Avalon Hospice & Palliative Care
A hospice in San Diego, California 92123
3914 Murphy Canyon Road, Suite A226, San Diego, California 92123. (858) 751-0315.
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The short answer
Record last released by CMS on Oct 23, 2026. We couldn’t read Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ list since Oct 27, 2026: qcor.cms.gov now refuses our reader. This record is as of then.
- 6 deficiencies cited in the last three years
- Not rated family caregiver rating
- 4of 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?
6 deficiencies cited in the last three years
The middle of the 49 hospices serving ZIP code 92123 had 8.
The last inspection on record was on Nov 13, 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
6 deficiencies in 1 month of the last 36. Last cited Nov 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.
Nov 13, 2024: reaccreditation inspection by The Joint Commission6 deficiencies
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Content of comprehensive assessment (42 CFR 418.54(c)(8))
“Observed in Record Review. In 10 of 10 patient records reviewed, Confirmed by the Administrator. The initial patient assessment had not documented a patient safety risk assessment that would identify the need for further evaluation by health professionals or general safety concerns.”
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Content of plan of care (42 CFR 418.56(c))
“Observed in Record Review. In 1 of 14 patient records reviewed and confirmed by the Administrator. The patient goals within the plan of care had not been measurable: Example1: During review of HOSrr#6 all goals were to be met by the end of the certification to include that the patient symptoms of restlessness and agitation would be met. Example2: Caregiver will have realistic understanding of patient abilities.”
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Content of plan of care (42 CFR 418.56(c)(2))
The inspectors’ words, 115 words
“Observed in Record Review. In 3 of 10 patient records reviewed, Confirmed by the Administrator. During review of HOSv#2 it had been reviewed the plan of care had not been updated to reflect the care provided. Example: A volunteer had been providing service to the patient with goal and intervention, however the plan of care had not been updated with the volunteer frequency and duration. During review of HOSrr#5 a volunteer had been visiting patient with goal and intervention but had not documented frequency or duration for the volunteer. Also. the plan of care had been developed but had not documented disciplines frequency and duration to be provided to include the RN, MSW and Chaplain.”
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Content of plan of care (42 CFR 418.56(c)(4))
The inspectors’ words, 168 words
“Observed in Record Review. In 5 of 10 patient records reviewed, Confirmed by the Administrator. During review of patient record HOS#6 the plan of care had not been reflective of care being provided. Example: The plan of care /IDG update had documented that the caregiver had been providing care to decubitus ulcer on buttocks, but the plan of care had not documented the treatment being provided as ordered by the physician. During review of HOSv#2 documentation of the initial assessment at the start of care had stated that the patient had a foley catheter but the size and care for the catheter had not been documented. During review of HOSrr#3 documentation had assessed the pressure sores but had not specified the wound treatment to be provided. The plan intervention had stated for the SN to instruct the caregiver with the wound care as ordered. Also, HOSrr#3 had a J tube but the plan of care had not specified the care to be provided to the J tube .”
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Content (42 CFR 418.104(a)(3))
“Observed in Record Review. In 3 of 10 patient records reviewed, Confirmed by the Administrator. During review of HOSrr#1 it had been identified that the record had not contained all documentation of care provided. Example: HOSv#2 and HOSrr#5 volunteer notes had not been documented within the patient record. During observation of HOSv#3 the caregiver had stated that the patient had been utilizing MiraLAX . It had not been documented in the medication profile.”
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Discharge or transfer of care (42 CFR 418.104(e)(2)(i))
“Observed in Record Review. In 1 of 2 Hospice live discharge records reviewed and confirmed by the Administrator. The organization had not informed the health care professional ,who will be responsible for continued care, about the availability of discharge summary of care provided by the Hospice.”
The one inspection in the last three years
| Date | Visit | What the record says |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 13, 2024 | Reaccreditation inspection by The Joint Commission | 6 deficiencies cited |
Is it certified?
- Medicare-certified hospice since Apr 3, 2006.
- 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): 8 nurse care minutes per routine home care day, 6.4% of skilled nursing minutes at weekends and a visit near death for 68% of patients who died.
- Where its patients were cared for (Jan 1, 2024 to Dec 31, 2024): 91% at home, 2% in assisted living, 7% in a nursing facility.
CMS, Hospice Provider Data. Released Aug 26, 2026. Updated quarterly.
| Measure | This provider |
|---|---|
| Nurse care minutes per routine home care day | 8.0 min |
| Skilled nursing minutes at weekends | 6.4% |
| Visits near death | 68.0% of patients who died |
Who owns it?
- 3 owners or officers are people: Tracy L. Harris (owns 5% or more directly, 100%); Tracy L. Harris (runs it (operational or managerial control), 100%); Paul Delgiudice (managing employee (on the payroll)).
- 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?
- CMS gives no family caregiver survey rating: “The number of cases is too small to report Star Ratings.”
- CMS’s Hospice Care Index: 4 of 10 (Jan 1, 2023 to Dec 31, 2024).
- 50% of patients were assessed on all seven of CMS’s measures at the start of care (Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025); 36.4% 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 | 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 | 4 of 10 |
How does it compare nearby?
- Of the 49 hospices CMS’s data show serving patients in ZIP code 92123, where this hospice’s office is, the middle number of deficiencies cited in the last three years was 8; this one had 6.
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 |
|---|---|
| Vitas Healthcare Corporation of California | 3 |
| Sharp Hospicecare | 12 |
| Avalon Hospice & Palliative Care This hospice | 6 |
| Silverado Hospice San Diego | 6 |
| Interim Healthcare San Diego Hospice | Not given |
| Bristol Hospice - San Diego LLC | Not given |
| Bristol Hospice - San Diego | 2 |
| Comfort and Peace Hospice | 11 |
| Suncrest Hospice San Diego | 2 |
| Anchor Hospice & Palliative Care | 6 |
| Absolute Hospice Inc. | 22 |
| Blessed Hospice California Inc. | 11 |
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.