Birchwood Health Care Center
Nursing Home Facility
604 Northeast 1st Street, Forest Lake, MN 55025
Birchwood Health Care Center is a senior care community located in Forest Lake, MN. It provides assisted living, nursing home care, and senior living for older adults in the Forest Lake area. To learn more or schedule a tour, call (651) 464-5600.
Operated by Lifespark, which runs 4 communities in our directory.
Birchwood Health Care Center is licensed for 100 beds, about typical for the area, where senior care communities in Forest Lake average about 100 beds.
Federal reporting puts occupancy at about 84% of its licensed beds.
Medicare rates this community 2 out of 5 stars overall, a score based on health inspections, staffing levels and quality measures. The individual scores differ noticeably: 4 stars for staffing against 1 star for health inspections, so it is worth reading both before deciding. Its most recent standard health inspection was in June 2026 and recorded 11 deficiencies.
Residents receive about 3.9 hours of nursing care per day on average, including 0.8 hours from a registered nurse. Nursing staff turnover over the past year was about 38%.
The community is located in Washington County, MN.
Inspection record
In its last three standard inspections and any complaint visits, federal inspectors cited 39 problems at Birchwood Health Care Center. 4 findings involved harm to a resident, including 2 that put residents in immediate danger. 14 came from investigating complaints by residents or families.
In the last three years Medicare fined this home 3 times, a total of $48,698.
Findings from the most recent inspection cycle
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Put residents in immediate danger, one or a few residents
Quality of Life and Care
Provide appropriate treatment and care according to orders, resident’s preferences and goals.
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Put residents in immediate danger, one or a few residents
Quality of Life and Care
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, a pattern
Infection Control
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, one or a few residents
Resident Rights
Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, one or a few residents
Resident Rights
Provide the required documentation or notification related to the resident's needs, appeal rights, or bed-hold policies.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, one or a few residents
Quality of Life and Care
Provide safe, appropriate dialysis care/services for a resident who requires such services.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, one or a few residents
Pharmacy Service
Ensure drugs and biologicals used in the facility are labeled in accordance with currently accepted professional principles; and all drugs and biologicals must be stored in locked compartments, separately locked, compartments for controlled drugs.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, one or a few residents
Quality of Life and Care
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
Show 3 more
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Could cause more than minimal harm, one or a few residents
Infection Control
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
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Could cause more than minimal harm, one or a few residents
Resident Assessment and Care Planning
Safeguard resident-identifiable information and/or maintain medical records on each resident that are in accordance with accepted professional standards.
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Minimal harm or the potential for it, a pattern
Resident Rights
Give residents notice of Medicaid/Medicare coverage and potential liability for services not covered.
A citation on its own does not mean poor care, and most are corrected within weeks. What matters most is how serious the findings were and whether the same problems keep coming back. When you visit, it is fair to ask the administrator what inspectors found and what has changed since.
Birchwood Health Care Center offers assisted living, nursing home care, and senior living.
Facility details
- Organization type Non profit - Corporation
- Beds / units 100
- Occupancy 84%
- Nursing hours per resident/day 3.9
- Annual staff turnover 38%
- Last health inspection June 2026
Resident & family reviews
No one has shared a review of Birchwood Health Care Center yet. If you or someone you love has lived here, what you saw could help another family make this decision with more confidence.