Saber Healthcare runs homes in Stroudsburg, Scranton, Dunmore, Lake Ariel, and Kingston—several with documented abuse citations, infection violations, and tens of thousands in fines
The Ohio-based nursing home company now facing a federal investigation after a Christmas Eve explosion killed two people in Bucks County operates at least eight facilities across northeastern Pennsylvania—and federal records show several carry abuse alerts, infection control failures, and hefty fines.
Saber Healthcare Group took over Bristol Health & Rehab Center just 24 days before a suspected gas explosion collapsed part of the building on Dec. 23, killing 52-year-old nurse Muthoni Nduthu and an elderly female resident.
The company operates 142 facilities in six states and has paid more than $17 million in fines since 2000. In 2020, Saber settled a $10 million False Claims Act case for allegedly pressuring therapists to overbill Medicare. Sixteen of its facilities currently carry federal abuse alerts.
Saber Facilities in the Poconos Region
MONROE COUNTY
Whitestone Care Center 370 White Stone Corner Road, Stroudsburg, PA 18360 | 90 beds
Federal records show 24 deficiencies and $23,257 in fines over three years. In November 2024, inspectors cited the facility for an “immediate jeopardy” violation—the most serious category—after staff failed to provide CPR to a resident in crisis. The facility was fined $15,239. A June 2024 complaint investigation found staff failed to protect a resident from abuse, resulting in an $8,018 fine. The facility carries an abuse alert on its Medicare profile.
WAYNE COUNTY
Julia Ribaudo Extended Care Center 1404 Golf Park Drive, Lake Ariel, PA 18436 | 119 beds
Federal records document 29 deficiencies in recent years, including three infection control violations. Inspectors found failures to protect residents from abuse, improper use of psychotropic medications, and insufficient infection prevention. In September 2023, Medicare suspended payments to the facility over infection control failures. The facility currently holds a 1-star Medicare rating.
LACKAWANNA COUNTY
Dunmore Health Care Center 1000 Mill Street, Dunmore, PA 18512 | 92 beds
Inspectors documented 42 deficiencies and $21,818 in fines. A January 2024 inspection found staff failed to prevent accident hazards, causing actual harm to residents—resulting in a $12,048 fine. An October 2022 complaint investigation found the facility failed to protect a resident from abuse, causing actual harm. The facility was previously named in the Department of Justice’s $10 million False Claims Act settlement.
Scranton Health Care Center 2933 McCarthy Street, Scranton, PA 18505 | 44 beds
Federal records show $19,339 in fines over three years. The facility carries a Medicare abuse alert. One online review describes a COVID outbreak where the facility was “not forthcoming with details” and “likely in violation of several statutes.”
Green Ridge Care Center 2741 Boulevard Avenue, Scranton, PA 18509 | 180 beds
Mid-Valley Health Care Center 81 Sturges Road, Peckville, PA 18452 | 120 beds
Old Forge Manor Personal Care Center 246 S. Main Street, Old Forge, PA 18518
LUZERNE COUNTY
Third Avenue Health and Rehab (formerly Kingston Health Care Center) 702 Third Avenue, Kingston, PA 18704 | 65 beds
The Bristol Explosion
Samuel Thomas smelled gas as he wheeled his brother through the Bristol facility on Dec. 23. Staff sat at desks. Others walked the corridors.
“People were still in there working, and there was a gas smell,” Thomas told the Philadelphia Inquirer from his hospital bed. “There were people sitting behind desks—people just still walking around, like they were neglecting the smell.”
The floor collapsed beneath them moments later.
PECO crews had arrived hours earlier to investigate gas odors. The utility initially understated that timeline before correcting it. A second explosion hit 15 to 30 seconds after firefighters evacuated the building.
Thomas gripped his brother’s wheelchair so hard his hands bled as they crashed through to the basement. His brother Lamont remains in critical condition at Temple University Hospital with a broken spine, fractured facial bones, and severe burns across his body.
A former employee told reporters fire alarms went off at least twice monthly during her tenure through February 2024, often with lingering gas smells. Bristol Township Fire had no record of complaints.
$650,000 in Fines Before Saber Took Over
The Bristol facility accumulated $650,924 in fines and 75 deficiency reports under its previous owner, CommuniCare Health Services of Cincinnati. Medicare gave it a one-star rating—its lowest—and flagged it with a consumer abuse alert.
In October 2024, state inspectors found the facility failed to provide floor plans showing fire exits and barriers, failed to maintain fire extinguishers on all floors, had corridor doors that couldn’t resist smoke passage, stored oxygen cylinders improperly, and left paint buckets and a bed frame under stairway landings. The state ordered corrections by Nov. 30.
Saber took over Dec. 1. Gov. Josh Shapiro said the state visited Dec. 10 and “a plan was put in place” to upgrade the facility. Neither he nor Saber detailed what that meant.
CommuniCare issued a statement noting it is “not affiliated in any way” with the current operation.
The Victims
Muthoni Nduthu emigrated from Mombasa, Kenya, two decades ago. She worked at the Bristol facility more than 10 years, pulling double shifts to support her three sons—ages 18, 24, and 30. She earned her nursing degree from Jersey College while working full-time and bought a home through Habitat for Humanity in 2013.
The night before she died, she prepared spiced chicken for Christmas. Her family doesn’t know what to do with it.
“She came here to work,” family friend Rose Muema said. “She came here to make a difference.”
Her sister was a human rights activist killed by Kenya’s Moi regime in 1996. The Kenya Nurses Association of America is now demanding accountability, calling the explosion “avoidable.”
The second victim, an elderly female resident, has not been publicly identified.
Federal Investigation
The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the probe alongside ATF, OSHA, and the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. Investigators are testing the natural gas service line from the street to the building and collecting soil samples. NTSB spokesman Peter Knudson said the agency “does not speculate on cause during on-scene phase.”
Debris clearance could take several days before investigators can fully evaluate the gas line.
Saber has relocated roughly 120 surviving residents to other facilities in its network.
How to check a nursing home’s record:
- Medicare Care Compare (medicare.gov/care-compare): Star ratings, inspection reports, staffing levels, fines
- ProPublica Nursing Home Inspect (projects.propublica.org/nursing-homes): Searchable violation database
- PA Department of Health: Ownership history, licensing status
The Bristol facility’s one-star rating and abuse alert were publicly available before the explosion.
NTSB tip line: witness@ntsb.gov
Bristol Health & Rehab Center: 905 Tower Road, Bristol Township, Bucks County | Deaths: 2 | Hospitalized: 19 (1 critical) | Fines (3 years): $650,924 | CMS Rating: 1 star | Abuse alert: Active