Buchanan County Health Center
1600 First Street East, Independence, IA 50644
Buchanan County Health Center, a 39-bed government - county nursing facility in Independence, IA, holds a 5-star CMS overall rating - well above the 3.0-star national average, ranking #57 of 385 rated homes in IA on CMS overall stars (with health+staffing+quality tie-breaks), with nurse staffing above the national norm. 1 inspection finding reached the actual-harm or immediate-jeopardy level.
CMS combines health inspections, nurse-staffing levels, and clinical quality measures into the overall star rating, read the components below; they often tell a sharper story than the headline.
Phone: 3193346071
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- 5 / 5
- Much above average · CMS overall · nat'l 3.0
- #57 of 385
- In-state rank among rated IA homes
- 4.19
- Above average · nurse hrs/day · nat'l 3.86
- 12
- Inspection findings · 1 serious
If a nursing-home resident is in immediate danger, call 911.
For elder abuse or neglect concerns, contact your state's Adult Protective Services (search "APS" + your state) or call the Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116. For facility advocacy, reach your Long-Term Care Ombudsman. CMS ratings and inspection data below are a research screen, not an emergency channel.
The verdict
Buchanan County Health Center, a 39-bed government - county nursing facility in Independence, IA, holds a 5-star CMS overall rating - well above the 3.0-star national average, ranking #57 of 385 rated homes in IA on CMS overall stars (with health+staffing+quality tie-breaks), with nurse staffing above the national norm. 1 inspection finding reached the actual-harm or immediate-jeopardy level.
- 5 / 5
- CMS overall · national 3.0
- #57 of 385
- In-state rank among rated IA homes
- 4.19
- Nurse hrs/resident-day · national 3.86
- 12
- Inspection findings · 1 serious
CMS force-curves overall stars within each state; read health, staffing, and quality sub-ratings alongside the headline.
In-state ownership mix · peer inventory
How 387 IA nursing homes split by ownership sector
This facility is recorded as Government - County. Sector buckets collapse CMS ownership_type into For-profit, Nonprofit, and Government, orthogonal to the RN/LPN/CNA hour bar below.
Health Inspection
Staffing
Quality Measures
Long-Stay Quality
Facility Information
- Provider Number
- 16E050
- Ownership
- Government - County
- Provider Type
- Medicaid
- Beds
- 39
- Residents
- 35
- In Hospital
- Yes
- County
- Buchanan
- Last Inspection
- Mar 19, 2026
Staffing Data
How the 4.19 total nursing hours per resident-day are staffed:
- RN Hours
- 1.22 (nat'l avg: 0.69)
- LPN Hours
- 0.35
- CNA Hours
- 2.62
- Total Nursing Hours
- 4.19 (nat'l avg: 3.86)
- PT Hours
- 0.00
- Nursing Turnover
- 26.3%
- RN Turnover
- 12.5%
What the CMS Record Reveals About Buchanan County Health Center
According to CMS Nursing Home Compare, Buchanan County Health Center ranks #57 of 385 rated nursing homes in IA on overall stars (tie-broken by health+staffing+quality, then fewer fines). Buchanan County Health Center operates 39 certified beds in Independence, IA with approximately 35 residents currently in care, and carries a CMS overall rating of 5 out of 5 stars (health inspection 4★ · staffing 5★ · quality 4★).
The inspection file contains 12 deficiency records from recent surveys, of which 1 reached the actual-harm or immediate-jeopardy threshold on the CMS scope-and-severity grid. This provider has been fined 1 time by CMS, for a combined $4K. Per resident day, this facility reports 4.19 total nursing hours (national average 3.86) and 1.22 RN hours.
Classified as "Government - County" ownership and operating as a "Medicaid" provider embedded within a hospital campus, Buchanan County Health Center falls into a category where comparative context matters. Reported nursing staff turnover at this facility is 26.3% (CMS payroll-based measure).
Why sub-scores and the CMS methodology matter
The overall score is a composite of three weighted sub-ratings published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: health inspection results, staffing levels, and quality measures. Because CMS caps the overall score at the health-inspection tier and then adjusts up or down based on staffing and quality, the sub-scores often tell a sharper story than the headline star count alone, a 3-star facility with weak inspection history reads differently from one held back by thin staffing.
National research consistently shows that ownership structure, staffing hours, and turnover are the three operational levers that correlate most strongly with resident outcomes, ratings and fines are lagging indicators of those upstream choices. The staffing metric in particular is the one most strongly tied to resident outcomes in peer-reviewed literature.
For families evaluating this facility, the CMS record should be read alongside a site visit, direct conversation with current residents and their families, and review of the state health department's most recent inspection report, the star rating is a starting point, not a verdict. All data on this page is sourced from CMS Provider Data and the Nursing Home Compare program; always verify the same record on Medicare.gov Care Compare and with the facility or your state survey agency before making placement decisions.
Deficiency History (12 most recent)
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Category: Infection Control Deficiencies
Corrected: Mar 20, 2026
Develop the complete care plan within 7 days of the comprehensive assessment; and prepared, reviewed, and revised by a team of health professionals.
Category: Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies
Corrected: Mar 31, 2025
Assess the resident when there is a significant change in condition
Category: Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies
Corrected: Mar 31, 2025
Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality.
Category: Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies
Corrected: Mar 31, 2025
Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
Category: Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies
Corrected: Mar 31, 2025
Ensure that the facility has sufficient staff members who possess the competencies and skills to meet the behavioral health needs of residents.
Category: Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Corrected: Dec 27, 2024
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
Category: Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Corrected: Oct 31, 2024
Provide appropriate care for a resident to maintain and/or improve range of motion (ROM), limited ROM and/or mobility, unless a decline is for a medical reason.
Category: Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
Corrected: Jul 5, 2024
Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured.
Category: Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies
Corrected: Jul 5, 2024
Assess the resident when there is a significant change in condition
Category: Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies
Corrected: Jul 5, 2024
Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
Category: Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies
Corrected: Jul 5, 2024
Employ sufficient staff with the appropriate competencies and skills sets to carry out the functions of the food and nutrition service, including a qualified dietician.
Category: Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies
Corrected: Jul 5, 2024
Quality Measures
| Measure | Type | Score | Used in Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose need for help with daily activities has increased | Long Stay | 15.5% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a catheter inserted and left in their bladder | Long Stay | 0.0% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a urinary tract infection | Long Stay | 9.7% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents experiencing one or more falls with major injury | Long Stay | 8.1% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose ability to walk independently worsened | Long Stay | 17.2% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with pressure ulcers | Long Stay | 2.6% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antipsychotic medication | Long Stay | 16.0% | Yes |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who newly received an antipsychotic medication | Short Stay | N/A | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who lose too much weight | Long Stay | 3.6% | No |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who have depressive symptoms | Long Stay | 0.0% | No |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who were physically restrained | Long Stay | 0.0% | No |
| Percentage of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine | Long Stay | 99.2% | No |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antianxiety or hypnotic medication | Long Stay | 21.8% | No |
| Percentage of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine | Long Stay | 100.0% | No |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with new or worsened bowel or bladder incontinence | Long Stay | 13.6% | No |
| Percentage of short-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine | Short Stay | 73.0% | No |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who were assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine | Short Stay | N/A | No |
Penalty History 1 penalties totaling $4K
| Date | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 26, 2024 | Fine | $4K |
Nationwide facilities with similar scale or staffing
Two data-derived peer sets for Buchanan County Health Center, both outside IA so the neighborhoods are not the same-state geography list below.
Similar bed count
Nearest CMS certified bed counts outside IA (39 beds here).
Similar staffing hours
Nearest CMS adjusted total nurse hours per resident day outside IA (5.52 here).
Nearby Nursing Homes in IA
386 other nursing homes are on record in IA; 6 are shown here.
Accura Healthcare of Ames, LLC
Ames, IA
Accura Healthcare of Aurelia, LLC
Aurelia, IA
Accura Healthcare of Bancroft
Bancroft, IA
Accura Healthcare of Carlisle
Carlisle, IA
Accura Healthcare of Carroll
Carroll, IA
Accura Healthcare of Cascade LLC
Cascade, IA
Understanding Nursing Home Data
What the CMS records show for Buchanan County Health Center
The health, staffing, and quality sub-ratings above often diverge from the CMS overall headline. Use those components and the inspection findings to read the full file, not the overall star alone.
- The IA registry aggregates state averages and the highest-rated homes in this cohort. View IA registry
- Peer homes near 39 beds show how CMS stars vary at a similar scale in IA. Compare a similar-size peer
- CMS publishes separate fields for inspections, nurse staffing hours, and quality measures; the guide explains how each star is computed. How CMS ratings work
CMS refreshes Nursing Home Compare quarterly (current extract: August 2026). PlainNursing describes published records; it does not establish suitability, availability, admissions, or individual outcomes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the overall CMS rating for Buchanan County Health Center?
Where does Buchanan County Health Center rank among nursing homes in IA?
What are the staffing levels at Buchanan County Health Center?
How many beds does Buchanan County Health Center have?
Does Buchanan County Health Center have any deficiencies on record?
Has Buchanan County Health Center received any fines or penalties?
Who owns Buchanan County Health Center?
When was Buchanan County Health Center last inspected?
What quality measures are tracked for Buchanan County Health Center?
Data Sources
Data source: CMS Nursing Home Compare. Ratings, staffing, deficiency, quality measure, and penalty data are from CMS Provider Data. For informational purposes only. Verify the same CCN on Medicare.gov Care Compare and with the facility or your state health department.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
