Buffalo Lake Health Care Center
703 West Yellowstone Trail, Buffalo Lake, MN 55314
Buffalo Lake Health Care Center, a 49-bed non profit - corporation nursing facility in Buffalo Lake, MN, holds a 4-star CMS overall rating - well above the 3.0-star national average, with nurse staffing above the national norm. No recent finding reached the actual-harm 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: 3208335364
Build a private shortlist as you compare, saved on this device, no account needed.
- 4 / 5
- Above average · CMS overall · nat'l 3.0
- 4.56
- Well above average · nurse hrs/day · nat'l 3.89
- 13
- Inspection findings
- $0
- Federal penalties (0)
Health Inspection
Staffing
Quality Measures
Long-Stay Quality
Facility Information
- Provider Number
- 245589
- Ownership
- Non profit - Corporation
- Provider Type
- Medicare and Medicaid
- Beds
- 49
- Residents
- 44
- In Hospital
- No
- County
- Renville
- Last Inspection
- Jan 8, 2026
Staffing Data
How the 4.56 total nursing hours per resident-day are staffed:
- RN Hours
- 0.80 (nat'l avg: 0.68)
- LPN Hours
- 0.46
- CNA Hours
- 3.31
- Total Nursing Hours
- 4.56 (nat'l avg: 3.89)
- PT Hours
- 0.04
- Nursing Turnover
- 45.3%
- RN Turnover
- 28.6%
What the CMS Record Reveals About Buffalo Lake Health Care Center
Buffalo Lake Health Care Center operates 49 certified beds in Buffalo Lake, MN with approximately 44 residents currently in care, and carries a CMS overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars (health inspection 3★ · staffing 5★ · quality 3★).
The inspection file contains 13 deficiency records from recent surveys, all falling in the no-harm or minimal-harm bands of the CMS scope-and-severity grid. No fines or payment denials have been assessed against this provider. Per resident day, this facility reports 4.56 total nursing hours (national average 3.89) and 0.80 RN hours.
Classified as "Non profit - Corporation" ownership and operating as a "Medicare and Medicaid" provider, Buffalo Lake Health Care Center falls into a category where comparative context matters. Reported nursing turnover at this facility is 45.3%, within a range generally associated with stable care teams.
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 details directly with the facility or your state survey agency before making placement decisions.
Deficiency History (13 most recent)
Designate a qualified infection preventionist to be responsible for the infection prevent and control program in the nursing home.
Category: Infection Control Deficiencies
Implement a program that monitors antibiotic use.
Category: Infection Control Deficiencies
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Category: Infection Control Deficiencies
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
Ensure therapeutic diets are prescribed by the attending physician and may be delegated to a registered or licensed dietitian, to the extent allowed by State law.
Category: Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies
Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
Category: Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies
PASARR screening for Mental disorders or Intellectual Disabilities
Category: Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies
Immediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident.
Category: Resident Rights Deficiencies
Timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities.
Category: Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Deficiencies
Corrected: Feb 28, 2024
Develop and implement policies and procedures for flu and pneumonia vaccinations.
Category: Infection Control Deficiencies
Corrected: Feb 23, 2024
Notify the resident or the resident’s representative in writing how long the nursing home will hold the resident’s bed in cases of transfer to a hospital or therapeutic leave.
Category: Resident Rights Deficiencies
Corrected: Feb 23, 2024
Keep residents' personal and medical records private and confidential.
Category: Resident Rights Deficiencies
Corrected: Feb 23, 2024
Immediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident.
Category: Resident Rights Deficiencies
Corrected: Feb 23, 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 | 21.3% | 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 | 1.2% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents experiencing one or more falls with major injury | Long Stay | 6.9% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose ability to walk independently worsened | Long Stay | 22.7% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with pressure ulcers | Long Stay | 4.9% | Yes |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antipsychotic medication | Long Stay | 10.0% | 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 | 2.8% | 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 | 100.0% | No |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antianxiety or hypnotic medication | Long Stay | 8.2% | 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 | 28.7% | No |
| Percentage of short-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine | Short Stay | 93.8% | No |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who were assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine | Short Stay | N/A | No |
Penalty History
No penalties on record.
Nearby Nursing Homes in MN
Understanding Nursing Home Data
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the overall CMS rating for Buffalo Lake Health Care Center?
What are the staffing levels at Buffalo Lake Health Care Center?
How many beds does Buffalo Lake Health Care Center have?
Does Buffalo Lake Health Care Center have any deficiencies on record?
Has Buffalo Lake Health Care Center received any fines or penalties?
Who owns Buffalo Lake Health Care Center?
When was Buffalo Lake Health Care Center last inspected?
What quality measures are tracked for Buffalo Lake Health Care 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. Always verify information directly with the facility or your state health department.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Found this useful? Share Buffalo Lake Health Care Center's record.