Buffalo Lake Health Care Center: Staffing, Turnover, and Inspection Record
Buffalo Lake Health Care Center is a 49-bed nonprofit nursing home in Buffalo Lake, Minnesota. In the CMS August 2026 release it reported 3.37 nurse aide hours per resident per day, 34% above the Minnesota average of 2.52, and 42.6% nursing staff turnover (Minnesota average 42.2%).
Buffalo Lake Health Care Center
703 West Yellowstone TrailBuffalo Lake, MN 55314
Renville 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 Buffalo Lake Health Care Center, nurse aides logged 3.37 hours per resident per day, 34% above the Minnesota average. With about 45 residents a day, that works out to roughly 153 aide hours a day, or about 19 eight-hour aide shifts across day, evening, and night. On weekends, total nursing hours per resident ran 15% below the all-days figure.
| Hours per resident per day | This home | Minnesota avg | US avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nurse aides (CNAs) | 3.37 | 2.52 | 2.32 |
| Licensed practical nurses | 0.48 | 0.61 | 0.86 |
| Registered nurses | 0.76 | 1.06 | 0.69 |
| All nursing staff | 4.60 | 4.19 | 3.86 |
| All nursing staff, weekends | 3.90 | 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
42.6% of nursing staff at Buffalo Lake 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 0.0%. No administrators left over the same period.
Inspections and penalties
State inspectors last completed a standard health inspection on Jan 8, 2026. The most recent inspection cycle, which also counts complaint and infection-control inspections from the past 12 months, found 8 health deficiencies (Minnesota average 7.0). CMS lists no fines or payment denials for this home in the last three years.
CMS star ratings
CMS rates every nursing home from one to five stars overall and on health inspections, staffing, and quality measures. Buffalo Lake Health Care Center holds 4 of 5 overall; the Minnesota average is 3.2.
About Buffalo Lake Health Care Center
- Ownership: Non profit - Corporation
- Legal name: Buffalo Lake Healthcare Center Inc,.
- Medicare and Medicaid certified since: Nov 1, 1991
- Councils: resident council
- Area: rural
Nursing homes near Buffalo Lake Health Care Center
The closest homes by distance, with the same CMS figures. Select a column to sort.
| Harmony River Living Center Hutchinson | 15.4 | 120 | 2.94 | 4.09 | 29.5% | 4 | $13,520 |
| Olivia Restorative Care Center Olivia · SFF candidate | 18.2 | 60 | 2.49 | 3.62 | 58.7% | 1 | None |
| Franklin Restorative Care Center Franklin · SFF candidate · many days without an RN | 19.6 | 40 | 1.99 | 3.19 | 64.8% | 1 | None |
| Glenfields Living with Care Glencoe | 23.4 | 108 | 3.01 | 4.83 | — | 4 | None |
| Bayside Manor LLC Gaylord · abuse citation | 23.5 | 44 | 1.94 | 3.60 | 75.0% | 2 | $16,982 |
| Gil-Mor Manor Morgan | 26.8 | 35 | 3.18 | 4.42 | — | 2 | None |
| Meeker Manor Rehablitation Center, LLC Litchfield | 27.0 | 65 | 2.17 | 3.53 | 62.7% | 3 | $14,696 |
| River Valley Health and Rehabilitation Center LLC Redwood Falls | 27.1 | 43 | 2.02 | 3.62 | 83.7% | 3 | $14,310 |
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.