Desert Harmony Hospice of Tucson
A hospice in Tucson, Arizona 85711
310 S Williams Blvd Ste 210, Tucson, Arizona 85711. (520) 284-9334.
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The short answer
Record last released by CMS on Oct 23, 2026.
- 9 deficiencies cited in the last three years
- 3of 5 family caregiver rating
- 10of 10 CMS’s Hospice Care Index
Each figure’s source sits beside it, in its section below.
What these words mean3
- Star ratings
- CMS rates some kinds of place from 1 to 5 stars, more stars meaning better on CMS’s own measures for that kind: for a nursing home, its health inspections, staffing and quality measures. A rating is CMS’s summary of those measures; it doesn’t promise good care. Source: CMS, Care Compare and the Five-Star Quality Rating System.
- 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?
9 deficiencies cited in the last three years
The middle of the 35 hospices serving ZIP code 85711 had 5.
The last inspection on record was on Jul 12, 2024: a reaccreditation inspection by The Joint Commission.
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
9 deficiencies in 1 month of the last 36. Last cited Jul 2024. Most serious: Standard-level. The last 3 years, to Nov 5, 2026.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 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 | Nov |
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.
Jul 12, 2024: reaccreditation inspection by The Joint Commission9 deficiencies
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Notice of rights and responsibilities (42 CFR 418.52(a)(2))
The inspectors’ words, 123 words
“Observed in Patient Home. In 4 of 4 home visits conducted, the hospice had not provided the patient/family with written information about its policies on advance directives, including a description of any state law concerning advance directives. In review of the home folder for RRHV #1 the surveyor noted that the organization had included the policy 1006 on Advance Directives which the CEO/Executive Director stated was outdated and had been updated. The home folder did not include the organization’s current policy on Advance Directives PC. A35 and there was no evidence that the organization had provided information on Arizona state law on Advance Directives. This was also observed for RRHV #2, RRHV #3 and RRHV #4. This was validated with the CEO/Executive Director.”
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Coordination of services (42 CFR 418.56(e)(2))
The inspectors’ words, 92 words
“Observed in Record Review. In 1 of 14 patient records reviewed, the organization had not provided services according to the patient’s plan of care. In review of the medical record for RRHV #3 the frequency for skilled nursing visits was twice weekly however for the 4th week of care a skilled nursing visit was only made once. Additionally, the frequency for spiritual care was one time a month however there was no evidence that a spiritual care visit occurred during the second month of service. This was validated with the CEO/Executive Director.”
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Prevention (42 CFR 418.60(a))
The inspectors’ words, 284 words
“Observed in Patient Home. In 2 of 4 home visits conducted, staff failed to perform hand hygiene consistent with the organization’s policy PC. 125 Infection Control - Hand Hygiene. For RRHV #1 the social worker failed to perform hand hygiene after contact with the patient’s immediate environment (bed), after contact with the primary caregivers and after leaving the home. For RRHV #4 the RN failed to perform hand hygiene after handling the patient’s medications and again failed to perform hand hygiene after handling the patient’s nebulizer equipment. This was validated with the Director of Social Work and also the Director of Nursing. Observed in Patient Home. In 1 of 4 home visits conducted, disinfectant manufacturer instructions for use were not followed. For RRHV #2 the RN did not follow contact time (wet time) as specified by the manufacturer’s instruction for use of the Sani-Wipes which requires a 1 minute wet time. The RN wiped the equipment used during the visit including temporal thermometer, blood pressure equipment, pulse oximeter, stethoscope and bandage scissors and replaced each item back into the clinical bag after wiping with the Sami-Wipe. This was validated by the Director of Nursing. 
 Observed in Patient Home. In 1 of 4 home visits conducted, the organization had not followed their policy Nursing Bag Requirements which states that the nursing bag is placed on a barrier when the Nurse enters the patient home. The RN failed to use a barrier for the skilled nursing visit for RRHV #4 and placed equipment including the blood pressure cuff, thermometer, oximeter and phone directly on the patient’s dining room table and did not use a barrier as required. This was validated by the Director of Nursing.”
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Training (42 CFR 418.100(g)(3))
“Observed in HR File Review. In 2 of 2 HR files reviewed, for volunteers, the organization had not assessed staff competence and documented as part of orientation. In review of the personnel files for HR #9 who joined the volunteer program four years ago and for HR #10 who became a volunteer six weeks ago there was no documented evidence that volunteer competencies had been assessed. This was validated by the Volunteer Coordinator.”
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Content (42 CFR 418.104(a)(3))
The inspectors’ words, 146 words
“Observed in Patient Home. In 1 of 2 home visits conducted, with nursing staff, the patient’s record did not contain an accurate list of medications, including dose, strength, frequency, route, date and time of administration for prescription and nonprescription medications, herbal products, and home remedies that relate to the patient’s care, treatment, or services. For RRHV #4 who had been admitted to the hospice program four weeks ago, the medication profile in the clinical record and the medication list provided to the patient was not accurate. For example, the medication profile included Jardiance 10mg daily and Levothyroxine 25MCG daily and the primary caregiver reported that those medications had been stopped two weeks ago however despite nursing visits twice weekly the medication list in the patient home and medication profile in the medical record had not been updated. This was validated by the Director of Nursing. 
”
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Coordination of services (42 CFR 418.112(e)(3)(i))
“Observed in Patient Home. In 1 of 1 home visits conducted, in a skilled nursing facility, the organization failed to provide the Skilled Nursing Facility with the patient’s most recent hospice plan of care. In review of the facility record for RRHV #2 who resided in a skilled nursing facility and in discussion with facility staff there was no evidence that the hospice had provided the plan of care to the skilled nursing facility. This was verified by the Director of Nursing. 
”
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Coordination of services (42 CFR 418.112(e)(3)(ii))
“Observed in Patient Home. In 1 of 1 home visits conducted, in a skilled nursing facility, the organization failed to provide the facility with the patient’s hospice election form. In review of the facility record for RRHV #2 who resided in a skilled nursing facility and in discussion with facility staff there was no evidence that the hospice had provided the election of the hospice benefit form to the skilled nursing facility. This was verified by the Director of Nursing. 
”
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Coordination of services (42 CFR 418.112(e)(3)(iii))
“Observed in Patient Home. In 1 of 1 home visits conducted, to a skilled nursing facility, the organization failed to provide the Skilled Nursing Facility with the physician certification of terminal illness. In review of the facility record for RRHV #2 who resided in a skilled nursing facility and in discussion with facility staff there was no evidence that the hospice had provided the physician certification of terminal illness to the skilled nursing facility. This was verified by the Director of Nursing. 
”
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Criminal background checks (42 CFR 418.114(d)(1))
“Observed in Document Review. In 1 of 3 contracts reviewed, the written agreement with an outside agency providing contracted services for the hospice did not include all required elements. In review of the current contract for durable medical equipment there was no evidence that the contract included a stipulation that the outside agency will complete criminal background checks on contracted employees who provide direct patient care or have access to patient records. This was validated by the Director of Operations.”
The one inspection in the last three years
| Date | Visit | What the record says |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 12, 2024 | Reaccreditation inspection by The Joint Commission | 9 deficiencies cited |
Is it certified?
- Medicare-certified hospice since Mar 24, 2015.
- 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): 13.8 nurse care minutes per routine home care day, 9.7% of skilled nursing minutes at weekends and a visit near death for 93.7% of patients who died.
- Where its patients were cared for (Jan 1, 2024 to Dec 31, 2024): 57% at home, 20% in assisted living, 1% in a nursing facility, 21% elsewhere.
CMS, Hospice Provider Data. Released Aug 26, 2026. Updated quarterly.
| Measure | This provider |
|---|---|
| Nurse care minutes per routine home care day | 13.8 min |
| Skilled nursing minutes at weekends | 9.7% |
| Visits near death | 93.7% of patients who died |
Who owns it?
- 5 owners or officers are people: Brianna M Henderson (owns 5% or more directly, 50%); Brianna M Henderson (managing employee (on the payroll), 50%); Charles F Schoen (owns 5% or more directly, 50%); Charles F Schoen (corporate officer, 50%); Daniel Casto (managing employee (under contract), 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.
What do families say?
- Family caregivers rate it 3 of 5 in CMS’s survey (Oct 1, 2023 to Sep 30, 2025): 85% rated it 9 or 10 out of 10, and 84% would definitely recommend it.
- CMS’s Hospice Care Index: 10 of 10 (Jan 1, 2023 to Dec 31, 2024).
- 95.46% of patients were assessed on all seven of CMS’s measures at the start of care (Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025); 64.4% 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 | 3 of 5 |
| 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 35 hospices CMS’s data show serving patients in ZIP code 85711, where this hospice’s office is, the middle number of deficiencies cited in the last three years was 5; this one had 9.
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 |
|---|---|
| Bristol Hospice - Tucson | 2 |
| Agape Hospice & Palliative Care | 3 |
| Desert Harmony Hospice of Tucson This hospice | 9 |
| Dependable Hospice and Palliative Care, LLC | Not given |
| Choice Hospice of Arizona | 7 |
| Affinity Hospice Care Inc. | 4 |
| Copper State Hospice Inc. | 5 |
| Sunset Hospice LLC | 8 |
| Anthem East LLC | 5 |
| Prestige Health Hospice | 16 |
| Bayada Hospice | Not given |
| Positive Nature Hospice LLC | 7 |
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 Nov 5, 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 Nov 5, 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 Nov 5, 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 Nov 5, 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 Nov 5, 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 Nov 5, 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 Nov 5, 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.