Buchanan County Health Center
Nursing home in Independence, Iowa, CMS certification number 16E050
1600 First Street East, Independence, IA 50644 · Buchanan County
- CMS overall rating
- 5 of 5 stars
- Certified beds
- 39
- Certified for
- Medicaid
- Last standard inspection
- March 19, 2026
- Deficiencies at that inspection
- 1
- Fines in 3 years
- $4,011 (1)
Does Buchanan County Health Center take Medicare and Medicaid?
Buchanan County Health Center is certified for Medicaid only, so Medicare won't pay for a stay here.
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 | 5 of 5 |
| Health inspections | 4 of 5 |
| Staffing | 5 of 5 |
| Quality of resident care | 2 of 5 |
| Long-stay quality | 2 of 5 |
| Short-stay quality | Not rated |
Nurse staffing hours and turnover
These are the hours Buchanan County Health 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
- 4.30
- Registered nurse hours
- 1.22
- Licensed practical nurse hours
- 0.30
- Nurse aide hours
- 2.79
- Weekend total hours
- 3.61
- Nursing staff turnover
- 24.2%
- Registered nurse turnover
- 12.5%
Health inspections and complaints
Inspectors last made a standard visit on March 19, 2026 and cited 1 deficiency, plus 0 from complaint visits.
The visit before, on March 20, 2025, found 4.
Read every citation on the CMS Care Compare page.
Fines and payment denials
CMS fined Buchanan County Health Center 1 time in the past 3 years, for $4,011 in total.
Beds and residents
On an average day 34.3 residents live here, about 88% of its 39 certified beds.
- Certified beds
- 39
- Average residents per day
- 34.3
- Certified since
- October 1, 1974
- Inside a hospital
- Yes
- Resident or family council
- Resident
Who owns Buchanan County Health Center
- Legal business name
- Legal Business Name Not Available
- Ownership type
- Government - County
Other nursing homes near Buchanan County Health Center
- Rehabilitation Centers of Independence West Campus1610 Third Street NE, Independence 50644
- Oelwein Health Care Center600 Seventh Street SE, Oelwein 50662
- Grandview Healthcare Center800 Fifth Street SE, Oelwein 50662
- Laporte City Specialty Care1100 Hwy 218 N, La Porte City 50651
- Virginia Gay Nursing & Rehab, LLC502 North Ninth Avenue, Vinton 52349
Who inspects nursing homes in Iowa
Iowa'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 Iowa, or see how assisted living and nursing homes differ.
Is this your facility?
If you run Buchanan County Health 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 Buchanan County Health Center
What is the CMS star rating of Buchanan County Health Center?
5 out of 5 stars overall.
Does Buchanan County Health Center accept Medicaid?
Yes, it is Medicaid certified.
What did inspectors find at Buchanan County Health Center?
1 cited at the last standard visit.
Who owns Buchanan County Health Center?
Legal Business Name Not Available, government - county.
From the federal record: CMS Care Compare and the CMS Provider Information dataset, October 2026 release.