| **Exhibit    31.1 –** | **CERTIFICATION    PURSUANT TO RULE 13a-14(a) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934, AS AMENDED** |
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| 1.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | I have reviewed this Form    10-Q of Genesis HealthCare Corporation; |
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|    2.Based on my knowledge,    this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit    to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of    the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with    respect to the period covered by this report;   3.Based on my knowledge, the    financial statements, and other financial information included in this    report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results    of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods    presented in this report;   4.The registrant’s other    certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining    disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules    13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as    defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and    have:    a)Designed such disclosure    controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to    be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information    relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made    known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period    in which this report is being prepared;    b)Designed    such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal    control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to    provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting    and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in    accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;    c)Evaluated the    effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and    presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the    disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by    this report based on such evaluation; and    d)Disclosed in this report    any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that    occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s    fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially    affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s    internal control over financial reporting; and   5.The registrant’s other    certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation    of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors    and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons    performing the equivalent functions):    a)All significant    deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal    control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely    affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report    financial information; and    b)Any fraud, whether or not    material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant    role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting. Date:     February 8, 2006/s/ George V. Hager, Jr.  George V. Hager, Jr. Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board  |