Understanding the Special Focus Facility Program

Libby Hastings • April 21, 2025

Understanding the Special Focus Facility (SFF) Program: What Families Need to Know When Choosing a Nursing Home in Kansas

When searching for a nursing home for a loved one, families often look for a place that will offer safe, reliable, and compassionate care. One important—but often overlooked—resource that can help inform that decision is the Special Focus Facility (SFF) Program, managed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).


What Is the Special Focus Facility (SFF) Program?

The SFF Program was created by CMS to address the most persistent quality problems in nursing homes across the country. Every nursing home that accepts Medicare or Medicaid is regularly inspected to ensure it meets health and safety standards. Most nursing homes will have a few issues identified during these inspections—typically six to seven deficiencies on average—but some facilities consistently fall far below acceptable standards.


These nursing homes:

  • Have twice as many deficiencies as the average facility,
  • Have more serious issues, including those that cause actual harm to residents,
  • And show a long-term pattern of poor performance over a span of about three years.


Facilities like these may fix issues temporarily, but often fail to address the root causes—resulting in a harmful cycle of repeated violations. That’s where the SFF program comes in.


How the SFF Program Works

CMS uses inspection data to score nursing homes based on both the number and severity of their deficiencies. Facilities with the highest scores (i.e., the most and most serious problems) are added to a list of SFF candidates.


Each state is allowed only a limited number of active SFFs at a time—currently, only 88 facilities nationwide can be enrolled in the program. However, CMS maintains a much longer list of SFF candidates that also meet the criteria but haven't yet been selected for the program due to space limits.


Once a facility is chosen as an active SFF:

  • It is inspected every six months instead of the usual once a year.
  • It may face progressive enforcement, such as financial penalties or losing eligibility for Medicare and Medicaid.
  • It must show real, lasting improvements to graduate from the program.


A facility "graduates" from the SFF program only after it has two consecutive inspections (after being named an SFF) with no more than 12 relatively minor deficiencies and none at a higher severity level. If a facility continues to have serious violations, CMS may consider terminating its participation in Medicare and/or Medicaid.


Why This Matters to Kansas Families

Being informed about a nursing home’s history can help protect your loved ones. Facilities in the SFF program—or on the candidate list—have serious quality concerns. While some may be working hard to improve, others may continue to struggle with systemic issues that put residents at risk.


As of March 2025, the following nursing homes in Kansas are included in the Special Focus Facility (SFF) program:


  • Excel Healthcare and Rehab Topeka (recently closed)
  • Access Mental Health (Peabody)


The following facilities in Kansas are currently on the SFF candidate list:

  • Clearwater Nursing and Rehabilitation Center
  • Good Samaritan Society- Liberal
  • Kearny County Hospital Long-Term Care Unit
  • Legacy at College Hill (Wichita)
  • Legacy on 10th Avenue (Topeka)
  • Medicalodges Jackson County
  • Medicalodges Post Acute Care Center (Kansas City)
  • Meridian Rehabilitation and Health Care Center (Wichita)
  • Riverbend Post Acute Rehabilitation (Kansas City)
  • Tanglewood Nursing and Rehabilitation (Topeka)


The following facilities graduated from the SFF program: 

  • Advena Living of Cherryvale
  • Life Care Center of Osawatomie


Anew Healthcare Oxford is a facility that is no longer participating in the Medicare and Medicaid Program. 

We encourage families to take time to research and ask questions when considering a nursing home. You can access the full national SFF and candidate list on the CMS website here. KABC offers free unbiased Consumer Information Reports on all licensed adult care facilities in Kansas, helping you make an informed choice when deciding between long-term care options. 


Final Thoughts

The Special Focus Facility Program exists to push underperforming nursing homes to do better—but it’s also a signal to the public. When selecting long-term care, knowing whether a facility is on this list can be an important part of making the best choice for your loved one.


If you have questions about how to find quality nursing home care in Kansas or want help understanding a facility’s inspection history, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team.

A nursing home room with two hospital beds and a wheelchair

Kansas Exits MFP Program

By Libby Hastings • May 31, 2026
Kansas has announced that it is exiting the Money Follows the Person (MFP) program, citing a drastic reduction in and possible elimination of federal funding. According to the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS), the state had planned to reinstate the program on July 1 after several years of inactivity. Instead, Kansas is now withdrawing from the program altogether. For many Kansans, this decision represents a significant missed opportunity. The MFP program was created to help states rebalance their long-term services and supports systems by making it easier for people to move from institutional settings, such as nursing facilities, back into homes and communities. The program provided funding for critical transition expenses, including home modifications, furniture, bedding, kitchen supplies, and other necessities that help make community living possible. At its core, MFP recognized a simple truth: most people want to live in their own homes and communities, not institutions. Research consistently shows that older adults overwhelmingly prefer to age in place. In an AARP survey, 75 percent of older adults reported wanting to remain in their homes as they age. Yet many feel they will eventually have no choice but to move into a facility because the supports needed to remain at home are unavailable or unaffordable. Programs like MFP help bridge that gap. When people remain in nursing facilities despite being able to live safely in the community, there are consequences, not only for the individual, but for the state as a whole. First, individuals lose autonomy and control over their daily lives. Living in the community allows people to decide when they wake up, what they eat, who they spend time with, and how they participate in their neighborhoods. These choices may seem small, but they are fundamental to dignity and quality of life. Second, unnecessary institutionalization can contribute to social isolation. People living in their own homes can remain connected to friends, family, faith communities, volunteer opportunities, and local activities. Community integration promotes both physical and emotional well-being. Third, keeping people in nursing facilities when they could thrive in the community often comes at a higher cost to the Medicaid system. Home and community-based services are frequently less expensive than institutional care while also aligning with what most people prefer. Helping individuals remain in the least restrictive setting can benefit both taxpayers and the people receiving services. Finally, programs like MFP help remove barriers that prevent people from exercising their right to choose where they receive care. Transitioning from a nursing facility to the community is often not as simple as opening the front door and leaving. Many individuals need assistance securing housing, obtaining household items, modifying their homes for accessibility, or coordinating services. Without dedicated funding and support, these barriers can become insurmountable. Kansas has made progress over the years in expanding home and community-based services, but significant challenges remain. Housing shortages, workforce shortages among direct care workers, and waiting lists for services continue to make community living difficult for many people. The loss of Money Follows the Person means one fewer tool available to help Kansans return home.
The Kansas Capitol's second-floor rotunda features various flags, murals, and statues.

2026 Post Legislative Update

By Barb Conant • May 1, 2026
2026 legislative wrap-up for long-term care advocates in Kansas.