McKenzie County Healthcare Systems Long Term Care
709 4th Avenue NE, Watford City, ND 58854 · Mckenzie County · 42 certified beds · avg 38 residents/day · certified since Sep 1, 1978
What health inspectors found (on-site government inspections — the most independent evidence available)
Health inspection rating: ★★★☆☆3/5 · CMS overall rating: 3/5
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.
Most serious findings (actual harm or immediate jeopardy)
▲ Actual harm, one-off · Aug 23, 2023 · F-0689 · triggered by a complaint
The facility did not keep the environment free of accident hazards, or did not provide enough supervision to prevent accidents like falls.
Why it matters: This is one of the most common citations and directly relates to falls and injuries, which can be devastating for older adults.
Severity (G): One or a few residents were actually harmed — physically or emotionally — though not put in immediate danger of serious injury or death.
Corrected: Jul 30, 2023 (Past Non-Compliance)
All citations in the current public record (12)
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Jul 24, 2025 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | 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. |
| Jul 24, 2025 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not allow residents to take their own medications when a clinical review showed they could do so safely. Residents have this right if their care team determines it's appropriate. |
| Jul 24, 2025 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility gave residents unnecessary mind-altering (psychotropic) medications, or used drugs in a way that restrained residents by dulling their ability to think, move, or function. |
| Jul 24, 2025 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not provide safe and appropriate respiratory care — such as oxygen, breathing treatments, or care for residents on breathing equipment — for residents who needed it. |
| Jun 20, 2024 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | The facility did not give residents (and their representatives and the ombudsman, a state advocate for residents) proper advance notice before a transfer or discharge, including information about their right to appeal. |
| Jun 20, 2024 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | 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. |
| Jun 20, 2024 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not develop a resident's complete plan of care within 7 days of the full assessment, or the plan wasn't prepared, reviewed, and updated by a team of health professionals as required. |
| Aug 23, 2023 | ▲ G · Actual harm, one-off | The facility did not keep the environment free of accident hazards, or did not provide enough supervision to prevent accidents like falls. · from a complaint |
| Jul 19, 2023 | F · Potential for harm, facility-wide | The facility did not employ enough qualified food and nutrition staff, including a qualified dietician, to properly run its food service. |
| Jul 19, 2023 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | The facility did not keep the environment free of accident hazards, or did not provide enough supervision to prevent accidents like falls. |
| Jul 19, 2023 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | 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. |
| Jul 19, 2023 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not develop a resident's complete plan of care within 7 days of the full assessment, or the plan wasn't prepared, reviewed, and updated by a team of health professionals as required. |
Inspection trend by year
Citations from standard inspections increased between the last two inspection cycles (3 → 4).
| Year | Citations | Serious (G–L) | Worst severity that year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 5 | 1 | G ▲ |
| 2024 | 3 | 0 | E |
| 2025 | 4 | 0 | E |
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 | North Dakota avg | U.S. avg | Where it stands |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total nurse staffing (hours per resident per day) | 5.12 | 5.15 | 3.95 | bottom 47% in North Dakota; top 11% in the U.S. |
| Registered Nurse hours | 1.40 | 1.09 | 0.69 | top 13% in North Dakota; top 6% in the U.S. |
| Weekend total nurse staffing | 4.58 | 4.43 | 3.50 | top 46% in North Dakota; top 11% in the U.S. |
| Weekend RN hours (not acuity-adjusted) | 0.90 | 0.59 | 0.48 | top 7% in North Dakota; top 8% in the U.S. |
| Total nursing staff turnover (%) | 0.0 | 48.8 | 45.8 | — |
| RN turnover (%) | 0.0 | 40.3 | 42.9 | — |
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 4.27, RN 1.17, weekend 3.82. Staffing rating: 4/5.
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: 3/5 · long-stay residents: 3/5 · short-stay residents: —/5
Who owns this facility
Non profit - Corporation
| Owner / manager | Type | Role | Stake | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McKenzie County Healthcare Systems INC | Organization | 5% or Greater Direct Ownership Interest | 100% | 07/01/2004 |
| Brown, Gary | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2020 |
| Bulzomi, Monty | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2020 |
| Ceynar, Virginia | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2020 |
| Dodge, Jan | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2020 |
| Edis, Peter | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 12/31/2021 |
| Edis, Peter | Individual | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 12/31/2021 |
| Edis, Peter | Individual | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 04/23/2025 |
| Faulkner, Cheryl | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 07/01/2004 |
| Faulkner, Cheryl | Individual | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 04/23/2025 |
| Heen, Krista | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/30/2024 |
| Loughman, Amanda | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 06/09/2025 |
| Merkle, William | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 08/01/2023 |
| Merkle, William | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 08/01/2023 |
| Quale, Randy | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 04/27/2021 |
| Voll, Justin | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2020 |
| Wisness, Chase | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2022 |
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 is your falls rate, and what specific steps do you take to prevent falls and supervise residents at risk?"
- "Who leads your infection prevention program, and how do you make sure staff follow practices like hand hygiene every day?"
- "If my family member is able to manage their own medications, would you allow it, and how is that decided?"
- "What percentage of your residents are on antipsychotic or sedating medications, and how do you work to reduce that?"
- "How many residents here use oxygen or breathing equipment, and who checks that equipment each shift?"
- "If you ever planned to discharge or transfer my family member, how much written notice would we receive and how could we appeal?"
- "If my family member goes to the hospital, how long will you hold their bed, and will we get that in writing?"
- "Who is on the team that builds each resident's care plan, and how quickly is it in place after admission?"
- "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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethel Lutheran Nursing & Rehabilitation Center | 29.6 mi | Williston, ND | ★★☆☆☆ | 2/5 | |
| Hill Top Home of Comfort INC | 38.4 mi | Killdeer, ND | ★★☆☆☆ | 1/5 |
Compare this facility with the 2 closest →
All facilities in Watford City →
Facility data as of CMS processing date 2026-08-01. CCN 355072.