Birchwood Health Care Center: Staffing, Turnover, and Inspection Record
Birchwood Health Care Center is a 100-bed nonprofit nursing home in Forest Lake, Minnesota, part of Lifespark. In the CMS August 2026 release it reported 2.08 nurse aide hours per resident per day, 18% below the Minnesota average of 2.52, and 37.7% nursing staff turnover (Minnesota average 42.2%).
Birchwood Health Care Center
604 1st Street NeForest Lake, MN 55025
Washington County
CMS Care Compare, August 2026 release
How many staff hours residents get
CMS reports staffing as hours per resident per day, from the payroll records each home submits. At Birchwood Health Care Center, nurse aides logged 2.08 hours per resident per day, 18% below the Minnesota average. With about 84 residents a day, that works out to roughly 175 aide hours a day, or about 22 eight-hour aide shifts across day, evening, and night. On weekends, total nursing hours per resident ran 8% below the all-days figure.
| Hours per resident per day | This home | Minnesota avg | US avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nurse aides (CNAs) | 2.08 | 2.52 | 2.32 |
| Licensed practical nurses | 0.99 | 0.61 | 0.86 |
| Registered nurses | 0.78 | 1.06 | 0.69 |
| All nursing staff | 3.86 | 4.19 | 3.86 |
| All nursing staff, weekends | 3.56 | 3.71 | 3.42 |
CMS Care Compare, August 2026 release: reported staffing hours from Payroll-Based Journal data, and CMS state and US averages.
Staff turnover
37.7% of nursing staff at Birchwood Health Care Center left over the year CMS measured, against a Minnesota average of 42.2% and a US average of 45.8%. Registered nurse turnover was 50.0%. 1 administrator left over the same period.
Inspections and penalties
State inspectors last completed a standard health inspection on Jun 12, 2026. The most recent inspection cycle, which also counts complaint and infection-control inspections from the past 12 months, found 11 health deficiencies (Minnesota average 7.0). CMS lists 3 fines totaling $48,698 in the last three years.
| Inspection date | Penalty | Amount or length |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 13, 2025 | Fine | $10,361 |
| Feb 9, 2024 | Fine | $29,234 |
| Jan 4, 2024 | Fine | $9,103 |
CMS Penalties file, August 2026 release. A payment denial stops Medicare and Medicaid payment for new admissions for the days shown.
CMS star ratings
CMS rates every nursing home from one to five stars overall and on health inspections, staffing, and quality measures. Birchwood Health Care Center holds 2 of 5 overall; the Minnesota average is 3.2.
About Birchwood Health Care Center
- Ownership: Non profit - Corporation
- Chain: Lifespark, 4 homes
- Legal name: Senior Care Forest Lake, LLC
- Medicare and Medicaid certified since: Dec 1, 1974
- Councils: resident council
- Area: urban
Nursing homes near Birchwood Health Care Center
The closest homes by distance, with the same CMS figures. Select a column to sort.
| Meadows on Fairview Wyoming · staffing data not validated | 2.5 | 14 | — | — | 56.3% | 4 | None |
| Parmly on the Lake LLC Chisago City | 6.9 | 91 | 1.89 | 3.48 | 52.0% | 2 | $8,193 |
| Waverly Gardens North Oaks · abuse citation | 11.7 | 60 | 3.00 | 4.50 | 35.5% | 3 | $113,312 |
| Christian Community Home of Osceola, Inc Osceola | 13.8 | 40 | 3.03 | 4.42 | 51.7% | 2 | None |
| Cerenity Care Center White Bear Lake White Bear Lake | 14.2 | 132 | 2.17 | 4.09 | 32.2% | 4 | $36,990 |
| Ecumen North Branch North Branch | 15.2 | 50 | 2.49 | 4.51 | 62.7% | 3 | None |
| Good Samaritan Society - Stillwater Stillwater | 17.1 | 50 | 2.15 | 4.09 | 51.2% | 3 | None |
| The Estates at Linden LLC Stillwater | 17.8 | 51 | 1.89 | 3.47 | 51.3% | 5 | None |
Aide hrs and all nurse hrs are staff hours per resident per day. Fines are the CMS total for the last three years. Turnover is the share of nursing staff who left over a year. All figures from CMS Care Compare.
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Source: CMS Care Compare Provider Information, State and US Averages, and Penalties files, August 2026 release. Figures are as CMS publishes them; check Medicare Care Compare for the latest. Methodology.