Sonata Hospice
A hospice in Hayward, California 94541
22320 Foothill Blvd., Suite 450, Hayward, California 94541. (415) 651-3872.
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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.
- 2 deficiencies 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?
2 deficiencies cited in the last three years
The middle of the 50 hospices serving ZIP code 94541 had 7.
The last inspection on record was on Sep 17, 2024: a follow-up inspection by the Community Health Accreditation Partner.
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
2 deficiencies in 1 month of the last 36. Last cited Sep 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.
Sep 17, 2024: follow-up inspection by the Community Health Accreditation Partner2 deficiencies
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Content of plan of care (42 CFR 418.56(c))
The inspectors’ words, 219 words
“It is required that each patient’s individualized written plan of care reflects patient and family goals and identifies planned interventions based on problems identified in the initial and updated comprehensive assessments. This standard was not met as evidenced by clinical record review and interview. In 2 of 5 (40%) clinical records reviewed revealed the agency did not ensure the plan of care (POC) reflected patient and family goals and interventions based on problems identified in the initial and updated comprehensive assessments. THIS IS A CONTINUING REQUIRED ACTION Clinical Record 2: The initial nursing assessment dated 08/05/2024 stated in the narrative that per the family, “The patient has become confused with episodes of anxiety, combativeness and sundowning.” The interdisciplinary group (IDG) POC dated 08/05/2024 lacked evidence of goal(s) and intervention(s) for anxiety, combativeness and sundowning. Clinical Record 3: The initial nursing assessment dated 04/24/2024 stated in the narrative, “Patient was combative, hitting out at nurses and holding onto our hands.” The IDG POC dated 04/24/2024 lacked evidence of goal(s) and intervention(s) for the patients’ combativeness. The Chief Executive Officer, Executive Director/Administrator, and Operations Manager stated in an interview on 09/17/2024 that the agency did not ensure the POC reflected patient and family goals and interventions based on problems identified in the initial and updated comprehensive assessments. CONTINUATION OF REQUIRED ACTION”
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Hospice aide assignments and duties (42 CFR 418.76(g)(4))
The inspectors’ words, 291 words
“It is required that hospice aides must report changes in the patient’s medical, nursing, rehabilitative, and/or social needs to a registered nurse as the changes relate to the plan of care and any quality assessment and improvement activities. The hospice aide must also complete appropriate records of service, including the report of changes in the patient’s needs. Hospice aide documentation complies with hospice policies and procedures. This standard was not met as evidenced by clinical record review and interview. In 2 of 5 (40%) records reviewed in which the patient elected hospice aide services revealed the agency did not ensure the hospice aide reported changes in the patient’s medical needs to the registered nurse (RN) as the changes related to the aide care plan. Clinical Record 2: The aide care plan dated 08/05/2024 ordered the tasks: “Bed Bath, Shampoo, and Hair Care.” The aide visit note dated 08/08/2024 documented for the “Bed Bath”, “Shampoo”, and “Hair Care” tasks: Completed: “N.” Note: “Task already completed.” The record lacked evidence that the aide reported changes in the patient’s medical needs to the RN as the changes related to the aide care plan. Clinical Record 4: The aide care plan dated 07/30/2024 ordered the task: “Nail Care.” The aide visit note dated 08/01/2024 documented for the “Nail care” task: Completed “N.” Note: “Task already completed.” The record lacked evidence that the aide reported changes in the patient’s medical needs to the RN as the changes related to the aide care plan. The Chief Executive Officer, Executive Director/Administrator, and Operations Manager stated in an interview on 09/17/2024 that the agency did not ensure the hospice aide reported changes in the patient’s medical needs to the RN as the changes related to the aide care plan.”
The one inspection in the last three years
| Date | Visit | What the record says |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 17, 2024 | Follow-up inspection by the Community Health Accreditation Partner | 2 deficiencies cited |
Is it certified?
- Medicare-certified hospice since Feb 9, 2021.
- 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): 18.1 nurse care minutes per routine home care day, 7.9% of skilled nursing minutes at weekends and a visit near death for 91.1% of patients who died.
- Where its patients were cared for (Jan 1, 2024 to Dec 31, 2024): 10% at home, 78% in assisted living, 12% 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 | 18.1 min |
| Skilled nursing minutes at weekends | 7.9% |
| Visits near death | 91.1% of patients who died |
Who owns it?
- 10 owners or officers are people: Jose C Lynch (owns 5% or more directly, 71%); Jose C Lynch (corporate officer, 71%); Jose C Lynch (corporate director, 71%); Jose C Lynch (runs it (operational or managerial control), 71%); Jose N Fernandez (owns 5% or more directly, 20%); James E Sims (other role (CMS gives no detail), 9%); Sabrina Mustafa (managing employee (on the payroll), 0%); Ashish Patel (managing employee (on the payroll), 0%); Lori Stewart (managing employee (on the payroll), 0%); Julie Orchard (managing employee (on the payroll), 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?
- 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): 80% rated it 9 or 10 out of 10, and 77% would definitely recommend it.
- CMS’s Hospice Care Index: 10 of 10 (Jan 1, 2023 to Dec 31, 2024).
- 94.07% of patients were assessed on all seven of CMS’s measures at the start of care (Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025); 21% 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 50 hospices CMS’s data show serving patients in ZIP code 94541, where this hospice’s office is, the middle number of deficiencies cited in the last three years was 7; this one had 2.
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 |
|---|---|
| 1st Choice Hospice Care | 2 |
| Sonata Hospice This hospice | 2 |
| Legacy Healthcare, LLC | 7 |
| Affinity Hospice Care, Inc. | 20 |
| Vital Hospice Care, LLC | 2 |
| Best Hospice Provider, Inc. | 11 |
| Essentials Hospice | 8 |
| Pathways Home Health and Hospice | 2 |
| Hospice of the East Bay | 7 |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital Hospice-Oakland | 2 |
| Sutter Care at Home | 3 |
| Kaiser Foundation Hospital Hospice-Hayward | Not given |
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.