Federal inspection record · CMS data as of October 1, 2026
Gino J Merli Veterans Center
401 Penn Avenue, Scranton, PA · (570) 961-4300
- CMS high-performer trophy
- Certified beds
- 196
- Residents per day
- 183
- Ownership
- Government
- Chain
- No chain reported
- Medicare / Medicaid
- Medicaid
- Certified since
- January 1, 2009
1
How this home got 5 stars
The overall rating isn't an average. CMS starts from the inspection rating and nudges it at most two steps. Here is the arithmetic for this home, using CMS's own rules.
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Health inspections
★★★★★starting point
Everything starts from what state inspectors found on site. This is a ranking against other homes in Pennsylvania.
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Staffing
★★★★★+1 star
Only a 5-star staffing rating adds a star, and only a 1-star rating removes one. Ratings of 2 to 4 change nothing.
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Quality measures
★★★★★no change (already 5)
Same rule: 5 stars adds one, 1 star takes one away. These measures are mostly reported by the home itself.
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Overall
★★★★★5 of 5
Matches the rating CMS publishes on Care Compare.
2
Where it sits among Pennsylvania homes
Gino J Merli Veterans Center carries 16 inspection points. That is fewer than 81% of Pennsylvania's 652 rated homes.
Inspectors' citations earn points by how serious and how widespread they were (the grid below). CMS then ranks every home in Pennsylvania: the 10% with the fewest points get 5 stars, the 20% with the most get 1 star, and the middle 70% split evenly into 2, 3 and 4.
- 5★ 0–8 pts
- 4★ 8–33 pts
- 3★ 33–65 pts
- 2★ 65–128 pts
- 1★ over 128 pts
Bars show every rated home in Pennsylvania by its weighted inspection score. CMS recalibrates the cut points monthly but holds a home's rating until its own score changes, so a home can sit just outside today's band.
3
What inspectors found
6 health citations on record since 2024. Each one gets a letter: the row says how badly residents were affected, the column how many.
Immediate jeopardyResidents at risk of serious injury or death
Actual harmA resident was hurt
Potential for harmNo one was hurt, but could have been
Minimal harmPaperwork-level problems
Read the rows, not the total. Most citations nationwide are a D: one problem, nobody hurt. Rows G–I mean a resident was harmed; J–L mean inspectors found residents in immediate danger of serious injury or death.
Small numbers in each cell are the inspection points CMS assigns per citation. Those points are what the state curve above ranks.
Harm and immediate-jeopardy citations (1)
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G
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
Everything else, by area of care
Resident Assessment and Care Planning2E
- D
Develop the complete care plan within 7 days of the comprehensive assessment; and prepared, reviewed, and revised by a team of health professionals.
- E
Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured.
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation1D
- D
Develop and implement policies and procedures to prevent abuse, neglect, and theft.
Quality of Life and Care1D
- D
Provide enough food/fluids to maintain a resident's health.
Pharmacy Service1E
- E
Ensure each resident’s drug regimen must be free from unnecessary drugs.
Inspection history
2026-04-10
3 health deficiencies · 1 fire-safety deficiencies
Top issue: Freedom from Abuse and Neglect and Exploitation (1 deficiency)
2025-06-06
2 health deficiencies · 2 fire-safety deficiencies
Top issue: Pharmacy Service (1 deficiency)
2024-08-16
1 health deficiencies · 2 fire-safety deficiencies
Top issue: Resident Assessment and Care Planning (1 deficiency)
4
Nursing time per resident, per day
Each resident here gets about 5 h 29 min of nursing staff time a day, 1 h 2 min of it from a registered nurse.
This home
5 h 29 min
Pennsylvania average
3 h 54 min
U.S. average
3 h 54 min
- Registered nurse
- Licensed practical nurse
- Nurse aide
Turnover: 31% of nursing staff and 14% of registered nurses left in the past year, along with 1 administrator.
Reported hours from payroll data the home submits to CMS, divided by its daily resident count. Not adjusted for how sick residents are.
5
Resident outcomes
Quality measures compared with state and national averages. Most come from assessments the home itself reports.
| Measure | This home | State | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of hospitalizations per 1000 long-stay resident days0.4 pts better | 1.1 | 1.5 | 1.8 |
| Number of outpatient emergency department visits per 1000 long-stay resident days0.4 pts better | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.7 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine12.1 pts better | 99.9% | 87.8% | 93.7% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine6.3 pts better | 100.0% | 93.7% | 95.3% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents experiencing one or more falls with major injury2 pts better | 1.1% | 3.1% | 3.2% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who have depressive symptoms13.6 pts better | 0.2% | 13.8% | 13.5% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who lose too much weight2.1 pts better | 3.9% | 6.0% | 5.1% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antianxiety or hypnotic medication1.7 pts better | 18.4% | 20.1% | 19.5% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antipsychotic medication0.1 pts better | 17.5% | 17.6% | 15.4% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who were physically restrained0.2 pts better | 0.0% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose ability to walk independently worsened6.4 pts better | 9.0% | 15.4% | 12.7% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose need for help with daily activities has increased5.3 pts better | 11.1% | 16.4% | 13.5% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a catheter inserted and left in their bladderAbout the same | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.7% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a urinary tract infection1 pts better | 0.4% | 1.4% | 1.5% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with new or worsened bowel or bladder incontinence12.8 pts better | 12.2% | 25.0% | 18.3% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with pressure ulcers2.5 pts better | 2.2% | 4.7% | 4.5% |
| Percentage of short-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine28.3 pts better | 99.1% | 70.8% | 82.3% |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who newly received an antipsychotic medication1.8 pts worse | 3.2% | 1.4% | 1.5% |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who were assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine29.1 pts better | 100.0% | 70.9% | 80.1% |
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Fire safety
5 life-safety citations (sprinklers, exits, alarms). These don't count toward the star rating.
Smoke3E
- E
Install corridor and hallway doors that block smoke.
- B
Ensure that special areas are constructed so that walls can resist fire for one hour or have an approved fire extinguishing system.
- E
Ensure that special areas are constructed so that walls can resist fire for one hour or have an approved fire extinguishing system.
Gas, Vacuum, and Electrical Systems1B
- B
Meet requirements for the use of electrical equipment.
Egress1E
- E
Provide exit doors that are held open by devices that will automatically close on the activation of a fire alarm or smoke detector.
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