Minnesota ›Northfield

Three Links Care Center

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815 Forest Avenue, Northfield, MN 55057 (opens Google Maps) · Rice County · (507) 664-8800· 92 certified beds · avg 78 residents/day · certified since Sep 1, 1987 · Medicare and Medicaid certified

Certified for both programmes. Certification means the facility can bill Medicaid — it does not mean a Medicaid-funded bed is free right now, so ask directly. Who pays for nursing home care →

Part of chain: ST. FRANCIS HEALTH SERVICES (14 facilities, chain avg rating 2.8★)

3/5
Health inspection rating (on-site)
inspected Jul 31, 2025
2
Serious findings on record
most recent Sep 19, 2025
$0
Fines, last 3 years
4.56
Nurse hours/resident/day (adjusted)

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

New to these records? How to read an inspection report →

Health inspection rating: ★★★☆☆3/5 · CMS overall rating: 4/5 · how star ratings work →

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 quality measures from resident assessments and claims.

Most serious findings (actual harm or immediate jeopardy)

▲ Immediate jeopardy, isolated · Sep 19, 2025 · 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 (J): Immediate jeopardy to resident health or safety was cited. The scope was isolated: limited residents, staff, or locations were affected. Scope describes the extent of the deficiency, not whether it happened on previous inspections.

Corrected: Sep 12, 2025 (Past Non-Compliance)

▲ Immediate jeopardy, isolated · Oct 13, 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 (J): Immediate jeopardy to resident health or safety was cited. The scope was isolated: limited residents, staff, or locations were affected. Scope describes the extent of the deficiency, not whether it happened on previous inspections.

Corrected: Oct 3, 2023 (Past Non-Compliance)

Inspection findings in the public record

Showing the latest 3 of 16 inspection findings. Open the full record below to read every finding.

  1. J · Immediate jeopardy, isolated

    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 F-0689

  2. D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolated

    The facility did not honor residents' right to make their own choices about their daily lives, such as when to wake up, what to eat, or how to spend their time. F-0561

  3. D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolated

    The facility did not accurately assess a resident's health and needs. Assessments are the foundation for all the care a resident receives. F-0641

View all 16 inspection findingsShow only the latest 3 findings

CMS publishes roughly the last three inspection cycles plus recent complaint investigations. Older surveys drop out of the record as new ones are completed — that window is CMS's, not ours. Within it, every citation CMS publishes for this facility is listed here: none excluded.

DateSeverityWhat the facility was cited for
Sep 19, 2025▲ J · Immediate jeopardy, isolatedThe facility did not keep the environment free of accident hazards, or did not provide enough supervision to prevent accidents like falls. · from a complaint · F-0689
Jul 31, 2025D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolatedThe facility did not honor residents' right to make their own choices about their daily lives, such as when to wake up, what to eat, or how to spend their time. · F-0561
Jul 31, 2025D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolatedThe facility did not accurately assess a resident's health and needs. Assessments are the foundation for all the care a resident receives. · F-0641
Jul 31, 2025D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolatedThe facility did not provide the help residents need with basic daily activities — like bathing, dressing, eating, and using the bathroom — for residents who cannot do these things on their own. · F-0677
Jul 31, 2025D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolatedThe 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. · F-0880
May 23, 2024D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolatedThe 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. · F-0554
May 23, 2024D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolatedThe facility did not honor residents' right to make their own choices about their daily lives, such as when to wake up, what to eat, or how to spend their time. · F-0561
May 23, 2024D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolatedThe facility did not properly notify residents about the balance of money it holds for them, or failed to return those funds when a resident was discharged, evicted, or died. · F-0569
May 23, 2024D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolatedThe facility did not develop or follow a complete care plan for each resident — the written roadmap covering all of a resident's needs, with measurable goals and timelines. · F-0656
May 23, 2024D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolatedThe facility did not provide the care needed to maintain or improve residents' movement and flexibility — such as range-of-motion exercises — leading to avoidable decline. · F-0688
May 23, 2024D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolatedThe facility did not provide routine dental care and 24-hour emergency dental care for residents. · F-0790
May 23, 2024D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolatedThe 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. · F-0880
May 23, 2024B · Potential for minimal harm, patternThe facility did not properly hold, secure, and manage residents' personal money that was deposited with it for safekeeping. Facilities holding residents' funds must keep careful, honest accounts. · F-0568
Oct 13, 2023▲ J · Immediate jeopardy, isolatedThe facility did not keep the environment free of accident hazards, or did not provide enough supervision to prevent accidents like falls. · from a complaint · F-0689
Aug 17, 2023E · Potential for more than minimal harm, patternThe facility did not get its food from approved, safe sources, or did not store, prepare, and serve food according to professional food safety standards. · F-0812
Aug 17, 2023D · Potential for more than minimal harm, isolatedThe facility did not provide enough food and fluids to keep residents healthy, such as preventing unplanned weight loss or dehydration. · F-0692

Inspection trend by year

Citations from standard inspections decreased between the last two inspection cycles (8 → 4).

Citations by recorded inspection yearPublished citation counts, not a quality score · Source: CMS, 2026-08-01
All citationsSerious citations (G–L)
2023
All citations: 3
Serious citations (G–L): 1
2024
All citations: 8
Serious citations (G–L): 0
2025
All citations: 5
Serious citations (G–L): 1

All bars start at zero. Exact values and supporting details remain below.

YearCitationsSerious (G–L)Worst severity that year
202331J ▲
202480D
202551J ▲

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)

How to file a complaint about care →

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

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

What these staffing numbers mean →

Nurse time, in contextAdjusted hours per resident per day · Source: CMS, 2026-08-01
This facilityMinnesota averageU.S. average
Total nurse staffing (hours per resident per day)
This facility: 4.56
Minnesota average: 4.83
U.S. average: 3.95
Registered Nurse hours
This facility: 1.09
Minnesota average: 1.22
U.S. average: 0.69
Weekend total nurse staffing
This facility: 4.08
Minnesota average: 4.27
U.S. average: 3.50

All bars start at zero. Exact values and supporting details remain below.

MeasureThis facilityMinnesota avgU.S. avgWhere it stands
Total nurse staffing (hours per resident per day)4.564.833.95bottom 40% in Minnesota; top 21% in the U.S.
Registered Nurse hours1.091.220.69bottom 47% in Minnesota; top 12% in the U.S.
Weekend total nurse staffing4.084.273.50bottom 43% in Minnesota; top 21% in the U.S.
Weekend RN hours (not acuity-adjusted)0.650.690.48top 44% in Minnesota; top 19% in the U.S.
Total nursing staff turnover (%)38.842.245.8top 48% in Minnesota; top 33% in the U.S.
RN turnover (%)36.438.642.9bottom 50% in Minnesota; top 40% in the U.S.

Hours are per resident per day for the most recent quarter of payroll data in this CMS release (2026-08-01) — the same quarter for every facility — 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 4.16, RN 1.00, weekend 3.72.Comparing with Medicare Care Compare? Care Compare shows the raw figure (4.16 here, displayed there as hours and minutes), not the adjusted one above. Both are correct; they answer different questions. Staffing rating: 5/5.

Quality measures: assessments & claims

Note: CMS combines facility-reported resident assessments (MDS) with claims-based measures. These are different sources from on-site inspection findings. Read the measures alongside inspection and staffing records; a high QM rating does not establish that a home is safe.

Quality measures rating: 4/5 · long-stay residents: 4/5 · short-stay residents: 5/5

Costs & payment

Price evidence · separate from quality

No verified facility-specific private-pay price is available in our data for Three Links Care Center. CMS inspection and staffing records do not tell us what this home will charge you.

Calculate a stay from a quote you receive

Use a written private-pay quote. This worksheet adds only the amounts you enter; it does not calculate Medicare, Medicaid or insurance benefits.

Formula: (room rate + daily extras) × days + one-time charges. A 30-day scenario is not a calendar-month quote. Refundable deposits, rate changes and charges you omit are not automatically included. Entries are not saved or sent to our server.

Before you compare prices

  • Request the room type, effective date and itemized daily rate in writing.
  • Ask about therapy, medicines, supplies, care-level charges, deposits, refunds and annual increases.
  • Confirm insurance or Medicaid eligibility and bed availability directly; certification alone does not guarantee either.

Understand who pays for care · How we handle price evidence · Report an incorrect price

Who owns this facility

How to read ownership records →

Ownership records as published by CMS on 2026-08-01. CMS records when an owner joined but not when they left. Listed here and no longer involved? Tell us →

Non profit - Corporation

Owner / managerTypeRoleStakeSince
Bach, CurtisIndividualCorporate DirectorNOT APPLICABLE08/28/2024
Bach, CurtisIndividualCorporate OfficerNOT APPLICABLE08/28/2024
Bach, CurtisIndividualOperational/Managerial ControlNOT APPLICABLE08/28/2024
Bach, CurtisIndividualADP of the SNFNOT APPLICABLE08/28/2024
Big Stone Therapies, INCOrganizationOperational/Managerial ControlNOT APPLICABLE02/03/2015
Big Stone Therapies, INCOrganizationADP of the SNFNOT APPLICABLE10/23/2025
Breyer, CarmenIndividualOperational/Managerial ControlNOT APPLICABLE06/06/2022
Breyer, CarmenIndividualADP of the SNFNOT APPLICABLE06/06/2022
Caspers, MeganIndividualOperational/Managerial ControlNOT APPLICABLE12/29/2014
Caspers, MeganIndividualADP of the SNFNOT APPLICABLE12/29/2014
Denzer, CynthiaIndividualOperational/Managerial ControlNOT APPLICABLE12/02/2024
Denzer, CynthiaIndividualADP of the SNFNOT APPLICABLE12/02/2024
Donacik, RonaldIndividualOperational/Managerial ControlNOT APPLICABLE09/03/2025
Donacik, RonaldIndividualADP of the SNFNOT APPLICABLE09/03/2025
Dripps, DanielIndividualCorporate DirectorNOT APPLICABLE01/01/2016
Dripps, DanielIndividualOperational/Managerial ControlNOT APPLICABLE01/01/2016
Ehlers, DouglasIndividualManaging Control - Governing BodyNOT APPLICABLE01/01/2023
Ehlers, DouglasIndividualCorporate DirectorNOT APPLICABLE11/01/2023
Ehlers, DouglasIndividualOperational/Managerial ControlNOT APPLICABLE01/01/2023
Ehlers, DouglasIndividualADP of the SNFNOT APPLICABLE01/01/2023

Showing 20 of 109 parties CMS has on file for this facility; 89 are not displayed. The full list is in the CMS Ownership dataset.

Other facilities in the same chain

CMS lists this facility under the chain St. Francis Health Services — 14 facilities in the current records. Chain membership says who operates these homes. It says nothing about how any individual one of them was inspected; each has its own record.

Listed by state, then facility name — not a ranking. Showing 8 of the 13 others, continuing from this facility's own place in that list.

Questions to ask on your visit

Full visit checklist →

Print visit checklist

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?"
  • "What choices do residents have over their daily schedule, like meal times, bathing, and activities?"
  • "Who completes resident assessments here, and how do you check them for accuracy?"
  • "How many aides are on each shift, and how do you make sure every resident gets timely help with bathing, dressing, and meals?"
  • "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?"
  • "If you manage my family member's personal funds, how often will we get statements and how quickly are funds returned?"
  • "Can you show me an example care plan, and how are families included when it's created and updated?"

Also worth asking anywhere

  • "Your weekend nurse staffing is reported below the Minnesota midpoint — how does the weekend schedule differ from a weekday?"
  • "Can I see the plan of correction for the findings in your most recent state inspection?"
  • "CMS reports 39% total nursing staff turnover here — who on the care team has been with you longest?"
  • "The ownership record on file lists 109 owning or managing parties — who makes the decisions about staffing levels?"
  • "Can I visit again unannounced, at a mealtime or on a weekend?"

Nearby facilities (within 20 miles)

FacilityDistanceCityOverallInspectionFlags
The Emeralds at Fairbault LLC12.4 miFaribault, MN★☆☆☆☆1/5
Trinity Care Center12.8 miFarmington, MN★★★★★3/5
Apple Valley Village Health Care Center19.4 miApple Valley, MN★★★★★4/5

Compare this facility with the 3 closest →

All facilities in Northfield →

Facility data as of CMS processing date 2026-08-01. CCN 245450.

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