above the national 45.8%, meaning nearly six in ten caregivers left over the past year. The inspection record shows 42 deficiencies, none at harm or jeopardy level and none abuse-related, with one fine of $13,056 and a survey completed in May 2025. For-profit, limited liability ownership, 60 beds.
Nortonville Health Care Center is a 45-bed for-profit home in Jefferson County, and the numbers behind its record are hard to get past. Nurse staffing sits at 3.04 hours per resident day against a national average of 3.86, weekends run about 18% thinner than weekdays, and annual turnover is 80.7%, nearly double the national figure, so the people caring for residents change constantly. The inspection history includes 74 deficiencies, 12 at harm or jeopardy level and 3 abuse-related, with four fines totaling $252,207, and CMS has placed the home in its Special Focus Facility program. That program exists for homes with a persistent pattern of poor care, and the most recent inspection in January 2026 means the record is current, not old.