BELINGTON, WV - Federal health inspectors identified 10 deficiencies at Tygart Valley Health & Rehabilitation during a complaint investigation conducted on November 20, 2025, raising questions about care coordination and resident assessment practices at the Barbour County facility.
Resident Assessment Failures Documented
Among the deficiencies cited, inspectors flagged Tygart Valley for failing to properly coordinate assessments with the Pre-Admission Screening and Resident Review (PASRR) program and for not appropriately referring residents for needed services. The violation, classified under federal regulatory tag F0644, falls within the category of Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies.
The PASRR program is a federally mandated process designed to ensure that individuals with mental illness or intellectual disabilities are not inappropriately placed in nursing homes when community-based services would better meet their needs. When a facility fails to coordinate with this program, residents may miss critical referrals for specialized psychiatric care, behavioral health services, or community-based support programs tailored to their conditions.
Inspectors assigned the violation a Scope/Severity Level D, indicating an isolated incident where no actual harm occurred but where the potential for more than minimal harm existed. While that classification represents one of the lower severity ratings on the federal scale, the underlying failure points to a gap in the intake and ongoing assessment process that could affect resident outcomes.
Why Assessment Coordination Matters
Proper coordination between nursing facilities and the PASRR program serves as a safety net for some of the most vulnerable residents in long-term care. The screening process identifies individuals who may require specialized mental health services, behavioral interventions, or intellectual disability supports that a standard nursing home may not be equipped to provide.
When this coordination breaks down, several risks emerge. Residents with unidentified mental health conditions may not receive appropriate therapeutic interventions. Individuals with intellectual disabilities may lack access to habilitation services designed to maintain or improve their functional abilities. In some cases, residents may remain in institutional settings when they could thrive in less restrictive community-based environments.
Federal regulations under 42 CFR 483.20(k) require facilities to coordinate their assessment processes with state PASRR programs and to make appropriate referrals when screenings indicate a need for specialized services. This coordination must occur not only at admission but also when a resident's condition changes significantly.
Broader Inspection Findings
The assessment coordination failure was one of 10 total deficiencies identified during the November inspection, which was conducted as a complaint investigation rather than a routine survey. Complaint investigations are typically triggered when concerns about resident care or facility operations are reported to state health authorities.
The volume of deficiencies cited during a single investigation suggests inspectors found a pattern of compliance issues at the facility. While the specific details of the remaining nine deficiencies were documented separately, the combined findings indicate multiple areas where the facility's practices did not meet federal standards.
Tygart Valley Health & Rehabilitation reported correcting the assessment coordination deficiency as of December 12, 2025, approximately three weeks after the inspection. The facility's correction plan would typically need to demonstrate not only that the specific identified failure was addressed but that systemic changes were implemented to prevent recurrence.
Industry Standards and Expectations
Accredited nursing facilities are expected to maintain robust assessment protocols that include timely PASRR coordination, comprehensive care planning, and ongoing reassessment as residents' conditions evolve. Best practices call for designated staff members to manage the PASRR process and ensure no resident falls through the gaps in screening and referral.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services tracks deficiency patterns across facilities and uses this data to determine inspection frequency and enforcement actions. Facilities with repeated deficiencies may face increased scrutiny, mandatory corrective action plans, or financial penalties.
Families considering long-term care options can review complete inspection histories and deficiency records through the CMS Care Compare database. The full inspection report for Tygart Valley Health & Rehabilitation, including details on all 10 cited deficiencies, provides a more comprehensive picture of the facility's regulatory compliance record.
Full Inspection Report
The details above represent a summary of key findings. View the complete inspection report for Tygart Valley Health & Rehabilitation from 2025-11-20 including all violations, facility responses, and corrective action plans.
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