ElderGrade
C

58.7/100

Average

Birchwood Health Care Center

604 1St Street Ne, Forest Lake, MN 55025

CMS 3/5 stars #7 of 8 in Washington County (651) 464-5600
Certified beds
100
Occupancy
84%
Ownership
Non-profit
Accepts
Medicare + Medicaid

What to ask about before you visit

These are findings in the public CMS record for this home. They are not our opinion — each one comes straight from a federal inspection or enforcement file.

  • 3 citation(s) involving actual harm or immediate jeopardy

    Inspectors found violations at scope/severity G or above, meaning residents were harmed or placed in immediate jeopardy.

  • $48,698 in federal fines

    CMS has fined this facility across 3 penalty action(s).

How this grade was calculated

Every point is shown. Nothing is weighted behind the scenes — the full formula is on How we grade.

Inspection 6.7/30 Staffing 20/30 Stability 12/15 Outcomes 15/15 Enforcement 5/10

A full pentagon is full marks. The shape shows what kind of good or bad a home is — two homes can share a score and look nothing alike.

Inspection safety

6.7/30

Citations from state health inspections over the last three surveys, weighted by how much harm CMS says they caused.

  • -10 for 1 immediate-jeopardy citation(s) in the last 3 years
  • -8 for 2 actual-harm citation(s) in the last 3 years
  • -5.3 for 32 total citations against a national median of 17

Staffing

20/30

Nursing hours per resident per day, adjusted for how sick the residents are, plus RN cover and weekend consistency.

  • 3.97 total nurse hours per resident per day (national median 3.77)
  • 0.78 RN hours per resident per day
  • Weekend staffing drops 8% against weekdays

Staff stability

12/15

How much of the nursing team leaves in a year. High turnover means a resident rarely sees the same face twice.

  • 38% of nursing staff left in the last year

Resident outcomes

15/15

The CMS quality-measure rating, built from resident outcomes like falls, pressure ulcers, infections and antipsychotic use.

  • 5 of 5 stars on the CMS quality-measure rating

Enforcement history

5/10

Fines and payment denials CMS has imposed. A denial of payment means CMS stopped paying for new admissions.

  • $48,698 in federal fines across 3 action(s)

Grade ceiling applied

  • Capped at 64 (grade C) — immediate-jeopardy citation in the last 3 years

Staffing, against the national average

Full detail

Hours of nursing care each resident receives per day. The marker on each bar is the national average.

Total nurse hours per resident per day 3.86 hrs
National average 3.86 hrs Below average
Registered nurse (RN) hours 0.78 hrs
National average 0.69 hrs Better than average

RNs are the licence level most likely to catch a resident deteriorating.

Weekend nurse hours 3.56 hrs
National average 3.42 hrs Better than average

The shift most families visit, and the one thinned first.

Nursing staff turnover 37.70%
National average 45.80% Better than average

The share of nursing staff who left over the last year.

Recent inspection findings

All 33 citations

Last standard health inspection: April 10, 2025 (1 year ago).

D May 6, 2026 F0689 From a complaint

Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies

Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.

No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm

D Dec 19, 2025 F0880 From a complaint

Infection Control Deficiencies

Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.

No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm

J Nov 13, 2025 F0689 From a complaint

Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies

Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.

Immediate jeopardy to resident health or safety

D Nov 13, 2025 F0842 From a complaint

Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies

Safeguard resident-identifiable information and/or maintain medical records on each resident that are in accordance with accepted professional standards.

No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm

D Apr 10, 2025 F0558

Resident Rights Deficiencies

Reasonably accommodate the needs and preferences of each resident.

No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm

D Apr 10, 2025 F0677 From a complaint

Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies

Provide care and assistance to perform activities of daily living for any resident who is unable.

No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm

D Apr 10, 2025 F0757

Pharmacy Service Deficiencies

Ensure each resident’s drug regimen must be free from unnecessary drugs.

No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm

D Apr 10, 2025 F0803

Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies

Ensure menus must meet the nutritional needs of residents, be prepared in advance, be followed, be updated, be reviewed by dietician, and meet the needs of the resident.

No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm

Who owns this home

Full record

Part of LIFESPARK, which operates 4 homes. Staffing budgets are usually set at chain level, not in the building.

Owner Type Role Since
MARSHALL, SUSAN Individual CORPORATE DIRECTOR
MARTIN, RICHARD Individual CORPORATE DIRECTOR
TOULOUSE, MOLLY Individual CORPORATE OFFICER
LIFESPARK MANAGEMENT SERVICES Organization OPERATIONAL/MANAGERIAL CONTROL
CHEBLI, YASSER Individual OPERATIONAL/MANAGERIAL CONTROL
KING, RYAN Individual OPERATIONAL/MANAGERIAL CONTROL
MILLER, MEGAN Individual OPERATIONAL/MANAGERIAL CONTROL
AEGIS THERAPIES, INC. Organization ADP OF THE SNF
GRAPE TREE MEDICAL STAFFING LLC Organization ADP OF THE SNF
LIFESPARK MANAGEMENT SERVICES Organization ADP OF THE SNF
LIFESPRK HOLDINGS, INC. Organization ADP OF THE SNF
SENIOR CARE COMMUNITIES Organization ADP OF THE SNF

What families say

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Common questions about Birchwood Health Care Center

What is the ElderGrade for Birchwood Health Care Center? +

Birchwood Health Care Center holds an ElderGrade of C (58.7 out of 100), which we describe as "average". The grade combines its inspection citations, nurse staffing levels, staff turnover, resident outcomes and enforcement history from the federal CMS record.

How many nursing hours does each resident get at Birchwood Health Care Center? +

Residents receive an average of 3.86 nursing hours per day across all nursing staff, against a national average of 3.86 hours.

Has Birchwood Health Care Center been cited for harming residents? +

Yes. 3 of the 33 citations on record were scored at scope and severity G or above, meaning inspectors found actual harm to a resident or immediate jeopardy to resident safety.

Does Birchwood Health Care Center accept Medicaid? +

Yes, Birchwood Health Care Center is certified to accept Medicaid, which is the programme that pays for long-term custodial care once a resident meets their state's income and asset limits.