Kirkwood by the River

Name: Kirkwood by the River
Address: 3605 RATLIFF ROAD, Birmingham, AL, 35210, US
Telephone: 2059562184

3605 Ratliff Road, Birmingham, AL 35210 · Jefferson County · 61 certified beds · avg 54 residents/day · certified since Sep 8, 2006 · Medicare only — not Medicaid certified

Certified for Medicare only. Medicare pays for short rehabilitation stays, not for long-term care — and this facility cannot bill Medicaid, which is what most families rely on for a long stay. Ask what a long-term stay here would cost and how it would be paid for. Who pays for nursing home care →

4/5

Health inspection rating (on-site)

Serious findings on record

Fines, last 3 years

0.00

Nurse hours/resident/day (adjusted)

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

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

⚠ The most recent standard health inspection was more than 2 years ago — conditions may have changed.

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 (8)

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
Oct 7, 2021	D · Potential for harm, one-off	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.
Mar 28, 2019	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.
Mar 28, 2019	D · Potential for harm, one-off	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.
Mar 22, 2018	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not treat residents with dignity and respect, or did not honor their rights to make their own decisions and communicate freely. This is one of the most fundamental resident rights.
Mar 22, 2018	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility provided care that did not meet professional standards of quality — the accepted standards that nurses and other clinicians are expected to follow.
Mar 22, 2018	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not make sure care was delivered by qualified people following each resident's written care plan — the individualized document that spells out exactly what care that resident is supposed to receive.
Mar 22, 2018	D · Potential for harm, one-off	The facility did not provide proper care for pressure ulcers (bedsores) or did not do enough to prevent new ones from forming. Bedsores develop when residents stay in one position too long without help moving.
Mar 22, 2018	D · Potential for harm, one-off	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.

Inspection trend by year

Citations from standard inspections decreased between the last two inspection cycles (2 → 1).

Year	Citations	Worst severity that year
2018	5	D
2019	2	F
2021	1	D

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	Alabama avg	U.S. avg	Where it stands
Total nurse staffing (hours per resident per day)	0.00	4.43	3.95	—
Registered Nurse hours	0.00	0.74	0.69	—
Weekend total nurse staffing	0.00	3.73	3.50	—
Weekend RN hours (not acuity-adjusted)	0.00	0.36	0.48	—
Total nursing staff turnover (%)	35.8	46.9	45.8	top 18% in Alabama; top 26% in the U.S.
RN turnover (%)	33.3	39.5	42.9	top 40% in Alabama; top 33% 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 0.00, RN 0.00, weekend 0.00. Staffing rating: 1/5.

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: 3/5 · short-stay residents: 1/5

Who owns this facility

Non profit - Corporation

Owner / manager	Type	Role	Stake	Since
Brunstad, Margaret	Individual	Corporate Officer	NOT APPLICABLE	04/01/2011
Burchfield, Jeffrey	Individual	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	08/01/2013
Burchfield, Jeffrey	Individual	ADP of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	08/01/2013
Carter, Chad	Individual	Corporate Officer	NOT APPLICABLE	10/16/2014
Carter, Chad	Individual	ADP of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	10/16/2014
Higgins, John	Individual	Corporate Officer	NOT APPLICABLE	02/01/2009
Snow, James	Individual	Corporate Officer	NOT APPLICABLE	04/01/1997
Thomas, Adeeb	Individual	Operational/Managerial Control	NOT APPLICABLE	11/01/2020
Thomas, Adeeb	Individual	ADP of the SNF	NOT APPLICABLE	11/01/2020
Widman, William	Individual	Corporate Director	NOT APPLICABLE	12/12/2006

Questions to ask on your visit

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

"Who leads your infection prevention program, and how do you make sure staff follow practices like hand hygiene every day?"
"What did your most recent kitchen inspection find, and can I see how food is stored and prepared?"
"Can you give me examples of how your staff protect residents' dignity in everyday care, like bathing and dressing?"
"Can you tell me what this citation involved and what steps you took to bring care back up to standard?"
"How do you make sure every shift actually follows each resident's care plan?"
"How do you prevent bedsores for residents who can't move themselves, and how often are at-risk residents repositioned?"
"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
East Glen	3.9 mi	Birmingham, AL	★★★☆☆	3/5
St Martin's in the Pines	4.6 mi	Irondale, AL	★★☆☆☆	2/5
The Healthcare Center of Eastview	5.0 mi	Birmingham, AL	★★☆☆☆	2/5
Fair Haven	5.2 mi	Birmingham, AL	★★★☆☆	3/5
Cavalier Healthcare of Trussville	5.4 mi	Trussville, AL	★★★☆☆	4/5
Highlands Rehabilitation and Wellness Center	6.7 mi	Birmingham, AL	★★☆☆☆	1/5
Greenbriar at the Altamont Skilled Nursing Facilit	8.6 mi	Birmingham, AL	★★★☆☆	3/5
Pine Hill Rehabilitation and Wellness Center	9.0 mi	Birmingham, AL	★☆☆☆☆	2/5
Elite Nursing and Rehabilitation Care Center	9.1 mi	Birmingham, AL	★☆☆☆☆	1/5
Aspire Physical Recovery Center at Cahaba River	9.5 mi	Vestavia, AL	★☆☆☆☆	1/5
South Health and Rehabilitation, LLC	9.7 mi	Birmingham, AL	★★☆☆☆	2/5
Northway Health and Rehabilitation, LLC	9.8 mi	Birmingham, AL	★★★☆☆	2/5

Compare this facility with the 3 closest →

All facilities in Birmingham →

Facility data as of CMS processing date 2026-08-01. CCN 015457.

The Care File

Visit checklist — Kirkwood by the River

3605 Ratliff Road, Birmingham, AL 35210 · 2059562184

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

Questions for the administrator:

☐ "Who leads your infection prevention program, and how do you make sure staff follow practices like hand hygiene every day?"
☐ "What did your most recent kitchen inspection find, and can I see how food is stored and prepared?"
☐ "Can you give me examples of how your staff protect residents' dignity in everyday care, like bathing and dressing?"
☐ "Can you tell me what this citation involved and what steps you took to bring care back up to standard?"
☐ "How do you make sure every shift actually follows each resident's care plan?"
☐ "How do you prevent bedsores for residents who can't move themselves, and how often are at-risk residents repositioned?"
☐ "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 015457 · Verify at medicare.gov/care-compare · Printed from The Care File (thecarefile.com)