Valley’s Best Hospice - Av
A hospice in Lancaster, California 93534
43805 15th Street West, Lancaster, California 93534. (818) 353-0042.
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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.
- 9 deficiencies cited in the last three years
- Not rated family caregiver rating
- 7of 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?
9 deficiencies cited in the last three years
The middle of the 207 hospices serving ZIP code 93534 had 5.
The last inspection on record was on Nov 20, 2025: 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 Nov 2025. 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 20, 2025: reaccreditation inspection by The Joint Commission9 deficiencies
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Initial assessment (42 CFR 418.54(a))
“Observed in Record Review. he hospice registered nurse completes the initial assessment of the patient within 48 hours of the of hospice care. The hospice complies with any request by the physician or other licensed practitioner, patient, or representative to conduct the assessment in less than 48 hours. During review of patient record 6 it was noted that the initial assessment was documented 5 days after the election statement was signed.”
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Content of plan of care (42 CFR 418.56(c))
“Observed in Record Review. In 14 of 14 patient records reviewed, The written plan of care was not based on the patient’s goals and the time frames, settings, and services required to meet those goals. During review of records 1-14 it was noted that goals did not have time frames associated with them. This was confirmed DPCS.”
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Coordination of services (42 CFR 418.56(e)(2))
“Observed in Record Review. In 9 of 14 patient records reviewed, The organization provides the patient with care, treatment, or services according to the patient’s individualized plan of care. During review of patient records 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9, and 10 ordered visit frequencies not followed. For example in record 2 aide visits were ordered 4 times the first week and no aide visits were provided, and in record 3 nursing was ordered 3 times per week and only two visits were provided. This was confirmed by the DPCS.”
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Competency evaluation (42 CFR 418.76(c)(5))
“Observed in HR File Review. Staff competence was not assessed and documented once every three years, or more frequently as required by organization policy or in accordance with law and regulation. during review of HR records it was noted that in records 4 and 5 thee was no documentation of a competency for 2023 as part of annual competency checks required by policy. This was confirmed by the Administrator.”
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Hospice aide assignments and duties (42 CFR 418.76(g)(2)(ii))
“Observed in Individual Tracer. The hospice aide did not provide services that are ordered by the physician or allowed practitioner in the plan of care, consistent with the aide’s training, and that the aide is permitted to perform under state law. During home visit 2 it was observed that the aide placed Ketaconazole 2% ointment on the patient’s genital area. This medication was not on the aide’s care plan as prepared by the RN to be applied by the aide. This was confirmed by the Administrator.”
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Level of activity (42 CFR 418.78(e))
“Observed in Tracer Activities. Volunteer staff did not provide day-to-day administrative or direct patient care in an amount that equals 5% of the total patient care hours of all paid hospice employees and contract staff. During the volunteer systems tracer it was reported that the percent ov volunteer hours worked in 2025 was 3.2%. This was verified by the Administrator.”
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Initial certification of terminal illness (42 CFR 418.102(b))
“Observed in Record Review. The medical director, physician member of the interdisciplinary team, or physician designee did not review the clinical information for each hospice patient and provide written certification that the patient’s life expectancy is six months or less if the illness runs its normal course.During review of patient record 3 it was noted that the hospice physician did not sign the CTI before the certification period. This was confirmed by the DPCS.”
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Recertification of the terminal illness (42 CFR 418.102(c))
“Observed in Record Review. Before the recertification period for each patient, the medical director, physician member of the interdisciplinary team, or physician designee reviews the patient’s clinical information. During review of patient record 3 it was noted that the certification of terminal illness for the second certification period was not signed by the physician. This was confirmed by the DPCS.”
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Discharge or transfer of care (42 CFR 418.104(e)(1)(i))
The inspectors’ words, 115 words
“Observed in Record Review. The organization did not provide a written summary to the patient’s physician or other licensed practitioner in accordance with law and regulation.For hospices that elect to use The Joint Commission deemed status option: Law and regulation require that the hospice inform the attending physician of the availability of a discharge summary. The discharge summary is provided to the practitioner upon the their request and includes the patient’s medical and health status at the time of discharge. During review of record 13 it was noted that there was no documentation of a discharge summary being sent to the attending physician at the time of live discharge. This was confirmed by the DPCS.”
The one inspection in the last three years
| Date | Visit | What the record says |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 20, 2025 | Reaccreditation inspection by The Joint Commission | 9 deficiencies cited |
Is it certified?
- Medicare-certified hospice since Jun 10, 2016.
- 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): 12.6 nurse care minutes per routine home care day, 3.9% of skilled nursing minutes at weekends and a visit near death for 79.6% of patients who died.
- Where its patients were cared for (Jan 1, 2024 to Dec 31, 2024): 97% at home, 2% 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 | 12.6 min |
| Skilled nursing minutes at weekends | 3.9% |
| Visits near death | 79.6% of patients who died |
Who owns it?
- Valley’s Best Hospice LLC owns 100% directly since Aug 12, 2014.
- 5 owners or officers are people: Felipe R Sta. Agueda (managing employee (on the payroll), 100%); Richard N Merkin (owns 5% or more through other companies, 100%); Richard D Lipeles (corporate director); Marc A Hoffing (corporate director); Richard N Merkin (corporate officer).
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Senior Associates Group Inc. | Owns 5% or more through other companies | 100% | Aug 12, 2014 |
| Valley’s Best Hospice LLC | Owns 5% or more directly | 100% | Aug 12, 2014 |
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: 7 of 10 (Jan 1, 2023 to Dec 31, 2024).
- 80.95% of patients were assessed on all seven of CMS’s measures at the start of care (Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025); 16% 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 | 7 of 10 |
How does it compare nearby?
- Of the 207 hospices CMS’s data show serving patients in ZIP code 93534, 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 |
|---|---|
| Valley’s Best Hospice - Av This hospice | 9 |
| Oasis Hospice | 11 |
| Bristol Hospice- Lancaster | 2 |
| Maximum Palliative Care and Hospice, Inc. | 17 |
| United Alliance Hospice Care, Inc. | 12 |
| Anthem Hospice | 0 |
| Rose Desert Hospice | 9 |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital Valley Continuing Care | 10 |
| Vitas Healthcare Corporation of California | 3 |
| Mission Hospice | 15 |
| Bristol Hospice- Greater Los Angeles | 8 |
| H & A Hospice Inc. | 42 |
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.