Merkel Nursing Center: Staffing, Turnover, and Inspection Record
Merkel Nursing Center is a 65-bed for-profit nursing home in Merkel, Texas. In the CMS August 2026 release it reported 1.09 nurse aide hours per resident per day, 45% below the Texas average of 2.00, and 71.1% nursing staff turnover (Texas average 55.3%).
Merkel Nursing Center
1704 N. 1stMerkel, TX 79536
Taylor County
CMS Care Compare, August 2026 release
Special Focus Facility candidate. CMS lists this home as a candidate for its Special Focus Facility program, which is for nursing homes with a history of serious quality issues.
Cited for abuse or neglect. CMS marks this home with its abuse icon: it was cited for abuse or neglect that caused harm on its most recent inspection cycle, or for abuse or neglect with potential for harm on each of its last two cycles.
How many staff hours residents get
CMS reports staffing as hours per resident per day, from the payroll records each home submits. At Merkel Nursing Center, nurse aides logged 1.09 hours per resident per day, 45% below the Texas average. With about 19 residents a day, that works out to roughly 20 aide hours a day, or about 3 eight-hour aide shifts across day, evening, and night. On weekends, total nursing hours per resident ran 25% below the all-days figure.
| Hours per resident per day | This home | Texas avg | US avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nurse aides (CNAs) | 1.09 | 2.00 | 2.32 |
| Licensed practical nurses | 1.58 | 0.95 | 0.86 |
| Registered nurses | 0.68 | 0.43 | 0.69 |
| All nursing staff | 3.35 | 3.39 | 3.86 |
| All nursing staff, weekends | 2.52 | 2.98 | 3.42 |
CMS Care Compare, August 2026 release: reported staffing hours from Payroll-Based Journal data, and CMS state and US averages.
Staff turnover
71.1% of nursing staff at Merkel Nursing Center left over the year CMS measured, against a Texas average of 55.3% and a US average of 45.8%. No administrators left over the same period.
Inspections and penalties
State inspectors last completed a standard health inspection on Dec 4, 2025. The most recent inspection cycle, which also counts complaint and infection-control inspections from the past 12 months, found 29 health deficiencies (Texas average 9.3). CMS lists 2 fines totaling $318,060 in the last three years.
| Inspection date | Penalty | Amount or length |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 16, 2026 | Fine | $137,108 |
| Aug 22, 2025 | Fine | $180,952 |
CMS Penalties file, August 2026 release. A payment denial stops Medicare and Medicaid payment for new admissions for the days shown.
CMS star ratings
CMS rates every nursing home from one to five stars overall and on health inspections, staffing, and quality measures. Merkel Nursing Center holds 1 of 5 overall; the Texas average is 2.6.
About Merkel Nursing Center
- Ownership: For profit - Limited Liability company
- Legal name: Emi Healthcare LLC
- Medicare and Medicaid certified since: Jun 1, 2005
- Area: urban
Nursing homes near Merkel Nursing Center
The closest homes by distance, with the same CMS figures. Select a column to sort.
| Willowcreek Rehab and Nursing Abilene | 13.8 | 96 | 1.69 | 2.74 | 57.7% | 2 | $23,794 |
| Wisteria Place Abilene | 15.4 | 123 | 1.87 | 3.13 | 36.4% | 3 | $14,069 |
| Mesa Springs Healthcare Center Abilene | 15.8 | 89 | 2.02 | 3.45 | — | 2 | $8,190 |
| Northern Oaks Living & Rehabilitation Center Abilene | 16.0 | 96 | 1.84 | 3.02 | — | 3 | None |
| Avir at Coronado Abilene | 16.3 | 188 | 1.93 | 3.28 | 49.1% | 2 | $184,619 |
| Hendrick Skilled Nursing Facility Abilene | 16.8 | 20 | 3.04 | 9.65 | 34.3% | 5 | None |
| Wesley Court Health Center Abilene | 17.0 | 30 | 1.67 | 3.48 | 50.0% | 5 | None |
| Windcrest Health & Rehabilitation Abilene | 17.4 | 120 | 1.81 | 3.30 | 50.5% | 3 | $26,364 |
Aide hrs and all nurse hrs are staff hours per resident per day. Fines are the CMS total for the last three years. Turnover is the share of nursing staff who left over a year. All figures from CMS Care Compare.
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Source: CMS Care Compare Provider Information, State and US Averages, and Penalties files, August 2026 release. Figures are as CMS publishes them; check Medicare Care Compare for the latest. Methodology.