Federal inspection record · CMS data as of October 1, 2026
Southwestern Veterans Center
7060 Highland Drive, Pittsburgh, PA · (412) 665-6706
- Cited for abuse (CMS abuse icon)
- Certified beds
- 236
- Residents per day
- 183
- Ownership
- Government
- Chain
- No chain reported
- Medicare / Medicaid
- Medicaid
- Certified since
- January 1, 2009
1
How this home got 4 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
★★★★★+1 star
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
★★★★★4 of 5
Matches the rating CMS publishes on Care Compare.
This home carries CMS's abuse icon, which caps its inspection rating at 2 stars and so its overall rating at 4.
2
Where it sits among Pennsylvania homes
Southwestern Veterans Center carries 106.75 inspection points. That is fewer than 25% 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
38 health citations on record since 2023. 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 (5)
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G
Protect each resident from all types of abuse such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody.
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G
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
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G
Protect each resident from all types of abuse such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody.
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G
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
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J
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
Everything else, by area of care
Quality of Life and Care11E
- D
Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
- D
Provide enough food/fluids to maintain a resident's health.
- D
Ensure that feeding tubes are not used unless there is a medical reason and the resident agrees; and provide appropriate care for a resident with a feeding tube.
- E
Provide safe and appropriate respiratory care for a resident when needed.
- D
Provide appropriate pressure ulcer care and prevent new ulcers from developing.
- D
Provide safe, appropriate dialysis care/services for a resident who requires such services.
- D
Provide care or services that was trauma informed and/or culturally competent.
- E
Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
- D
Provide appropriate care for a resident to maintain and/or improve range of motion (ROM), limited ROM and/or mobility, unless a decline is for a medical reason.
- D
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
- D
Provide safe, appropriate dialysis care/services for a resident who requires such services.
Resident Rights10E
- D
Keep residents' personal and medical records private and confidential.
- D
Provide the required documentation or notification related to the resident's needs, appeal rights, or bed-hold policies.
- E
Honor the resident's right to voice grievances without discrimination or reprisal and the facility must establish a grievance policy and make prompt efforts to resolve grievances.
- E
Not transfer or discharge a resident without an adequate reason; and must provide documentation and convey specific information when a resident is transferred or discharged.
- E
Provide timely notification to the resident, and if applicable to the resident representative and ombudsman, before transfer or discharge, including appeal rights.
- E
Notify the resident or the resident’s representative in writing how long the nursing home will hold the resident’s bed in cases of transfer to a hospital or therapeutic leave.
- D
Reasonably accommodate the needs and preferences of each resident.
- D
Let each resident or the resident's legal representative access or purchase copies of all the resident's records.
- E
Honor the resident's right to voice grievances without discrimination or reprisal and the facility must establish a grievance policy and make prompt efforts to resolve grievances.
- D
Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.
Resident Assessment and Care Planning6E
- E
Safeguard resident-identifiable information and/or maintain medical records on each resident that are in accordance with accepted professional standards.
- D
Ensure each resident receives an accurate assessment.
- D
Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured.
- D
Develop the complete care plan within 7 days of the comprehensive assessment; and prepared, reviewed, and revised by a team of health professionals.
- D
Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality.
- D
Develop the complete care plan within 7 days of the comprehensive assessment; and prepared, reviewed, and revised by a team of health professionals.
Nursing and Physician Services2D
- D
Observe each nurse aide's job performance and give regular training.
- D
Provide enough nursing staff every day to meet the needs of every resident; and have a licensed nurse in charge on each shift.
Pharmacy Service1D
- D
Ensure a licensed pharmacist perform a monthly drug regimen review, including the medical chart, following irregularity reporting guidelines in developed policies and procedures.
Infection Control1D
- D
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Administration1D
- D
Administer the facility in a manner that enables it to use its resources effectively and efficiently.
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation1E
- E
Timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities.
Inspection history
2026-05-15
8 health deficiencies · 3 fire-safety deficiencies
Top issue: Quality of Life and Care (4 deficiencies)
2025-04-25
18 health deficiencies · 4 fire-safety deficiencies
Top issue: Quality of Life and Care (5 deficiencies)
2024-05-10
12 health deficiencies · 2 fire-safety deficiencies
Top issue: Quality of Life and Care (5 deficiencies)
4
Nursing time per resident, per day
Each resident here gets about 4 h 24 min of nursing staff time a day, 1 h 21 min of it from a registered nurse.
This home
4 h 24 min
Pennsylvania average
3 h 54 min
U.S. average
3 h 54 min
- Registered nurse
- Licensed practical nurse
- Nurse aide
Turnover: 47% of nursing staff and 35% of registered nurses left in the past year.
Reported hours from payroll data the home submits to CMS, divided by its daily resident count. Not adjusted for how sick residents are.
5
Fines and payment denials
$245,564 in federal fines on record over the past three years.
| Date | Penalty | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-11-28 | Fine | $245,564 |
6
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 days0.3 pts better | 1.2 | 1.5 | 1.8 |
| Number of outpatient emergency department visits per 1000 long-stay resident days0.3 pts better | 0.8 | 1.1 | 1.7 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine12.2 pts better | 100.0% | 87.8% | 93.7% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine2.3 pts better | 96.0% | 93.7% | 95.3% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents experiencing one or more falls with major injury1.4 pts worse | 4.5% | 3.1% | 3.2% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who have depressive symptoms7.8 pts better | 6.0% | 13.8% | 13.5% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who lose too much weight1 pts better | 5.0% | 6.0% | 5.1% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antianxiety or hypnotic medication9.9 pts better | 10.2% | 20.1% | 19.5% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antipsychotic medication2.3 pts better | 15.3% | 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 worsened4.5 pts better | 10.9% | 15.4% | 12.7% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose need for help with daily activities has increased4.3 pts better | 12.1% | 16.4% | 13.5% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a catheter inserted and left in their bladder0.5 pts better | 0.1% | 0.6% | 0.7% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a urinary tract infection0.5 pts worse | 1.9% | 1.4% | 1.5% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with new or worsened bowel or bladder incontinence4.2 pts better | 20.8% | 25.0% | 18.3% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with pressure ulcers1.5 pts worse | 6.2% | 4.7% | 4.5% |
| Percentage of short-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine23.6 pts better | 94.4% | 70.8% | 82.3% |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who newly received an antipsychotic medication1.4 pts better | 0.0% | 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
9 life-safety citations (sprinklers, exits, alarms). These don't count toward the star rating.
Smoke4E
- E
Inspect, test, and maintain automatic sprinkler systems.
- E
Install smoke barrier doors that can resist smoke for at least 20 minutes.
- D
Inspect, test, and maintain automatic sprinkler systems.
- D
Ensure smoke barriers are constructed to a 1 hour fire resistance rating.
Gas, Vacuum, and Electrical Systems3E
- D
Meet requirements for the installation and maintenance of electrical systems.
- E
Have proper medical gas storage and administration areas.
- D
Meet requirements for the installation and maintenance of electrical systems.
Services1F
- F
Ensure heating and ventilation systems that have been properly installed according to the manufacturer's instructions.
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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Other homes nearby
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East End Health & Rehab Center
Pittsburgh, PA · Saber Healthcare Group
★★★★★- Worst citation, 3 yrs
- F
- Nursing / resident / day
- 3 h 25 min
- Fines
- $0
-
Champion City Nursing And Rehabilitation Center
Pittsburgh, PA · Special Focus · Abuse icon
★★★★★- Worst citation, 3 yrs
- J
- Nursing / resident / day
- 3 h 13 min
- Fines
- $7,656
-
Burgh Care Center
Pittsburgh, PA · Wecare Centers · Special Focus
★★★★★- Worst citation, 3 yrs
- K
- Nursing / resident / day
- 3 h 35 min
- Fines
- $382,948