Comprehensive Review: Aspire at North Florida, Gainesville, FL

Overview

Aviata at North Florida, which previously operated as Aspire at North Florida, is a 120-bed Medicare and Medicaid certified skilled nursing facility at 6700 NW 10th Place, Gainesville, FL 32605 (CMS certification number 105460). It is a for-profit corporation. Families should know up front that this facility is a low performer on Medicare.gov Care Compare: it holds an overall rating of 2 out of 5 stars, it is flagged with an abuse icon, and it is listed as a special focus facility candidate.

At a glance

The bottom line up front

• Overall Medicare rating: 2 of 5 stars (below average), with a 1-star health inspection score
• Flagged with an abuse icon and listed as a special focus facility candidate
• 3 federal fines totaling $241,139, and 17 deficiencies cited at the most recent inspection

Services offered

Aviata is a skilled nursing facility, so it provides medical and rehabilitative care rather than independent or assisted living. Core services include:

Short-term rehabilitation

• Post-surgery recovery programs
• Illness rehabilitation
• Injury recovery and management

24-hour skilled nursing care

• Round-the-clock medical supervision
• Medication management
• Wound care and other specialized nursing services

Therapy services

• Physical therapy to improve mobility and strength
• Occupational therapy for daily living skills
• Speech therapy for communication and swallowing issues

Specialized care programs

• Alzheimer's and dementia care with tailored support
• Post-acute care after hospitalization
• Care for residents with multiple medical conditions

Long-term care services

• Ongoing support for residents with chronic conditions
• Focus on maintaining quality of life and dignity

Medicare star ratings

On Medicare.gov Care Compare, Aviata carries an overall rating of 2 out of 5 stars. The pieces behind that score are mostly weak: health inspections rate 1 of 5 stars (much below average) and staffing rates 2 of 5 stars (below average). The one strong area is quality measures, which rate 5 of 5 stars. In Medicare's system, a poor health inspection record weighs heavily, and it does here.

On staffing, Care Compare reports 3.76 total nurse staffing hours per resident per day, a little above the roughly 3.5-hour national benchmark overall. The concern sits inside that total: registered nurse coverage is just 0.23 hours per resident per day, with 1.03 licensed practical nurse hours and 2.50 nurse aide hours. That registered-nurse figure is well under half of what many nursing homes provide, and low RN coverage is one of the clearer warning signs for families to weigh.

Inspections and enforcement

Aviata's 1-star health inspection rating rests on its most recent standard survey, completed January 9, 2025, when inspectors cited 17 health deficiencies. That is well above the typical count. On enforcement, federal records show 3 fines totaling $241,139, with no payment denials. Both the deficiency count and the size of the fines are high relative to most nursing homes.

What the abuse icon and special focus status mean

Medicare attaches an abuse icon to a nursing home when it has been cited for abuse that caused harm to residents, or for a repeat abuse citation, within a recent look-back period. Aviata currently carries that icon, which is among the most serious flags Care Compare uses.

The facility is also listed as a special focus facility candidate. The special focus program targets homes with a persistent record of serious problems, and candidates are the homes nearest that threshold. It is a signal that regulators view the facility's compliance history as a pattern rather than a one-time lapse.

Taken together, a 1-star inspection score, an abuse flag, and special focus candidacy place Aviata among the lower-performing nursing homes in Florida on Medicare's measures. That is important context for any family weighing a placement here.

Quality measures: the one bright spot

Quality measures are the exception to the pattern. Aviata scores the full 5 of 5 stars here, which reflects favorable results on clinical indicators drawn largely from resident assessment data. This is a genuine positive, but it does not cancel out the inspection, staffing, abuse, and enforcement concerns, and Medicare weights health inspections more heavily in the overall score.

Beds and ownership

Aviata at North Florida is licensed for 120 certified beds and operates as a for-profit corporation. The building has been a nursing home at this Gainesville location for decades and has changed names over time, most recently from Aspire at North Florida to Aviata at North Florida, though the CMS certification number (105460) stays the same across the rebranding.

On payment, the facility accepts Medicare for qualifying short-term rehabilitation stays and Medicaid for eligible long-term residents, along with private pay and various insurance plans. It does not publish standard room rates, so you would need to request specific pricing and confirm coverage directly.

Given the enforcement history, any family weighing Aviata should read the full inspection reports on Care Compare and ask the administrator directly what the fines and the abuse citation involved, and what has changed since. Do not rely on the strong quality-measure score alone.

Frequently asked questions

Is Aviata at North Florida a Medicare-certified nursing home? Yes. It is a Medicare and Medicaid certified skilled nursing facility (CMS certification number 105460) at 6700 NW 10th Place, Gainesville, FL 32605. It previously operated as Aspire at North Florida.

What is its Medicare rating? Aviata holds an overall rating of 2 out of 5 stars on Medicare.gov Care Compare. Health inspections rate 1 of 5 stars, staffing rates 2 of 5 stars, and quality measures rate 5 of 5 stars.

Does it have an abuse flag? Yes. Care Compare currently flags Aviata with an abuse icon, and the facility is also listed as a special focus facility candidate. These are among the most serious signals in the rating system.

Has it been fined? Yes. Federal records show 3 fines totaling $241,139, with no payment denials. Ask the administrator what these penalties involved.

When was the last inspection? The most recent standard health survey was completed January 9, 2025, and inspectors cited 17 health deficiencies. The full list is on the facility's Care Compare page.

How is the staffing? Care Compare reports 3.76 total nurse staffing hours per resident per day, but registered nurse coverage is only 0.23 hours per resident per day, which is low. Ask specifically how RN coverage is scheduled.

How many beds does it have and who owns it? Aviata is licensed for 120 certified beds and is a for-profit corporation. Its CMS certification number, 105460, has stayed the same through its name change from Aspire.

Is there any good news in the ratings? Yes. Quality measures rate a full 5 of 5 stars, which reflects favorable clinical outcome data. It is a real strength, but it does not offset the inspection, staffing, abuse, and enforcement concerns.

What should I do before choosing this facility? Read the full inspection reports on Care Compare, tour in person, ask the administrator directly about the abuse citation and the fines, and compare Aviata with higher-rated nursing homes in the Gainesville area.

Conclusion

By Medicare's measures, Aviata at North Florida (formerly Aspire) is a low-performing nursing home. It carries an overall 2-star rating, a 1-star health inspection score, an abuse icon, special focus facility candidate status, 17 deficiencies at its last survey, and $241,139 in fines. Its 5-star quality-measure score is a bright spot, but it sits against a heavy set of red flags.

All ratings, staffing hours, deficiency counts, fines, and the abuse and special focus flags in this review come from Medicare.gov Care Compare and reflect the most recent posted data for CMS certification number 105460. CMS updates these figures periodically, so check the Care Compare page and read the current inspection reports before making any decision.