Emblem Hospice Tucson
A hospice in Tucson, Arizona 85718
1880 E. River Rd, Suite 210, Tucson, Arizona 85718. (520) 297-1460.
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The short answer
Record last released by CMS on Oct 23, 2026.
- 1 deficiency cited in the last three years
- Not rated family caregiver rating
- 10of 10 CMS’s Hospice Care Index
Each figure’s source sits beside it, in its section below.
What these words mean2
- Inspection (survey)
- A visit by state inspectors, often unannounced, who check a place against the rules it must meet. For nursing homes and other places Medicare pays, CMS calls these visits surveys: a standard survey of a nursing home comes at least every 15 months, and a complaint survey whenever a complaint calls for one. Source: CMS; 42 CFR 488.308.
- Deficiency, citation, violation
- What inspectors write up when a place didn’t meet a rule: the rule, what they saw, and when. CMS calls it a deficiency; states may say citation or violation. It is the inspectors’ finding, not a court’s, and the place is usually asked for a plan to correct it. Source: CMS, statement of deficiencies (Form CMS-2567); each state’s licensing agency.
What did inspectors find?
1 deficiency cited in the last three years
The middle of the 32 hospices serving ZIP code 85718 had 5.5.
The last inspection on record was on Apr 2, 2025: a recertification inspection by the state.
CMS, QCOR hospice inspection reports. Released Oct 23, 2026. Updated quarterly.
CMS, Hospice ZIP Data. Released Aug 26, 2026. Updated quarterly.
When those deficiencies happened
1 deficiency in 1 month of the last 36. Last cited Dec 2024. Most serious: Standard-level. The last 3 years, to Oct 27, 2026.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Nov | Dec | ||||||||||
| 2024 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 2025 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 2026 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct |
Hover or focus a month to read it.
Hearth Record drew this from the dates and levels in the source’s own records.
Each deficiency, as cited
Rule titles as CMS’s inspectors cite them, set in sentence case.
CMS, QCOR hospice inspection reports. Released Oct 23, 2026. Updated quarterly.
Dec 12, 2024: recertification inspection by the state1 deficiency
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Prevention (42 CFR 418.60(a))
The inspectors’ words, 351 words
“Based on observations, interviews, and review of the agencys policy, the agency failed to implement accepted standards of practice to prevent the potential of transmission of infectionsand communicable diseases in one of four home visits with one patient (Patients (P) 3) with Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) 1. This deficient practice had the potential to affect all 55patients who were currently receiving hospice services. Findings include: During a home visit on 12/11/24 at 10:00 AM, CNA1 was observed completing a bath for P3. CNA1 washed her hands and gathered P3s materials for his/her bed bath. CNA1 started washing P3s face first, then washed P3s hair and dried. CNA1 washed P3s chest and right leg, then dried. CNA1 went to P3s left leg and washed, then dried. CNA1 washed his/her perineal front area, patted dry without changing her gloves and assisted P3 in rolling over to his/her left side. P3 was observed to have a bowel movement. After P3 was cleaned, CNA1 did not change her gloves prior to washing his/her bottom and drying. Afterwards, CNA1 changed her gloves. CNA1 replaced the sheets on P3s bed and placed a clean incontinent brief on P3. CNA1 assisted in rolling P3 over to his/her right side. Then CNA1 washed P3s back and dried. Without changing her gloves, CNA1 placed lotion all over P3s body. After applying lotion, CNA1 dressed P3, combed his/her hair and adjusted P3 in the bed. When finished, CNA1 removed her gloves, and washed her hands.During an interview on 12/11/24 at 11:05 AM, CNA1 stated that she thought she changed her gloves; however, confirmed that she should have changed her gloves after cleaning patientsbowel movement prior to moving on and when going from a dirty area to a clean area. Interview on 12/11/24 at 11:45 AM, Director of Clinical Services indicated that staff are tochange gloves when going from a dirty area to a clean area.Review of the hospice agency policy titled, "Hand Hygiene," revised May 2022, indicated,"...When it comes to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), you should: Change: Beforeproviding care to others or between involving the same person...Remove: Before touching non-contaminated surfaces."”
All 2 inspections in the last three years
| Date | Visit | What the record says |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 2, 2025 | Recertification inspection by the state | No deficiencies cited |
| Dec 12, 2024 | Recertification inspection by the state | 1 deficiency cited |
Is it certified?
- Medicare-certified hospice since Feb 4, 2014.
- Ownership: for-profit.
- No For hospices, home health agencies, hospitals and dialysis facilities, CMS writes deficiencies at two levels. Standard is the usual one; condition-level is the more serious, when a problem is serious enough that the provider doesn’t meet a whole condition of taking part in Medicare. Source: CMS, State Operations Manual. deficiency or CMS’s most serious finding: the place’s failure to meet a rule caused, or was likely to cause, serious injury, harm, impairment or death to someone in its care. Source: CMS; 42 CFR 489.3. on record in the last three years.
CMS, Hospice General Information. Released Aug 26, 2026. Updated quarterly.
CMS, QCOR hospice inspection reports. Released Oct 23, 2026. Updated quarterly.
Has anything been proven against it?
- CMS doesn’t publish fines or other penalties for hospices, so none are shown.
- 0 deficiencies cited in the last three years came from inspections that included a complaint investigation.
CMS, QCOR hospice inspection reports. Released Oct 23, 2026. Updated quarterly.
Who does the caring?
- From Medicare claims (Jan 1, 2023 to Dec 31, 2024): 14.1 nurse care minutes per routine home care day, 9.6% of skilled nursing minutes at weekends and a visit near death for 95.2% of patients who died.
- Where its patients were cared for (Jan 1, 2024 to Dec 31, 2024): 37% at home, 61% in assisted living, 2% in a skilled nursing facility.
CMS, Hospice Provider Data. Released Aug 26, 2026. Updated quarterly.
| Measure | This provider |
|---|---|
| Nurse care minutes per routine home care day | 14.1 min |
| Skilled nursing minutes at weekends | 9.6% |
| Visits near death | 95.2% of patients who died |
Who owns it?
- Cornerstone Healthcare Inc. owns 100% directly since Feb 14, 2022.
- 10 owners or officers are people: Tobias Emms (managing employee (on the payroll), 0%); Itzel Eriksen (managing employee (on the payroll), 0%); Cassie Allmark (managing employee (on the payroll), 0%); Sandra Copsey (managing employee (on the payroll), 0%); Brent Mills (corporate officer, 0%); Brent Guerisoli (corporate director, 0%); Kevin M Khouie (managing employee (under contract)); John Gochnour (corporate officer, 0%); Amber L Tueller (corporate officer, 0%); Elliot Mcmillan (corporate director, 0%).
- No private-equity firm among the owners CMS lists.
- No real-estate investment trust among the owners CMS lists.
CMS, Hospice All Owners and Hospice Enrollments. Released Sep 29, 2026. Updated quarterly.
| Organisation | Role | Share | Since |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cornerstone Healthcare Inc. | Owns 5% or more directly | 100% | Feb 14, 2022 |
| The Pennant Group Inc. | Owns 5% or more through other companies | 100% | Feb 14, 2022 |
What do families say?
- CMS gives no family caregiver survey rating: “The number of cases is too small to report Star Ratings.”
- In CMS’s survey of family caregivers (Oct 1, 2023 to Sep 30, 2025): 83% rated it 9 or 10 out of 10, and 85% would definitely recommend it.
- CMS’s Hospice Care Index: 10 of 10 (Jan 1, 2023 to Dec 31, 2024).
- 99.15% of patients were assessed on all seven of CMS’s measures at the start of care (Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025); 58.2% had visits from a nurse or social worker on at least 2 of their last 3 days (Jan 1, 2023 to Dec 31, 2024).
CMS, CAHPS Hospice Survey and Hospice Provider Data. Released Aug 26, 2026. Updated quarterly.
| Measure | Rating |
|---|---|
| Family caregiver survey ratingCMS star rating from its survey of patients’ family caregivers, 1 to 5 | Not rated |
| Hospice Care IndexCMS’s Hospice Care Index, 0 to 10 (higher is better): a point for each of ten measures from Medicare claims on which the hospice meets CMS’s threshold | 10 of 10 |
How does it compare nearby?
- Of the 32 hospices CMS’s data show serving patients in ZIP code 85718, where this hospice’s office is, the middle number of deficiencies cited in the last three years was 5.5; this one had 1.
CMS, Hospice ZIP Data. Released Aug 26, 2026. Updated quarterly.
CMS, QCOR hospice inspection reports. Released Oct 23, 2026. Updated quarterly.
| Place | Deficiencies, 3 years |
|---|---|
| Copper State Hospice Inc. | 5 |
| Amedisys Hospice | 6 |
| Agape South | 0 |
| Emblem Hospice Tucson This hospice | 1 |
| Sunset Hospice LLC | 8 |
| Anthem East LLC | 5 |
| Prestige Health Hospice | 16 |
| Bayada Hospice | Not given |
| Positive Nature Hospice LLC | 7 |
| Hospice in the Desert LLC | 6 |
| T M C Hospice Aka Peppi’s House | 20 |
| Casa De La Luz Hospice | 5 |
What the record doesn’t say
- CMS doesn’t publish fines or other penalties for hospices, so none are shown.
- Only complaints that led to a citation appear; complaints that didn’t aren’t published.
- CMS ended its Special Focus Program for hospices with serious problems on Feb 14, 2025, so no hospice is marked as one.
- Hospice quality measures have a gap from October 2025: CMS replaced its patient assessment then, and public results from the new one (HOPE) are expected around November 2027.
Sources
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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Hospice General Information (yc9t-dgbk).
Released Aug 26, 2026 and checked Oct 27, 2026. Updated quarterly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Hospice Provider Data (252m-zfp9).
Released Aug 26, 2026 and checked Oct 27, 2026. Updated quarterly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CAHPS Hospice Survey (gxki-hrr8).
Released Aug 26, 2026 and checked Oct 27, 2026. Updated quarterly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, QCOR hospice inspection reports (Hospice Survey Reports - Oct 2021 through Sep 2026.xlsx).
Released Oct 23, 2026 and checked Oct 27, 2026. Updated quarterly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Hospice All Owners (e983965e-1603-4cb8-82b5-c40090e380d1).
Released Sep 29, 2026 and checked Oct 27, 2026. Updated quarterly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Hospice Enrollments (25704213-e833-4b8b-9dbc-58dd17149209).
Released Sep 29, 2026 and checked Oct 27, 2026. Updated quarterly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Hospice ZIP Data (95rg-2usp).
Released Aug 26, 2026 and checked Oct 27, 2026. Updated quarterly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
If you believe something here is wrong, a correction starts with the agency whose record this copies: CMS. CMS’s own record is on Care Compare. If Hearth Record copied something wrongly, it will fix it and log the correction publicly, with its date: how corrections work.
This copy of the record was made on Oct 27, 2026.
From the hospice
The public record above comes first. Anything the hospice adds will appear here, below it, and say who wrote it.
Replies
None. Replies aren’t open yet. When they open, the hospice will be able to answer any finding for free, and the reply will show beside that finding, unedited and dated.
Paid listing
None. Paid listings aren’t open yet. When they open, anything paid for will say “Paid by the hospice”, and paying will never change a finding, a rating or the order of results.