Nursing home
Northcrest Specialty Care
2001Health Street, Waterloo, IA 50703 · Map
Non profit - Corporation · Part of Care Initiatives (43 facilities) · 94 certified beds
Northcrest Specialty Care is a Medicare-certified nursing home in Waterloo, Iowa. CMS rates it 2 out of 5 stars overall (4/5 for staffing, 2/5 for health inspections). Nurse staffing is 3.51 hours per resident per day, below the Iowa average of 3.83. Its most recent inspection on Jan 30, 2025 cited 8 deficiencies.
CMS quality ratings
Ratings from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), updated monthly. 5 stars is the highest quality.
How Northcrest Specialty Care compares
This facility vs. the Iowa and national averages, from CMS data. For staffing, higher is generally better; for turnover and deficiencies, lower is better.
| Metric | This facility | Iowa avg | National avg | Compared with the state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total nurse staffing (hrs/resident/day) | 3.51 | 3.83 | 3.89 | below avg |
| RN staffing (hrs/resident/day) | 0.70 | 0.73 | 0.68 | below avg |
| Aide staffing (hrs/resident/day) | 2.28 | 2.53 | 2.34 | below avg |
| Nursing staff turnover | 43.7% | 43.9% | 46.4% | below avg |
| Deficiencies cited, last inspection | 8.0 | 6.2 | 9.5 | above avg |
Staffing
Hours per resident per day as reported to CMS. Higher numbers indicate more direct care time.
Staff turnover
Lower turnover typically indicates better working conditions and continuity of care. National average for nursing staff is 46.4%.
Recent health inspection
CMS inspects nursing facilities regularly. Deficiencies are categorized by severity.
- Every deficiency from the February 12, 2026 inspection was corrected by March 14, 2026
What inspectors found at Northcrest Specialty Care
Specific deficiencies cited in recent CMS health inspections, most recent first. Severity follows the CMS scope/severity scale. Source: CMS Care Compare.
- Potential for harm
Make sure that a working call system is available in each resident's bathroom and bathing area.
Environmental Deficiencies · Feb 12, 2026 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Honor the resident's right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely.
Resident Rights Deficiencies · Feb 12, 2026 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Have policies on smoking.
Environmental Deficiencies · Feb 12, 2026 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Infection Control Deficiencies · Feb 12, 2026 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Ensure each resident receives an accurate assessment.
Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies · Feb 12, 2026 · Full report (PDF)
Show all 12 deficiencies
- Potential for harm
Encode each resident’s assessment data and transmit these data to the State within 7 days of assessment.
Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies · Feb 12, 2026 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Assess the resident completely in a timely manner when first admitted, and then periodically, at least every 12 months.
Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies · Feb 12, 2026 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Provide care and assistance to perform activities of daily living for any resident who is unable.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies · Jun 4, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Infection Control Deficiencies · Jan 30, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies · Jan 30, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Educate residents and staff on COVID-19 vaccination, offer the COVID-19 vaccine to eligible residents and staff after education, and properly document each resident and staff member's vaccination status.
Infection Control Deficiencies · Jan 30, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Develop and implement policies and procedures for flu and pneumonia vaccinations.
Infection Control Deficiencies · Jan 30, 2025 · Full report (PDF)
Read the full inspection reports on Medicare.gov Each inspection there has a “Read the full report” link with the inspectors’ written findings.
About this facility
- Address
- 2001Health Street
Waterloo, IA 50703 - CMS certification #
- 165165
- Ownership
- Non profit - Corporation
- Certified beds
- 94
- Avg residents/day
- 81.1
- Provider type
- Medicare and Medicaid
- First certified
- 1992-02-01
- Chain
- Care Initiatives (43 facilities)
- Setting
- Urban
Part of Care Initiatives
Care Initiatives operates 43 nursing facilities across the United States. View all Care Initiatives facilities →
Not SLA enrolled. This facility hasn’t enrolled in resident survey verification. Learn about enrollment →
Location and nearby
Explore the area around Northcrest Specialty Care using Google Maps.
Other public records
- Website says Works with hospice
Full public records, with dates and sources
Care and services
From the community’s website
What Northcrest Specialty Care says about itself, quoted from its own site. We have not checked these claims against licensing records. Ask about each one on a tour.
- Offers hospice care on site or works with hospice providers.
Care Initiatives is Iowa’s largest nonprofit provider of high-quality skilled nursing care, hospice care, assisted living, independent living, memory care and more.
(page, checked Oct 12, 2026)
Location and nearby care
- Nearest hospital with an emergency room
- Allen Hospital, Waterloo. 1.2 miles away, straight line. CMS overall hospital rating: 3 of 5 stars.
- Nearest Medicare nursing home
- Harmony Waterloo, Waterloo. 3.7 miles away, straight line.
- Nearest home health agency office
- Open Arms Home Health Care - Waterloo, LLC, Waterloo. 1.3 miles away, straight line. Agencies travel to clients, so ask which ones serve this address.
- Nearest pharmacy
- Walgreens. 1.2 miles away, straight line. From OpenStreetMap, which does not list every pharmacy, so one may be closer.
- Area
- USDA classes ZIP code 50703 as metropolitan (metropolitan core).
- Dialysis within 15 miles
- Davita Black Hawk Dialysis, Waterloo, 3.7 miles away, straight line (CMS rating 4 of 5 stars)
Davita Cedar Valley Dialysis, Waterloo, 4.6 miles away, straight line (CMS rating 4 of 5 stars) - Hospice
- 6 Medicare hospices tell CMS they serve ZIP code 50703.
Unitypoint Hospice, office in Waterloo, 4.2 miles away, straight line (CMS family survey rating 3 of 5 stars)
Cedar Valley Hospice, office in Waterloo, 4.9 miles away, straight line (CMS family survey rating 5 of 5 stars)
Care Initiatives Hospice - Cedar Falls, office in Cedar Falls, 7.4 miles away, straight line (CMS family survey rating 4 of 5 stars) - Nearest geriatric medicine practice
- Joseph Hoagbin, MD, Marshalltown. 44.8 miles away, straight line. 1 geriatric medicine doctor listed there.
Distances are straight lines from the community, not driving distance. Hospitals, home health, dialysis, hospice and doctors come from CMS provider data (CMS, hospital list updated Jul 22, 2026). Star ratings are CMS’s own.
Emergency and natural hazard risk
Public hazard maps for this location. Ask the community about its emergency plan, its generator and where residents would go in an evacuation.
- Flood zone
- Outside the high and moderate risk flood areas on FEMA's flood map (Zone X, minimal flood hazard, or not studied). (FEMA flood map)
- FEMA National Risk Index
- Overall: very low. By hazard: hurricane very low, inland flooding very low, wildfire very low, tornado relatively moderate, heat wave very low, earthquake very low. These are FEMA’s ratings for the census tract, compared with tracts nationwide. (FEMA, December 2025)
A flood zone describes the map at this point, not the building's elevation. In an emergency, follow the local emergency management agency.
What we checked
Every public source we searched for this community. “Nothing on record” means we found no record that matched it. A record can be missed when a name or address differs.
| Source | Data as of | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Department of Labor wage and hour cases | Oct 15, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| OSHA workplace safety inspections since 2016 | Oct 15, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| FEMA flood map | See above | |
| USDA wildfire risk | Apr 15, 2026 | Not shown: FEMA rates wildfire risk here very low |
| FEMA National Risk Index | See above | |
| CMS hospitals, home health, dialysis, hospice and doctors; OpenStreetMap pharmacies | See above | |
| HUD Multifamily Properties - Assisted | Jul 6, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| State Veterans Homes (NASVH directory) | Sep 20, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| CMS Hospice - General Information | Aug 19, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| CMS Home Health Care Agencies | May 27, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| The community’s own website | See above |
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Frequently asked questions
Is Northcrest Specialty Care a good nursing home?
CMS gives Northcrest Specialty Care an overall rating of 2 out of 5 stars, including 4/5 for staffing and 2/5 for health inspections. These ratings come from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and are updated monthly.
How is Northcrest Specialty Care staffed?
Northcrest Specialty Care reports 3.51 total nurse hours per resident per day, compared with the Iowa average of 3.83.
Has Northcrest Specialty Care had inspection problems?
Its most recent CMS inspection cited 8 deficiencies.
How many beds does Northcrest Specialty Care have?
Northcrest Specialty Care is certified for 94 beds.