Hallmark Care Center
Within standard 12-15 month inspection cycle. Federal law requires annual inspections.
Hallmark Care Center in Mount Vernon, Iowa, has received an impressive Trust Grade of A, indicating it is an excellent choice for families seeking care. It ranks #33 out of 392 nursing homes in Iowa, placing it comfortably in the top half of facilities statewide, and it is the best option among 18 local facilities in Linn County. However, the facility's trend is concerning, as the number of reported issues has worsened from 2 in 2024 to 5 in 2025. Staffing at the center is rated as average with a 3/5 star rating and a turnover rate of 43%, slightly below the state average. Notably, there have been no fines reported, which is a positive sign, but the center has less RN coverage than 87% of Iowa facilities, meaning potential gaps in critical care. Specific incidents include uncovered food items in the kitchen, a failure to accurately report a resident's mental health diagnoses, and inadequate pain management for a resident who fell and injured their wrist. While the facility has strengths, such as high quality measures and no fines, these weaknesses in care and compliance should be considered by families.
- Trust Score
- A
- In Iowa
- #33/392
- Safety Record
- Low Risk
- Inspections
- Getting Worse
- Staff Stability ○ Average
- 43% turnover. Near Iowa's 48% average. Typical for the industry.
- Penalties ✓ Good
- No fines on record. Clean compliance history, better than most Iowa facilities.
- Skilled Nurses ⚠ Watch
- Each resident gets only 28 minutes of Registered Nurse (RN) attention daily — below average for Iowa. Fewer RN minutes means fewer trained eyes watching for problems.
- Violations ○ Average
- 8 deficiencies on record. Average for a facility this size. Mostly minor or procedural issues.
The Good
-
5-Star Quality Measures · Strong clinical quality outcomes
-
Full Sprinkler Coverage · Fire safety systems throughout facility
-
No fines on record
-
Staff turnover below average (43%)
5 points below Iowa average of 48%
Facility shows strength in quality measures, fire safety.
The Bad
Near Iowa avg (46%)
Typical for the industry
Part of a multi-facility chain
Ask about local staffing decisions and management
The Ugly 8 deficiencies on record
Mar 2025
5 deficiencies
CONCERN
(D)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
PASARR Coordination
(Tag F0644)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
Based on electronic health record review, Pre-admission Screening and Resident Review (PASRR) review, resident interview, staff interview, and policy review the facility failed to ensure a resident's ...
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CONCERN
(D)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Deficiency F0697
(Tag F0697)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
Based on resident and staff interviews, clinical record review, and facility policy review, the facility failed to ensure interventions for pain management provided resident with effective pain relief...
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CONCERN
(D)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Deficiency F0699
(Tag F0699)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on observation, record review, resident interview, staff interview, and policy review the facility failed to account for a...
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MINOR
(B)
Minor Issue - procedural, no safety impact
Deficiency F0625
(Tag F0625)
Minor procedural issue · This affected multiple residents
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on staff interview, clinical record review, and facility policy review, the facility failed to provide bed hold notice to ...
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MINOR
(B)
Minor Issue - procedural, no safety impact
MDS Data Transmission
(Tag F0640)
Minor procedural issue · This affected multiple residents
Based on MDS (Minimum Data Set) review, resident census data, the Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) manual, staff interview, and policy review the facility failed to submit a discharge MDS for 1 of...
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May 2024
2 deficiencies
CONCERN
(D)
📢 Someone Reported This
A family member, employee, or ombudsman was alarmed enough to file a formal complaint
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
PASARR Coordination
(Tag F0644)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on clinical record review, staff interview, and state designated authority direction for Preadmission Screening and Reside...
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CONCERN
(E)
📢 Someone Reported This
A family member, employee, or ombudsman was alarmed enough to file a formal complaint
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Food Safety
(Tag F0812)
Could have caused harm · This affected multiple residents
Based on observation, staff interviews, and policy review, the facility failed to ensure food items covered, dated, and stored to prevent possible cross-contamination. The facility reported a census o...
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Mar 2023
1 deficiency
CONCERN
(D)
Potential for Harm - no one hurt, but risky conditions existed
Deficiency F0883
(Tag F0883)
Could have caused harm · This affected 1 resident
**NOTE- TERMS IN BRACKETS HAVE BEEN EDITED TO PROTECT CONFIDENTIALITY** Based on record review, interviews, and facility policy review, the facility failed to ensure pneumococcal vaccines were offered...
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Understanding Severity Codes (click to expand)
Questions to Ask on Your Visit
- "Can I speak with families of current residents?"
- "What's your RN coverage like on weekends and overnight?"
Our Honest Assessment
- • Grade A (90/100). Above average facility, better than most options in Iowa.
- • No major safety red flags. No abuse findings, life-threatening violations, or SFF status.
- • No fines on record. Clean compliance history, better than most Iowa facilities.
- • 43% turnover. Below Iowa's 48% average. Good staff retention means consistent care.
- • No significant concerns identified. This facility shows no red flags across CMS ratings, staff turnover, or federal penalties.
About This Facility
What is Hallmark Care Center's CMS Rating?
CMS assigns Hallmark Care Center an overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars, which is considered much above average nationally. Within Iowa, this rating places the facility higher than 99% of the state's 100 nursing homes. This rating reflects solid performance across the metrics CMS uses to evaluate nursing home quality.
How is Hallmark Care Center Staffed?
CMS rates Hallmark Care Center's staffing level at 3 out of 5 stars, which is average compared to other nursing homes. Staff turnover is 43%, compared to the Iowa average of 46%. This relatively stable workforce can support continuity of care. RN turnover specifically is 67%, which is notably high. RNs provide skilled clinical oversight, so turnover in this role can affect medical care quality.
What Have Inspectors Found at Hallmark Care Center?
State health inspectors documented 8 deficiencies at Hallmark Care Center during 2023 to 2025. These included: 6 with potential for harm and 2 minor or isolated issues.
Who Owns and Operates Hallmark Care Center?
Hallmark Care Center is owned by a for-profit company. For-profit facilities operate as businesses with obligations to shareholders or private owners. The facility is operated by LEGACY HEALTHCARE, a chain that manages multiple nursing homes. With 55 certified beds and approximately 40 residents (about 73% occupancy), it is a smaller facility located in Mount Vernon, Iowa.
How Does Hallmark Care Center Compare to Other Iowa Nursing Homes?
Compared to the 100 nursing homes in Iowa, Hallmark Care Center's overall rating (5 stars) is above the state average of 3.1, staff turnover (43%) is near the state average of 46%, and health inspection rating (4 stars) is above the national benchmark.
What Should Families Ask When Visiting Hallmark Care Center?
Based on this facility's data, families visiting should ask: "Can I visit during a mealtime to observe dining assistance and food quality?" "How do you handle medical emergencies, and what is your hospital transfer rate?" "Can I speak with family members of current residents about their experience?"
Is Hallmark Care Center Safe?
Based on CMS inspection data, Hallmark Care Center has a clean safety record: no substantiated abuse findings (meaning no confirmed cases of resident harm), no Immediate Jeopardy citations (the most serious violation level indicating risk of serious injury or death), and is not on the Special Focus Facility watch list (a federal program monitoring the lowest-performing 1% of nursing homes). The facility has a 5-star overall rating and ranks #1 of 100 nursing homes in Iowa. While no facility is perfect, families should still ask about staff-to-resident ratios and recent inspection results during their visit.
Do Nurses at Hallmark Care Center Stick Around?
Hallmark Care Center has a staff turnover rate of 43%, which is about average for Iowa nursing homes (state average: 46%). Moderate turnover is common in nursing homes, but families should still ask about staff tenure and how the facility maintains care continuity when employees leave.
Was Hallmark Care Center Ever Fined?
Hallmark Care Center has no federal fines on record. CMS issues fines when nursing homes fail to meet care standards or don't correct problems found during inspections. The absence of fines suggests the facility has either maintained compliance or corrected any issues before penalties were assessed. This is a positive indicator, though families should still review recent inspection reports for the full picture.
Is Hallmark Care Center on Any Federal Watch List?
Hallmark Care Center is not on any federal watch list. The most significant is the Special Focus Facility (SFF) program, which identifies the bottom 1% of nursing homes nationally based on persistent, serious quality problems. Not being on this list means the facility has avoided the pattern of deficiencies that triggers enhanced federal oversight. This is a positive indicator, though families should still review the facility's inspection history directly.