Columbus Junction · 52738
Colonial Manors of Columbus Community
814 Springer Avenue
Columbus Junction, IA 52738
Wapello Specialty Care
Top Rated for Short-Term Rehab, 2026 Top Rated for Long-Term Care, 2026Is this your home? Get your free badge →
⌖ Wapello, IA · Louisa County
No photos yet
Medicare overall rating 5 of 5 stars
Certified beds49
Medicare / MedicaidMedicare & Medicaid
OwnershipNon-profit (corporation)
About Wapello Specialty Care
Wapello Specialty Care is a 49-bed nonprofit nursing home in Wapello, IA. Medicare rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall (much above average); the average in Iowa is 3.1. At its last full inspection (Nov 2025), inspectors found 1 problem, fewer than the Iowa average of 6.5. None of the problems in its recent inspections were found to have harmed residents. Nurses and aides spend about 3 hr 25 min a day with each resident, less than the Iowa average of 3 hr 49 min. About 37% of its nursing staff left in the past year. It has had no federal fines in the last three years. Its quality ratings are similar for short-term rehab (5 of 5) and long-term care (5 of 5).
Written from Medicare’s published figures; nothing here is paid for or written by the home. Our methodology
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Key details
Facility nameWapello Specialty Care
LocationLouisa County, Iowa
Phone(319) 523-2001
Address601 Highway 61 South, Wapello, IA 52653 · Louisa County
CMS provider number165452
Ownership typeNon-profit (corporation)
Operating companyCare Initiatives · 43 homes
Official inspection reportsRead them on Medicare.gov ↗
Medicare enrolled sinceApril 3, 2002 (24 years)
✓ Medicare✓ Medicaid
Certified for Medicaid; ask whether a Medicaid bed is available.
Quality & inspections
Explore this facility's official CMS inspection history, staffing levels and quality measures below — sourced directly from Medicare's public records.
Ratings and inspection data on this page come directly from CMS's public records and are never altered for any paid listing. Medicare data as of September 2026.
What Medicare found
4 strengths and 2 things to ask about in Medicare's inspection, fine and staffing records for this home. 1 care-quality measure is worse than the state average in the rehab and long-term care section below.
Strengths
- Serious health citationsNone on recordNo citations for actual harm or immediate jeopardy since Nov 2025.Strength
- Health citations at last inspection1 (Nov 2025)Iowa average: 6.5. Most citations are minor and corrected within weeks.Strength
- Registered nurse time per resident1 hr 06 min a dayIowa average: 45 minStrength
- Nursing staff turnover37% a yearIowa average: 44%Strength
Things to ask about
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- Fines and penalties1 Medicare payment denialFederal penalties from the last three years, most recently in Sep 2023 (about 3 years ago). The national average is $30,972 per home.Ask about this
- Nurse staffing per resident3 hr 25 min a dayIowa average: 3 hr 49 minWorse than state average
Source: Medicare (CMS) inspection, penalty and staffing records, compared with the Iowa average. Problems may have been corrected since; ask the home about anything listed here. How we choose these
Short-term rehab or long-term care?
Medicare rates these separately, and many homes are better at one than the other.
Short-term rehab
For a stay of a few weeks after a hospital visit, such as after surgery or a stroke.
- Sent back to the hospital21.7%State average: 20.9%About average
- Needed an emergency room visit8.2%State average: 13.2%Better than average
- Newly given antipsychotic drugs1.8%State average: 2.1%About average
Physical therapist time: about 2 minutes per resident a day. That is about the same as the state average of 2 minutes. If rehab is the goal, ask how many therapy sessions a week to expect.
Long-term care
For residents who live at the home for months or years.
- Falls with a major injury2.3%State average: 3.8%Better than average
- Pressure sores (bedsores)9.2%State average: 4.2%Worse than average
- Given antipsychotic drugs8.3%State average: 19.5%Better than average
Source: Medicare (CMS) quality measures, compared with the Iowa average. Lower is better for every rate shown.
Who pays, and how full it is
Most residents here have their care paid by Medicaid. In Iowa, Medicaid pays for 50% of resident days at a typical home.
- 66% Medicaid
- 6% Medicare
- 28% Private pay, insurance and other
Beds in use, on average81%Iowa typical: 79%
Cost of care per resident day$267Iowa typical: $311
Shares of resident days, from the home’s Medicare cost report for the year ending December 2024. The cost per day is what care costs the home to provide, not the price you would pay; ask the home for its private-pay rate. A busy home may have fewer open beds, so ask about availability.
Ratings over time
Its overall Medicare rating is 5 stars now, up from 4 stars in January 2019. It has ranged from 1 to 5 stars and changed 10 times.
Overall rating5★
Health inspections3★
Staffing5★
Quality of care5★
Nurse hours per resident per day3.4
20192020202120222023202420252026
Show the values by year
| Month | Overall | Inspections | Staffing | Quality | Nurse hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2019 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3.0 |
| Jan 2020 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2.9 |
| Jan 2021 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 3.0 |
| Jan 2022 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3.1 |
| Jan 2023 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2.9 |
| Jan 2024 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 2.8 |
| Feb 2025 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3.1 |
| Feb 2026 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3.4 |
| Sep 2026 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3.4 |
Source: Medicare (CMS) monthly Care Compare releases since 2019. Medicare has changed how some ratings are calculated over the years and paused most inspections in 2020, so some jumps reflect rule changes rather than changes at the home. Our methodology
See the full inspection reportEvery citation, fine, staffing figure and quality measure Medicare publishes for this home
From Medicare’s September 2026 data. Each inspection is dated below; staffing comes from payroll records for a recent quarter, and resident outcomes cover the latest period Medicare reports.
Inspection summary
How this facility compares to state and national averages on CMS-reported problems.
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Three-survey history
Citation counts across this facility's three most recent inspection cycles, so you can see whether problems are trending up, down, or holding steady.
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