Buffalo Lake Health Care Center

Name: Buffalo Lake Health Care Center
Address: 703 WEST YELLOWSTONE TRAIL, Buffalo Lake, MN, 55314, US
Telephone: 3208335364

703 West Yellowstone Trail, Buffalo Lake, MN 55314 · Renville County · 49 certified beds · avg 45 residents/day · certified since Nov 1, 1991

3/5

Health inspection rating (on-site)

Serious findings on record

Fines, last 3 years

5.25

Nurse hours/resident/day (adjusted)

What health inspectors found (on-site government inspections — the most independent evidence available)

Health inspection rating: ★★★☆☆3/5 · CMS overall rating: 4/5

The health inspection star above is graded on a curve within each state — a set share of each state's facilities gets each star level — so a facility can have few citations and still rate 2–3 stars if others in its state did even better. The overall rating combines that inspection score with staffing and self-reported quality measures.

All citations in the current public record (13)

CMS publishes roughly the last three inspection cycles plus recent complaint investigations. Older surveys drop out of the record as new ones are completed.

Date	Severity	What the facility was cited for
Jan 8, 2026	F · Potential for harm, facility-wide	The facility did not get its food from approved, safe sources, or did not store, prepare, and serve food according to professional food safety standards.
Jan 8, 2026	F · Potential for harm, facility-wide	The facility did not have or follow an effective program to prevent and control infections — such as proper hand washing, cleaning, and isolation practices. This is the most commonly cited deficiency nationwide.
Jan 8, 2026	F · Potential for harm, facility-wide	The facility did not designate a qualified infection preventionist — a trained person responsible for running the infection prevention and control program.
Jan 8, 2026	E · Potential for harm, repeated	The facility did not immediately notify the resident, their doctor, and a family member when something significant happened — such as an injury, a decline in health, or a room change. Families and doctors are entitled to know right away.
Jan 8, 2026	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not properly complete the required screening (called PASARR) that identifies whether a person entering a nursing home has a mental illness or intellectual disability and needs specialized services.
Jan 8, 2026	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not provide treatment and care that follows the doctor's orders and matches the resident's own preferences and goals.
Jan 8, 2026	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not make sure special medical diets — like low-sodium or diabetic diets — were properly ordered by the resident's doctor or managed by a qualified dietitian as state law allows.
Jan 8, 2026	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not have a working program to monitor how antibiotics are used. Tracking antibiotic use helps make sure these drugs are given only when needed and remain effective.
Dec 28, 2023	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft to the proper authorities quickly enough, or did not report the results of its investigation. · from a complaint
Dec 20, 2023	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not immediately notify the resident, their doctor, and a family member when something significant happened — such as an injury, a decline in health, or a room change. Families and doctors are entitled to know right away.
Dec 20, 2023	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not keep residents' personal and medical information private and confidential.
Dec 20, 2023	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not give the resident or their representative written notice of how long it would hold the resident's bed during a hospital stay or approved leave.
Dec 20, 2023	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not develop and follow policies and procedures for offering residents flu and pneumonia vaccinations.

Inspection trend by year

Year	Citations	Serious (G–L)	Worst severity that year
2023	5	0	D
2026	8	0	F

Counts reflect the current CMS public record (~3 inspection cycles plus complaint investigations); years with no surveys show no row. Inspection frequency varies, so compare severity as well as counts.

Fines and enforcement (last 3 years)

No fines or payment denials in the published 3-year window.

Nurse staffing (from payroll records, adjusted for how much care residents need)

Measure	This facility	Minnesota avg	U.S. avg	Where it stands
Total nurse staffing (hours per resident per day)	5.25	4.83	3.95	top 26% in Minnesota; top 10% in the U.S.
Registered Nurse hours	0.86	1.22	0.69	bottom 17% in Minnesota; top 23% in the U.S.
Weekend total nurse staffing	4.45	4.27	3.50	top 38% in Minnesota; top 13% in the U.S.
Weekend RN hours (not acuity-adjusted)	0.41	0.69	0.48	bottom 22% in Minnesota; top 46% in the U.S.
Total nursing staff turnover (%)	42.6	42.2	45.8	bottom 44% in Minnesota; top 43% in the U.S.
RN turnover (%)	0.0	38.6	42.9	top 1% in Minnesota; top 1% in the U.S.

Hours are per resident per day, case-mix adjusted by CMS so facilities caring for sicker residents can be compared fairly (same basis as the CMS staffing star). "Top X%" means better than most facilities: more staffing hours, or lower turnover. Raw (unadjusted) reported hours: total 4.60, RN 0.76, weekend 3.90. Staffing rating: 5/5.

Self-reported quality measures

Note: these ratings are based on data the facility reports about itself to CMS. They are not independently verified by inspectors, and can look better than inspection findings. Give more weight to the inspection results above.

Quality measures rating: 2/5 · long-stay residents: 2/5 · short-stay residents: —/5

Who owns this facility

Non profit - Corporation

Owner / manager	Type	Role	Stake	Since
Baumgarten, Mary	Individual	Corporate Director	NOT APPLICABLE	10/01/2013
Byron, David	Individual	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	02/05/2018
Byron, David	Individual	ADP of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	04/16/2025
Carlson, Ranell	Individual	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	11/29/2016
Deal, Debra	Individual	Corporate Director	NOT APPLICABLE	10/01/2017
Deal, Gayle	Individual	Corporate Director	NOT APPLICABLE	12/01/2022
Lauer, Brian	Individual	Corporate Director	NOT APPLICABLE	10/01/2024
Mackey, Loren	Individual	Corporate Director	NOT APPLICABLE	12/01/2022
Newman, Roger	Individual	Corporate Director	NOT APPLICABLE	10/01/2017
Rust, Mark	Individual	Corporate Officer	NOT APPLICABLE	01/01/2009
Rust, Mark	Individual	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	01/01/2009
Rust, Mark	Individual	ADP of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	05/15/2025
Ryberg, Brian	Individual	Corporate Director	NOT APPLICABLE	10/01/2024
Wehking, Kathy	Individual	Corporate Director	NOT APPLICABLE	09/01/2020
Weispfennig, Angel	Individual	Corporate Director	NOT APPLICABLE	12/01/2018

Questions to ask on your visit

Generated from this facility's actual citation record — bring them to a tour and ask the administrator directly.

"What did your most recent kitchen inspection find, and can I see how food is stored and prepared?"
"Who leads your infection prevention program, and how do you make sure staff follow practices like hand hygiene every day?"
"Who is your infection preventionist, and what training do they have?"
"If my family member falls or their condition changes, exactly when and how will I be notified?"
"How do you screen new residents for mental health and disability-related needs, and how do you provide the specialized services they require?"
"How do you make sure each resident's care follows the doctor's orders, and what changed after this citation?"
"Who oversees residents' therapeutic diets, and how do the doctor and dietitian work together on them?"
"Who oversees antibiotic use here, and how do you decide when an antibiotic is really needed?"
"What is your current ratio of nursing staff to residents on day, evening, and weekend shifts?"
"Can I see the results and plan of correction from your most recent state inspection?"

Nearby facilities (within 20 miles)

Facility	Distance	City	Overall	Inspection	Flags
Harmony River Living Center	15.4 mi	Hutchinson, MN	★★★★☆	3/5
Olivia Restorative Care Center	18.3 mi	Olivia, MN	★☆☆☆☆	1/5	SFF
Franklin Restorative Care Center	19.6 mi	Franklin, MN	★☆☆☆☆	1/5	SFF

Compare this facility with the 3 closest →

All facilities in Buffalo Lake →

Facility data as of CMS processing date 2026-08-01. CCN 245589.

The Care File

Visit checklist — Buffalo Lake Health Care Center

703 West Yellowstone Trail, Buffalo Lake, MN 55314 · 3208335364

Health inspection rating 3/5 · CMS overall 4/5· Fines (3y): $0

Questions for the administrator:

☐ "What did your most recent kitchen inspection find, and can I see how food is stored and prepared?"
☐ "Who leads your infection prevention program, and how do you make sure staff follow practices like hand hygiene every day?"
☐ "Who is your infection preventionist, and what training do they have?"
☐ "If my family member falls or their condition changes, exactly when and how will I be notified?"
☐ "How do you screen new residents for mental health and disability-related needs, and how do you provide the specialized services they require?"
☐ "How do you make sure each resident's care follows the doctor's orders, and what changed after this citation?"
☐ "Who oversees residents' therapeutic diets, and how do the doctor and dietitian work together on them?"
☐ "Who oversees antibiotic use here, and how do you decide when an antibiotic is really needed?"
☐ "What is your current ratio of nursing staff to residents on day, evening, and weekend shifts?"
☐ "Can I see the results and plan of correction from your most recent state inspection?"

While you're there, notice:

☐ Smell and cleanliness in hallways, not just the lobby
☐ How staff speak to residents; call lights answered promptly
☐ Residents up, dressed, and engaged (visit mealtimes and a weekend if you can)

Data: CMS Provider Data Catalog, version 2026-08-01 · CCN 245589 · Verify at medicare.gov/care-compare · Printed from The Care File (thecarefile.com)