Carolina Caring
A hospice in Gastonia, North Carolina 28054
2240 Remount Road, Gastonia, North Carolina 28054. (704) 861-8405.
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The short answer
Record last released by CMS on Oct 23, 2026.
- 2 deficiencies cited in the last three years
- 3of 5 family caregiver rating
- 9of 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?
2 deficiencies cited in the last three years
The middle of the 10 hospices serving ZIP code 28054 had 6.
The last inspection on record was on Jan 20, 2026: a complaint 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
2 deficiencies in 1 month of the last 36. Last cited Mar 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.
Mar 5, 2025: initial inspection by the Community Health Accreditation Partner2 deficiencies
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Content (42 CFR 418.104(a)(7))
The inspectors’ words, 186 words
“It is required that a patient clinical record containing past and current findings is maintained for each hospice patient. The record contains correct clinical information that is available to the patient’s attending physician and hospice staff. The record may be maintained electronically or on paper. Each patient’s record includes, at a minimum physician orders.. This standard was not met as evidenced by clinical record review and interview. In 1 of 3 (33%) of clinical records reviewed of patients in the IPU revealed that the agency did not ensure that patient’s record included physician’s orders for patient care. CLINICAL RECORD 22: The patient was admitted to the IPU on 02/13/2025 with a diagnosis Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. The patient was admitted with a tracheostomy that had been in place for a very long time. The RN documented “Trach care performed per policy and procedure” on 02/15, 02/18, 02/21, 02/23. The RN also documented “suctioned performed” on 02/13, 02/14, 02/15, 02/17. During joint review and interview with the compliance staff on 03/04/2025 there was no documented evidence presented that the physician provided orders for tracheostomy care or suctioning.”
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Label dispose storage drugs (42 CFR 418.106(e)(1))
The inspectors’ words, 328 words
“It is required that medical supplies and appliances related to the palliation and management of the patient’s terminal illness and related conditions are checked for expiration dates. This standard was not met as evidenced by document review, interview and observation. A tour of the agency’s office space revealed that the agency did not ensure that all the supplies available for use in patient care were not expired. OFFICE TOUR: During a tour of the office on 03/03/2025, which included the Vice President of Hospice Services and Serious Illness Care as well as the Clinical Team Leader, CNAs, the following items were found in the medical supply room and were available for patient use: AirLife Modudose 0.9% Sodium Chloride Solution, USP, 5 ml, non-pyrogenic pH ~ 5 vials, 3 boxes of 100 vials each, 2 of which were full and the third contained 72 vials, with an expiration date of 03/01/2025; Terumo Syringe without needle, 60 cc/ml, box of 25 with 16 syringes left, with an expiration date of 09/20/2024; and BD 3 ml syringes, Luer-Lock Tip with BD Precision Glide Needle, 25G x 5/8 (0.5 mm x 16 mm), 73 syringes, with an expiration date of 01/31/2025. During an interview with the Clinical Team Leader, CNAs on 03/03/2025, who was present when the items were found in the medical supply room, she confirmed that the items identified were expired. During an interview with the Vice President of Hospice Services and Serious Illness Care on 03/03/2025, who inspected the identified items, she confirmed that the items identified were expired. POLICY AND PROCEDURES: The agency’s Purchasing/Receipt of Medical Supplies policy (Policy A03.050, last revised 12/11/2023) states, in part, that “Supply clerk will verify that all supplies and enterals have a valid expiration date on a quarterly basis and will discard any expired items.” A tour of the agency’s office space revealed that the agency did not ensure that all the supplies available for use in patient care were not expired.”
All 2 inspections in the last three years
| Date | Visit | What the record says |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 20, 2026 | Complaint inspection by the state | No deficiencies cited |
| Mar 5, 2025 | Initial inspection by the Community Health Accreditation Partner | 2 deficiencies cited |
Is it certified?
- Medicare-certified hospice since Oct 11, 1988.
- Ownership: non-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): 11.3 nurse care minutes per routine home care day, 6.5% of skilled nursing minutes at weekends and a visit near death for 88.6% of patients who died.
- Where its patients were cared for (Jan 1, 2024 to Dec 31, 2024): 59% at home, 17% in assisted living, 15% in a nursing facility, 3% in a skilled nursing facility, 4% in an inpatient hospice, 2% elsewhere.
CMS, Hospice Provider Data. Released Aug 26, 2026. Updated quarterly.
| Measure | This provider |
|---|---|
| Nurse care minutes per routine home care day | 11.3 min |
| Skilled nursing minutes at weekends | 6.5% |
| Visits near death | 88.6% of patients who died |
Who owns it?
- Compassionate Health Partners, LLC owns 100% directly since Oct 1, 2024.
- 11 owners or officers are people: Leigh Hickman (corporate director); Laura Louise Walker (managing employee (under contract)); Danny Wharton (corporate director); Jamette Nichols (managing employee (on the payroll)); Kenneth Peek (corporate director); Tammy Jensen (corporate director); Heather Burns (managing employee (on the payroll)); Christina Abbott Mcnally (managing employee (under contract)); Christina Abbott Mcnally (corporate director); David M O’connor (corporate director); David M O’connor (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.
| Organisation | Role | Share | Since |
|---|---|---|---|
| Compassionate Health Partners, LLC | Owns 5% or more directly | 100% | Oct 1, 2024 |
| Carolina Caring Inc. | Owns 5% or more through other companies | 70% | Oct 1, 2024 |
| Caromont Health Inc. | Owns 5% or more through other companies | 30% | Oct 1, 2024 |
What do families say?
- Family caregivers rate it 3 of 5 in CMS’s survey (Oct 1, 2023 to Sep 30, 2025): 83% rated it 9 or 10 out of 10, and 83% would definitely recommend it.
- CMS’s Hospice Care Index: 9 of 10 (Jan 1, 2023 to Dec 31, 2024).
- 97.64% of patients were assessed on all seven of CMS’s measures at the start of care (Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025); 32.7% 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 | 9 of 10 |
How does it compare nearby?
- Of the 10 hospices CMS’s data show serving patients in ZIP code 28054, where this hospice’s office is, the middle number of deficiencies cited in the last three years was 6; 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 |
|---|---|
| Carolina Caring This hospice | 2 |
| Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region | 9 |
| Amedisys Hospice | 0 |
| Via Health Partners - Cleveland | 16 |
| Hospice of the Carolina Foothills | 9 |
| Carolina Caring | 0 |
| Novant Health Hospice and Palliative Care A Department of Novant Health | Not given |
| Gentiva | 18 |
| Bayada Home Health Care, Inc. | 2 |
| Agape Care South Carolina II | 6 |
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.