Highlands, The
Medicare-certified335 NICHOLS ROAD, Fitchburg, MA 01420
Skilled Nursing
Medicare & Medicaid certifiedSprinkler systemsBoth & family councilSkilled nursing & rehabilitation+1 more
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Medicare-certifiedSkilled Nursing
Fitchburg Healthcare
Fitchburg, MassachusettsMedicare inspection record
About Fitchburg Healthcare
Fitchburg Healthcare provides skilled nursing and rehabilitation services to residents throughout Massachusetts who need specialized medical care and recovery support. Our team focuses on helping patients regain independence through personalized treatment plans and compassionate clinical expertise.
Community at a glance
Capacity
160 residents
Location
Fitchburg, MA
Status
Listed in a public registry
Care & services offered
Skilled Nursing
Contact & location
1199 JOHN FITCH HWY, Fitchburg, Massachusetts 01420
Medicare inspection record
From CMS Care Compare, the federal record every Medicare-certified nursing home is held to. Data as of September 1, 2026. Check it on Medicare.gov
At its most recent standard inspection, on February 11, 2026, state inspectors cited 14 health deficiencies (the Massachusetts average is 6.8).
Nurses and nurse aides spend 3 hours 30 minutes with each resident a day, below the Massachusetts average of 3 hours 52 minutes.
Medicare fined Fitchburg Healthcare once in the last three years, $33,180 in total.
Staffing
| Measure | This home |
|---|---|
| Nurse and aide time per resident, per day | 3 hours 30 minutesBelow the Massachusetts average |
| Registered nurse time per resident, per day | 24 minutesBelow the Massachusetts average |
| Nursing staff who left in the past year | 42%Above the Massachusetts average |
Inspections
27 health citations in the last three years. Each one is a federal standard inspectors found the home was not meeting.
February 11, 2026 · Standard inspection · 12 citations
Provide safe, appropriate pain management for a resident who requires such services.
Residents were harmed, a few residents (level G)Quality of Life and CareCorrected Mar 4, 2026Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured.
Risk of harm, no one hurt, a few residents (level D)Resident Assessment and Care PlanningCorrected Mar 4, 2026Immediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident.
Risk of harm, no one hurt, a few residents (level D)Resident RightsCorrected Mar 4, 2026Provide care and assistance to perform activities of daily living for any resident who is unable.
Risk of harm, no one hurt, a few residents (level D)Quality of Life and CareCorrected Mar 4, 2026Ensure that residents are free from significant medication errors.
Risk of harm, no one hurt, a few residents (level D)Pharmacy ServiceCorrected Mar 19, 2026Ensure drugs and biologicals used in the facility are labeled in accordance with currently accepted professional principles; and all drugs and biologicals must be stored in locked compartments, separately locked, compartments for controlled drugs.
Risk of harm, no one hurt, a few residents (level D)Pharmacy ServiceCorrected Mar 4, 2026Provide safe and appropriate respiratory care for a resident when needed.
Risk of harm, no one hurt, a few residents (level D)Quality of Life and CareCorrected Mar 4, 2026Provide or obtain dental services for each resident.
Risk of harm, no one hurt, a few residents (level D)Quality of Life and CareCorrected Mar 4, 2026Ensure that each resident is free from the use of physical restraints, unless needed for medical treatment.
Risk of harm, no one hurt, a few residents (level D)Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and ExploitationCorrected Mar 4, 2026Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Risk of harm, no one hurt, a few residents (level D)Infection ControlCorrected Mar 19, 2026Honor the resident's right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely.
Risk of harm, no one hurt, a few residents (level D)Resident RightsCorrected Mar 4, 2026Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.
Risk of harm, no one hurt, a few residents (level D)Resident RightsCorrected Mar 4, 2026
December 30, 2025 · Complaint investigation · 1 citation
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
Risk of harm, no one hurt, a pattern (level E)Quality of Life and CareFrom a complaintCorrected Jan 26, 2026
September 17, 2025 · Complaint investigation · 1 citation+
Honor the resident's right to be treated with respect and dignity and to retain and use personal possessions.
Risk of harm, no one hurt, a few residents (level D)Resident RightsFrom a complaintCorrected Oct 15, 2025
October 1, 2024 · Standard inspection · 13 citations+
Provide safe, appropriate dialysis care/services for a resident who requires such services.
Risk of harm, no one hurt, a few residents (level D)Quality of Life and CareCorrected Nov 8, 2024Immediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident.
Risk of harm, no one hurt, a few residents (level D)Resident RightsCorrected Nov 8, 2024Provide appropriate care for residents who are continent or incontinent of bowel/bladder, appropriate catheter care, and appropriate care to prevent urinary tract infections.
Risk of harm, no one hurt, a few residents (level D)Quality of Life and CareCorrected Nov 8, 2024Provide safe and appropriate respiratory care for a resident when needed.
Risk of harm, no one hurt, a few residents (level D)Quality of Life and CareCorrected Nov 8, 2024Provide or obtain laboratory tests/services when ordered and promptly tell the ordering practitioner of the results.
Risk of harm, no one hurt, a few residents (level D)AdministrationCorrected Nov 8, 2024Provide or get specialized rehabilitative services as required for a resident.
Risk of harm, no one hurt, a few residents (level D)Quality of Life and CareCorrected Nov 8, 2024Develop and implement policies and procedures for flu and pneumonia vaccinations.
Risk of harm, no one hurt, a few residents (level D)Infection ControlCorrected Nov 8, 2024Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality.
Risk of harm, no one hurt, a few residents (level D)Resident Assessment and Care PlanningCorrected Nov 8, 2024Provide activities to meet all resident's needs.
Risk of harm, no one hurt, a few residents (level D)Quality of Life and CareCorrected Nov 8, 2024PASARR screening for Mental disorders or Intellectual Disabilities
Risk of harm, no one hurt, a few residents (level D)Resident Assessment and Care PlanningCorrected Nov 8, 2024Provide enough food/fluids to maintain a resident's health.
Risk of harm, no one hurt, a few residents (level D)Quality of Life and CareCorrected Nov 8, 2024Honor the resident's right to request, refuse, and/or discontinue treatment, to participate in or refuse to participate in experimental research, and to formulate an advance directive.
Risk of harm, no one hurt, a few residents (level D)Resident RightsCorrected Nov 8, 2024Ensure each resident receives an accurate assessment.
Minimal harm or risk, a pattern (level B)Resident Assessment and Care PlanningCorrected Nov 8, 2024
Fines and payment denials
1 fine totaling $33,180 in the last three years.
- February 11, 2026Fine: $33,180
About the home, per Medicare
- Ownership
- For profit - Limited Liability company
- Legal business name
- 1199 John Fitch Highway Operator LLC
- Medicare-certified beds
- 160
- Average residents per day
- 133
- Accepts
- Medicare and Medicaid
- First certified
- December 1, 1974
- Part of a chain
- Next Step Healthcare, 14 homes
- Inside a hospital
- No
- Continuing care retirement community
- No
- Resident or family council
- Resident
- Sprinklers in all required areas
- Yes
- CMS Certification Number
- 225216
Location
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1199 JOHN FITCH HWYFitchburg, MA 01420
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Questions about Fitchburg Healthcare
How did Fitchburg Healthcare do on its last inspection?+
State inspectors visited on February 11, 2026 and cited 14 health deficiencies, 2 of them from complaint investigations. The Massachusetts average is 6.8.
How much nursing care does each resident get at Fitchburg Healthcare?+
Nurses and aides spend 3 hours 30 minutes with each resident per day, including 24 minutes from registered nurses. 42% of nursing staff left over the past year.
Has Fitchburg Healthcare been fined by Medicare?+
Yes. Medicare fined Fitchburg Healthcare once in the last three years, totaling $33,180.
Does Medicare cover skilled nursing?+
Medicare covers up to 100 days of skilled nursing per benefit period after a qualifying 3-day hospital stay — fully for the first 20 days, then with a daily copay. Long-term custodial stays are generally not covered.
How much does a nursing home cost?+
A semi-private room averages about $7,900 per month nationally; private rooms cost more. Medicaid is the largest payer for long-term nursing home care.
What is the CMS star rating?+
Medicare rates nursing homes 1 to 5 stars on its Care Compare site. We don't repeat those stars here. Each nursing home page shows Medicare's underlying record instead: inspections, staffing and fines, with a link to check it on Medicare.gov.