Buena Vista Care Center
Nursing home in Santa Barbara, California, CMS certification number 555394
160 South Patterson Avenue, Santa Barbara, CA 93111 · Santa Barbara County
- CMS overall rating
- 2 of 5 stars
- Certified beds
- 150
- Certified for
- Medicare and Medicaid
- Last standard inspection
- April 10, 2026
- Deficiencies at that inspection
- 8
- Fines in 3 years
- $32,263 (1)
Does Buena Vista Care Center take Medicare and Medicaid?
Yes to both. Buena Vista Care Center is certified for Medicare and Medicaid. Medicare can pay for a short skilled stay after a qualifying hospital stay; Medicaid can pay for long-term care once you qualify.
Certification isn't a promise of an open bed. Ask how many Medicaid beds it has free and whether it keeps residents who move from Medicare to Medicaid. Our guide explains what Medicare pays for.
CMS star ratings
CMS rates every certified nursing home from 1 to 5 stars. The overall rating starts from health inspections, then moves up or down for staffing and quality. These come from the CMS Provider Information, October 2026 release.
| Measure | CMS stars |
|---|---|
| Overall | 2 of 5 |
| Health inspections | 2 of 5 |
| Staffing | 3 of 5 |
| Quality of resident care | 4 of 5 |
| Long-stay quality | 4 of 5 |
| Short-stay quality | 4 of 5 |
Nurse staffing hours and turnover
These are the hours Buena Vista Care Center reported to CMS, split across residents and days. More hours per resident usually means more hands at the bedside.
- Total nurse hours per resident per day
- 3.89
- Registered nurse hours
- 0.55
- Licensed practical nurse hours
- 0.98
- Nurse aide hours
- 2.36
- Weekend total hours
- 3.47
- Nursing staff turnover
- 48.8%
- Registered nurse turnover
- 66.7%
- Administrators who left
- 2
Health inspections and complaints
Inspectors last made a standard visit on April 10, 2026 and cited 8 deficiencies, plus 4 from complaint visits.
The visit before, on January 17, 2025, found 5.
Read every citation on the CMS Care Compare page.
Fines and payment denials
CMS fined Buena Vista Care Center 1 time in the past 3 years, for $32,263 in total.
Beds and residents
On an average day 121.3 residents live here, about 81% of its 150 certified beds.
- Certified beds
- 150
- Average residents per day
- 121.3
- Certified since
- November 20, 1989
- Resident or family council
- Resident
Who owns Buena Vista Care Center
- Legal business name
- Covenant Care California, LLC
- Ownership type
- For profit - Limited Liability company
- Chain
- 7 homes nationally under Covenant Care, 2.7-star chain average
Other nursing homes near Buena Vista Care Center
- Channel Islands Post Acute3880 Via Lucero, Santa Barbara 93110
- Valle Verde Health Facility900 Calle De Los Amigos, Santa Barbara 93105
- Samarkand Skilled Nursing Facility2566 Treasure Drive, Santa Barbara 93105
- Mission Park Healthcare Center623 West Junipero Street, Santa Barbara 93105
- The Californian2225 De La Vina Street, Santa Barbara 93105
See also all nursing homes in Santa Barbara.
Who inspects nursing homes in California
California's state survey agency licenses nursing homes and carries out the federal inspections for CMS. A home must keep its state licence and meet the federal rules to take Medicare or Medicaid.
Compare all nursing homes in California, the 7 in Santa Barbara, or see how assisted living and nursing homes differ.
Is this your facility?
If you run Buena Vista Care Center, email contact@assistedlivingaccess.com from your work address. We can add your own rates, photos and contact details next to the state record, or take the listing down.
Questions about Buena Vista Care Center
What is the CMS star rating of Buena Vista Care Center?
2 out of 5 stars overall.
Does Buena Vista Care Center accept Medicaid?
Yes, it is Medicaid certified.
What did inspectors find at Buena Vista Care Center?
8 cited at the last standard visit.
Who owns Buena Vista Care Center?
Covenant Care California, LLC, for profit - limited liability company.
From the federal record: CMS Care Compare and the CMS Provider Information dataset, October 2026 release.