Editorial Standards
Nursing Home News is committed to accurate, transparent, and fair reporting on nursing home safety. These standards govern all content published on our site.
Our Mission
We make federal nursing home inspection data accessible and understandable so families, advocates, and policymakers can make informed decisions about long-term care. Every article, facility profile, and data visualization is grounded in official CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) public records.
AI Content Disclosure
Transparency about our process:
- AI-Assisted Generation: Articles are initially drafted using Claude AI to synthesize complex CMS inspection data, violation records, and penalty information into readable narratives
- Human Editorial Oversight: All AI-generated content is reviewed and edited by Christopher F. Nesbitt, Sr. — a New Hampshire licensed EMT and Boston University-trained Paralegal
- Data Fidelity: AI systems are instructed to report only what appears in official government records — no speculation, no embellishment
- No Fabrication: All facility names, addresses, violation descriptions, penalty amounts, and dates come directly from CMS datasets. AI is used for synthesis and readability, not for generating facts
Fact-Checking Process
1. Source Verification
Every data point traces to an official CMS record. Facility names, inspection dates, violation codes, and penalty amounts are pulled directly from government databases.
2. Cross-Reference
Inspection data is cross-referenced against multiple CMS datasets (health deficiencies, penalties, survey summaries) to ensure consistency.
3. Professional Review
Medical context reviewed by licensed EMT. Legal and regulatory context reviewed by paralegal with healthcare compliance expertise.
4. Publication
Content published only after verification chain is complete. Source attribution included on every article and facility page.
Content Principles
- Accuracy First: We report what government records show. If data is ambiguous, we say so.
- No Sensationalism: Headlines and articles reflect the severity documented in official records — no exaggeration.
- Context Matters: Violations are presented with severity level, scope, and correction status. A single minor deficiency is not treated the same as immediate jeopardy.
- Fairness: Facilities are identified by their official CMS records. We include correction plans and resolved issues alongside violations.
- Source Attribution: Every article and facility page cites CMS as the data source with retrieval dates.
- Independence: No facility, corporation, or advertiser can influence our coverage or ratings.
Corrections Policy
We correct errors promptly and transparently:
- Reporting Errors: Contact us at nursinghomenews.org/contact or email corrections@nursinghomenews.org
- Response Time: We investigate reported errors within 48 hours
- Correction Notice: Corrected articles are updated with a note explaining what changed and when
- Data Source Errors: If CMS corrects underlying data, we update our records accordingly and note the change
Bias Mitigation
- Algorithmic Fairness: AI prompts are designed to report facts neutrally. We do not instruct AI to editorialize or assign blame beyond what records document.
- Geographic Balance: We cover all 50 states equally based on available data. No state or region receives preferential coverage.
- Size Neutrality: Small independent facilities and large corporate chains receive the same scrutiny based on their inspection records.
- No Pay-for-Play: Advertising does not influence which facilities are covered or how they are presented.
Professional Qualifications
Christopher F. Nesbitt, Sr. — Director of Standards & Compliance
Questions or Concerns?
We welcome feedback on our editorial standards. Please visit our contact page or email corrections@nursinghomenews.org.