In the first quarter of 2026, West Wharton County Hospital District was the owner of Avir at Petal Hill, according to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The facility, situated in Smith County, has operated under West Wharton County Hospital District’s ownership since Jan. 1, 2020.
Avir at Petal Hill holds a designation as a public facility.
During this time, the nursing home was assigned an overall CMS rating of one, falling short of the Texas state nursing home average of 2.7. CMS bases its ratings on significant factors like health inspection results, staffing figures, and the quality of resident care.
The available data shows Avir at Petal Hill served an average of 81.9 residents daily in the first quarter of 2026, using its 120-bed capacity. The nursing home is not affiliated with a hospital.
CMS records indicate the facility accrued $61,847 in two fines and faced three penalties during the same reporting period.
Across Smith County, there were five public nursing homes as of the first quarter of 2026.
According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, the number of older adults in the United States is rising, while younger populations decline. From 2020 to 2024, Americans age 65 and older increased by 13%, compared with a 1.7% decrease in those younger than 18. The country’s older adult population has grown dramatically over the past century, rising from 4.9 million in 1920 to over 61 million by 2024.
A 2021 study found that nearly half of people in that age group, or about 28 million, may need long-term services and support. That research also forecasts more than a third could require nursing home care eventually.
“Living a long life is something that many of us want and could get,” said Jesse Slome, executive director of the American Association for Long-Term Care Insurance, an insurance education group. “But when we live a long life, the chances of us needing long-term care increase exponentially. But when you need that type of care, there are limited options.”
| Nursing Home | Owner | Ownership Type | Overall Rating | Avg. No. of Residents per day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avir at Azalea Heights | West Wharton County Hospital District | For profit – Limited Liability company | 2 | 83.5 |
| Avir at Lindale | West Wharton County Hospital District | Government – Hospital district | 1 | 100.7 |
| Avir at Petal Hill | West Wharton County Hospital District | Government – Hospital district | 1 | 81.9 |
| Bluebonnet Point Wellness | Fannin County Hospital Authority | For profit – Corporation | 1 | 89.8 |
| Briarcliff Health Center | South Limestone Hospital District | For profit – Corporation | 2 | 131.2 |
| Colonial Nursing & Rehabilitation Center | Hopkins County Hospital District | For profit – Individual | 1 | 69.6 |
| Greenbrier Nursing & Rehabilitation Center of Tyle | Liberty County Hospital District No. 1 | For profit – Corporation | 3 | 54.2 |
| Providence Park Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing | South Limestone Hospital District | For profit – Corporation | 3 | 96.3 |
| Reunion Plaza Healthcare & Rehabilitation | Stephens Memorial Hospital District | Government – Hospital district | 5 | 73.8 |
| Rose Trail Nursing and Rehabilitation Center | West Wharton County Hospital District | Government – Hospital district | 1 | 78.1 |
| The Heights of Tyler | Liberty County Hospital District No. 1 | For profit – Corporation | 2 | 112.6 |
| The Waterton Healthcare & Rehabilitation | Fannin County Hospital Authority | For profit – Limited Liability company | 4 | 67 |
Information in this article was obtained from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The source data can be found here.
