Home / Minnesota / Buffalo Lake
703 West Yellowstone Trail, Buffalo Lake, MN 55314 · Renville County · (320) 833-5364
49 certified beds, about 45 residents a day · Non profit - Corporation · Medicare and Medicaid since 1991
CMS Care Compare ratings, data as of September 1, 2026 · CCN 245589 · See it on Medicare.gov · Compare with other homes
At its most recent standard inspection, on January 8, 2026, inspectors cited 8 health deficiencies (the Minnesota average is 7.1, the national average 9.2).
None of its 13 health citations since December 2023 was rated as actual harm or immediate jeopardy.
CMS lists no fines against this home in the last three years.
Nurses and nurse aides worked 4.60 hours per resident per day, against 4.19 across Minnesota and 3.86 nationally. Registered nurses accounted for 0.76 of those hours.
42.6% of nursing staff left within the year CMS measured (Minnesota average 42.2%).
Federal rules call for a standard inspection at least every 15 months, plus a visit whenever a complaint is filed. Each mark below is one citation, colored by how serious inspectors rated it. How to read a citation.
Under each citation, the quoted text is the inspector's own summary from the federal statement of deficiencies (CMS form 2567), word for word apart from a privacy scrub; CMS removes residents' and staff names before it publishes the text. The full notes are on Medicare.gov.
CMS rates every citation by how much harm it caused (rows) and how many residents it touched (columns). The count in each box is this home's, across all 13 health citations on file.
Inspectors wroteBased on observation and interview, the facility failed to ensure appropriate infection control technique was maintained during 1 of 1 meal service. This had the potential to affect all 42 residents.
Inspectors wroteBased on interview and document review, the facility failed to ensure employee illnesses were tracked to identify when employee would be able to return to work after an illness, dependent upon their symptoms for 1 of 3 sampled staff (dietary aide) (DA)-A. This had the potential to affect all 41 residents in the facility. In addition, the facility failed to ensure a comprehensive ongoing infection control surveillance log to adequately track all staff illnesses and failed to update their infection control policies, annually.
Inspectors wroteBased on interview and document review, the facility failed to ensure 1 of 1 infection preventionist (IP) had appropriate oversight of the infection control (IC) program to ensure thorough infection control and antibiotic stewardship program. This had the potential to affect all 42 residents in the facility.
Inspectors wroteBased on interview and document review the facility failed to provide timely notification to the designated family member of a change in condition for 1 of 1 resident (R47) with a change of condition requiring hospitalization, failed to update the physician of additional signs and symptoms of physical decline for 1 of 1 resident R45, who had continued high blood sugar levels and bloody stools, and timely notify the physician to a previous choking episode for 1 of 1 resident R7. Refer also to F684 and F808.
Inspectors wroteBased on interview and document review, the facility failed to notify the county (designated State Mental Health Authority (SMHA) when 1 of 12 (R17) sampled residents had new on-set of mental illness since admission.
Inspectors wroteBased on interview and document review, the facility failed to appropriately assess, monitor, update the physician of additional signs and symptoms of physical decline, and intervene for 1 of 1 sampled resident (R45) who had continued high blood sugar levels and bloody stools, and intervene when immediate medical evaluation warranted a face-to-face by a physician.
Inspectors wroteBased on observations, interview, and document review, the facility failed to ensure 1 of 1 resident (R7) had received the appropriate therapeutic diet as ordered by the physician, timely notify the physician of a previous choking episode, and follow policy and procedure by having only cooks dish up food from the serving line to serve to residents in order to ensure diets were accurately given as ordered to each resident.
Inspectors wroteBased on interview and document review, the facility failed to complete a comprehensive assessment for continued use of antibiotics for 2 of 3 sampled residents (R19 and R31) reviewed for antibiotic stewardship.
Inspectors wroteBased on interview and document review, the facility failed to ensure allegations of abuse were reported immediately, within two hours, to the State Agency (SA) for 1 of 3 residents (R1) reviewed for allegations of abuse. R1's significant change Minimum Data Set (MDS) dated [DATE] indicated R1 had impaired cognition, and exhibited physical and verbal behaviors directed towards others daily that significantly interfered with R1's care. On 12/20/23 at 2:00 p.m. a Facility Reported Incident (FRI) submitted to the SA indicated nursing assistant (NA)-A had threatened to hit R1. On 12/28/23 at 12:10 p.m., registered nurse (RN)-A stated she was the charge nurse on 12/19/23. At approximately 10:30 p.m. on 12/19/23, NA-B told RN-A she had observed NA-A place her hands on R1 shoulders while speaking harshly to R1. RN-A could not remember what the exact words were reported to her. [...]
Inspectors wroteBased on interview and document review, the facility failed to notify a provider of a drop in blood pressure for 1 of 1 residents (R4) reviewed for orthostatic blood pressure (a measure of blood pressure before and after a change in position).
Inspectors wroteBased on observation, interview and document review, the facility failed to ensure confidentiality of health conditions for 1of 1 residents (R42) who was reviewed for right to privacy.
Inspectors wroteBased on interview and document review, the facility failed to provide the resident or their representative a written bed hold policy at the time of hospital transfer for 2 of 2 residents (R24 and R40) who was reviewed for hospitalization.
Inspectors wroteBased on interview and document review, the facility failed to ensure 3 of 5 residents (R26, R31 and R40) reviewed for immunizations were offered and/or provided the pneumococcal vaccine series as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to help reduce the risk of associated infection(s).
8 fire safety citations on file: 2 on January 8, 2026, 4 on November 20, 2024, 2 on December 20, 2023.
CMS lists no fines or payment denials against this home in the last three years. The national average is 0.9 fines per home.
Hours of care per resident per day, from the payroll records every home sends CMS. Higher means more staff time with each resident.
| Measure | This home | Minnesota | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| All nursing staff (RN, LPN and aides) | 4.60 | 4.19 | 3.86 |
| Registered nurses | 0.76 | 1.06 | 0.69 |
| All nursing staff on weekends | 3.90 | 3.71 | 3.42 |
| Nurse aides | 3.37 | ||
| Licensed practical nurses | 0.48 | ||
| Nursing staff turnover (share who left in a year) | 42.6% | 42.2% | 45.8% |
| Registered nurse turnover | 0.0% | 38.6% | 42.9% |
| Administrators who left | 0 |
CMS expects 3.36 hours a day for residents as sick as this home's (its case-mix figure). The staffing star compares the two.
Every nursing home sends CMS its staff hours for each day (the Payroll Based Journal). Here they are added up by quarter. The latest quarter is the one behind the figures above. In January to March 2026, nursing staff hours per resident were 4.89 on weekdays and 3.90 on weekends, 20% lower on weekends (nationally, weekends ran 15% lower). Contract or agency staff worked 1.0% of nursing hours, against 5.3% nationally. Total nursing hours per resident went from 4.46 in April to June 2025 to 4.60 in January to March 2026.
| Quarter | All nursing staff | Registered nurses | Weekdays | Weekends | Contract staff share | Days with no RN hours | Residents a day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan to Mar 2026 | 4.60 | 0.76 | 4.89 | 3.90 | 1.0% | 0 of 90 | 45 |
| Oct to Dec 2025 | 4.81 | 0.91 | 5.15 | 3.97 | 0.5% | 0 of 92 | 43 |
| Jul to Sep 2025 | 4.56 | 0.80 | 4.82 | 3.92 | 1.6% | 0 of 92 | 44 |
| Apr to Jun 2025 | 4.46 | 0.76 | 4.73 | 3.77 | 3.6% | 0 of 91 | 44 |
| United States, Jan to Mar 2026 | 3.75 | 0.62 | 3.92 | 3.33 | 5.3% | 0.5% of days | |
| Minnesota, Jan to Mar 2026 | 4.19 | 1.05 | 4.38 | 3.73 | 5.2% | 0.8% of days |
Hours per resident per day: staff hours in the quarter divided by resident days (the daily census CMS derives from resident assessments). Registered nurses include the director of nursing and RNs with administrative duties; aides include nurse aides in training and medication aides, as in CMS's own staffing measure. How these are calculated.
Staff pay reports
No staff pay figure for this home has passed review yet. A figure appears only after at least 5 reports from at least 3 different people, sent over at least 60 days, have passed review. If you work here, your report helps start one.
| Job | Median | Middle half | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota, all employers | |||
| CNAs (nursing assistants) | $22.44 | $19.39 to $23.72 | 29,120 |
| LPNs and LVNs | $30.65 | $28.83 to $34.26 | 12,840 |
| Registered nurses | $48.80 | $42.76 to $55.17 | 70,110 |
| United States, nursing care facilities | |||
| CNAs (nursing assistants) | $20.67 | $17.91 to $22.55 | 534,270 |
| LPNs and LVNs | $33.86 | $30.05 to $37.40 | 188,210 |
| Registered nurses | $41.11 | $37.85 to $47.68 | 142,270 |
Hourly wages; the middle half runs from the 25th to the 75th percentile. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. BLS has no separate estimate for medication aides. These are survey estimates for whole occupations, not figures for any one home.
The measures CMS uses for the quality star. Lower is better for every one of them.
| Measure | This home | Minnesota | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose need for help with daily activities has increased Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 18.5 | 18.2 | 13.9 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a catheter inserted and left in their bladder Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 0.6 | 1.9 | 0.8 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a urinary tract infection Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 0.6 | 2.6 | 1.6 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents experiencing one or more falls with major injury Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 5.4 | 4.0 | 3.2 |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who newly received an antipsychotic medication Short Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 3.7 | 1.9 | 1.6 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose ability to walk independently worsened Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 24.1 | 20.5 | 14.1 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with pressure ulcers Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 6.0 | 5.2 | 4.6 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antipsychotic medication Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 10.9 | 17.1 | 15.4 |
| Number of hospitalizations per 1000 long-stay resident days Long Stay residents, 20250101-20251231 | 3.4 | 1.6 | 1.9 |
| Number of outpatient emergency department visits per 1000 long-stay resident days Long Stay residents, 20250101-20251231 | 3.8 | 1.9 | 1.8 |
For a stay to recover after a hospital visit, these are the results CMS publishes for Buffalo Lake Health Care Center's Medicare short-stay residents. How to read these, and what Medicare pays for.
Not reported
CMS note: The number of residents or resident stays is too small to report. Call the facility to discuss this quality measure.
US median of homes 51.5% · Minnesota: 66 better, 14 worse
Rate of successful return to home or community from a SNF (risk-standardized discharge to community rate). Higher is better. October 2022 to September 2024. 24 eligible stays.
11.2% this home
No different from the national rate
US median of homes 10.7% · Minnesota: 0 better, 0 worse
Rate of potentially preventable hospital readmissions 30 days after discharge from a SNF (risk-standardized rate). Lower is better. October 2022 to September 2024. 28 eligible stays.
Not reported
CMS note: The number of residents or resident stays is too small to report. Call the facility to discuss this quality measure.
US median of homes 7.1% · Minnesota: 2 better, 0 worse
Percentage of infections residents got during their SNF stay that resulted in hospitalization (risk-standardized rate). Lower is better. October 2023 to September 2024. 18 eligible stays.
Not reported
CMS note: The number of residents or resident stays is too small to report. Call the facility to discuss this quality measure.
Median of homes: Minnesota57.8% · US 56.6%
Percentage of residents who are at or above an expected ability to care for themselves and move around at discharge. Higher is better. October 2024 to September 2025. 15 residents counted.
Not reported
CMS note: The number of residents or resident stays is too small to report. Call the facility to discuss this quality measure.
Median of homes: Minnesota0.0% · US 0.0%
Percentage of SNF residents who experience one or more falls with major injury during their SNF stay. Lower is better. October 2024 to September 2025. 16 residents counted.
Not reported
CMS note: The number of residents or resident stays is too small to report. Call the facility to discuss this quality measure.
Median of homes: Minnesota2.0% · US 1.7%
Percentage of residents with pressure ulcers or pressure injuries that are new or worsened (adjusted rate). Lower is better. October 2024 to September 2025. 16 residents counted.
Not reported
CMS note: The number of residents or resident stays is too small to report. Call the facility to discuss this quality measure.
Median of homes: Minnesota98.5% · US 98.7%
Percentage of residents where the SNF provided a current medication list to the resident, family, and/or caregiver at final discharge. Higher is better. October 2024 to September 2025. 4 residents counted.
Source: CMS Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Program - Provider Data, released 2026-09-30. Better, no different and worse are CMS's own comparisons with the national rate, after adjusting for how sick residents were. Medians of homes and the state counts are worked out by us from the same file.
Legal business name: BUFFALO LAKE HEALTHCARE CENTER INC,..
| Name | Role | Type | Share | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baumgarten, Mary | Corporate director | Individual | 10/01/2013 | |
| Deal, Debra | Corporate director | Individual | 10/01/2017 | |
| Deal, Gayle | Corporate director | Individual | 12/01/2022 | |
| Lauer, Brian | Corporate director | Individual | 10/01/2024 | |
| Mackey, Loren | Corporate director | Individual | 12/01/2022 | |
| Newman, Roger | Corporate director | Individual | 10/01/2017 | |
| Ryberg, Brian | Corporate director | Individual | 10/01/2024 | |
| Wehking, Kathy | Corporate director | Individual | 09/01/2020 | |
| Weispfennig, Angel | Corporate director | Individual | 12/01/2018 | |
| Rust, Mark | Corporate officer | Individual | 01/01/2009 | |
| Byron, David | Operational/managerial control | Individual | 02/05/2018 | |
| Carlson, Ranell | Operational/managerial control | Individual | 11/29/2016 | |
| Rust, Mark | Operational/managerial control | Individual | 01/01/2009 | |
| Byron, David | Adp of the SNF | Individual | 04/16/2025 | |
| Rust, Mark | Adp of the SNF | Individual | 05/15/2025 |
As listed in the CMS ownership file, which names owners with a 5% or greater stake and the people and companies with operational or managerial control.
Chosen from this home's own inspection record.
These are the official offices in Minnesota. NursingHomeClear cannot take or act on complaints.