Birchwood Health Care Center
Nursing home in Forest Lake, Minnesota, CMS certification number 245200
604 1st Street NE, Forest Lake, MN 55025 · Washington County
- CMS overall rating
- 1 of 5 stars
- Certified beds
- 100
- Certified for
- Medicare and Medicaid
- Last standard inspection
- June 12, 2026
- Deficiencies at that inspection
- 11
- Fines in 3 years
- $139,646 (4)
Does Birchwood Health Care Center take Medicare and Medicaid?
Yes to both. Birchwood Health Care Center is certified for Medicare and Medicaid. Medicare can pay for a short skilled stay after a qualifying hospital stay; Medicaid can pay for long-term care once you qualify.
Certification isn't a promise of an open bed. Ask how many Medicaid beds it has free and whether it keeps residents who move from Medicare to Medicaid. Our guide explains what Medicare pays for.
CMS star ratings
CMS rates every certified nursing home from 1 to 5 stars. The overall rating starts from health inspections, then moves up or down for staffing and quality. These come from the CMS Provider Information, October 2026 release.
| Measure | CMS stars |
|---|---|
| Overall | 1 of 5 |
| Health inspections | 1 of 5 |
| Staffing | 4 of 5 |
| Quality of resident care | 4 of 5 |
| Long-stay quality | 5 of 5 |
| Short-stay quality | 3 of 5 |
Nurse staffing hours and turnover
These are the hours Birchwood Health Care Center reported to CMS, split across residents and days. More hours per resident usually means more hands at the bedside.
- Total nurse hours per resident per day
- 3.56
- Registered nurse hours
- 0.94
- Licensed practical nurse hours
- 0.73
- Nurse aide hours
- 1.88
- Weekend total hours
- 3.28
- Nursing staff turnover
- 41.6%
- Registered nurse turnover
- 55%
- Administrators who left
- 1
Health inspections and complaints
Inspectors last made a standard visit on June 12, 2026 and cited 11 deficiencies, plus 4 from complaint visits.
The visit before, on April 10, 2025, found 5.
Read every citation on the CMS Care Compare page.
Fines and payment denials
CMS fined Birchwood Health Care Center 4 times in the past 3 years, for $139,646 in total.
It also had 1 payment denial, when Medicare stopped paying for new admissions for a time.
Beds and residents
On an average day 79.2 residents live here, about 79% of its 100 certified beds.
- Certified beds
- 100
- Average residents per day
- 79.2
- Certified since
- December 1, 1974
- Resident or family council
- Resident
Who owns Birchwood Health Care Center
- Legal business name
- Senior Care Forest Lake, LLC
- Ownership type
- Non profit - Corporation
- Chain
- 4 homes nationally under Lifespark, 1-star chain average
Other nursing homes near Birchwood Health Care Center
- Parmly on the Lake LLC28210 Old Towne Road, Chisago City 55013
- Waverly Gardens5919 Centerville Road, North Oaks 55127
- Cerenity Care Center White Bear Lake1900 Webber Street, White Bear Lake 55110
- Ecumen North Branch5379 -383rd Street, North Branch 55056
- Good Samaritan Society - Stillwater1119 Owens Street North, Stillwater 55082
Who inspects nursing homes in Minnesota
Minnesota's state survey agency licenses nursing homes and carries out the federal inspections for CMS. A home must keep its state licence and meet the federal rules to take Medicare or Medicaid.
Compare all nursing homes in Minnesota, or see how assisted living and nursing homes differ.
Is this your facility?
If you run Birchwood Health Care Center, email contact@assistedlivingaccess.com from your work address. We can add your own rates, photos and contact details next to the state record, or take the listing down.
Questions about Birchwood Health Care Center
What is the CMS star rating of Birchwood Health Care Center?
1 out of 5 stars overall.
Does Birchwood Health Care Center accept Medicaid?
Yes, it is Medicaid certified.
What did inspectors find at Birchwood Health Care Center?
11 cited at the last standard visit.
Who owns Birchwood Health Care Center?
Senior Care Forest Lake, LLC, non profit - corporation.
From the federal record: CMS Care Compare and the CMS Provider Information dataset, October 2026 release.