Federal inspection record · CMS data as of October 1, 2026
Buchanan County Health Center
1600 First Street East, Independence, IA · (319) 334-6071
- CMS high-performer trophy
- Certified beds
- 39
- Residents per day
- 34
- Ownership
- Government
- Chain
- No chain reported
- Medicare / Medicaid
- Medicaid
- Certified since
- October 1, 1974
1
How this home got 5 stars
The overall rating isn't an average. CMS starts from the inspection rating and nudges it at most two steps. Here is the arithmetic for this home, using CMS's own rules.
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Health inspections
★★★★★starting point
Everything starts from what state inspectors found on site. This is a ranking against other homes in Iowa.
-
Staffing
★★★★★+1 star
Only a 5-star staffing rating adds a star, and only a 1-star rating removes one. Ratings of 2 to 4 change nothing.
-
Quality measures
★★★★★no change
Same rule: 5 stars adds one, 1 star takes one away. These measures are mostly reported by the home itself.
-
Overall
★★★★★5 of 5
Matches the rating CMS publishes on Care Compare.
2
Where it sits among Iowa homes
Buchanan County Health Center carries 17 inspection points. That is fewer than 73% of Iowa's 385 rated homes.
Inspectors' citations earn points by how serious and how widespread they were (the grid below). CMS then ranks every home in Iowa: the 10% with the fewest points get 5 stars, the 20% with the most get 1 star, and the middle 70% split evenly into 2, 3 and 4.
- 5★ 0–7 pts
- 4★ 7–21 pts
- 3★ 21–41 pts
- 2★ 41–86.5 pts
- 1★ over 86.5 pts
Bars show every rated home in Iowa by its weighted inspection score. CMS recalibrates the cut points monthly but holds a home's rating until its own score changes, so a home can sit just outside today's band.
3
What inspectors found
12 health citations on record since 2024. Each one gets a letter: the row says how badly residents were affected, the column how many.
Immediate jeopardyResidents at risk of serious injury or death
Actual harmA resident was hurt
Potential for harmNo one was hurt, but could have been
Minimal harmPaperwork-level problems
Read the rows, not the total. Most citations nationwide are a D: one problem, nobody hurt. Rows G–I mean a resident was harmed; J–L mean inspectors found residents in immediate danger of serious injury or death.
Small numbers in each cell are the inspection points CMS assigns per citation. Those points are what the state curve above ranks.
Harm and immediate-jeopardy citations (1)
-
J
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
Everything else, by area of care
Resident Assessment and Care Planning5D
- D
Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality.
- B
Assess the resident when there is a significant change in condition
- B
Develop the complete care plan within 7 days of the comprehensive assessment; and prepared, reviewed, and revised by a team of health professionals.
- D
Assess the resident when there is a significant change in condition
- D
Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured.
Nutrition and Dietary3F
- F
Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
- F
Employ sufficient staff with the appropriate competencies and skills sets to carry out the functions of the food and nutrition service, including a qualified dietician.
- F
Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
Quality of Life and Care2D
- D
Ensure that the facility has sufficient staff members who possess the competencies and skills to meet the behavioral health needs of residents.
- D
Provide appropriate care for a resident to maintain and/or improve range of motion (ROM), limited ROM and/or mobility, unless a decline is for a medical reason.
Infection Control1E
- E
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Inspection history
2026-03-19
1 health deficiencies · 3 fire-safety deficiencies
Top issue: Infection Control (1 deficiency)
2025-03-20
6 health deficiencies · 2 fire-safety deficiencies
Top issue: Resident Assessment and Care Planning (3 deficiencies)
2024-06-06
5 health deficiencies · 0 fire-safety deficiencies
Top issue: Nutrition and Dietary (2 deficiencies)
4
Nursing time per resident, per day
Each resident here gets about 4 h 18 min of nursing staff time a day, 1 h 13 min of it from a registered nurse.
This home
4 h 18 min
Iowa average
3 h 52 min
U.S. average
3 h 54 min
- Registered nurse
- Licensed practical nurse
- Nurse aide
Turnover: 24% of nursing staff and 13% of registered nurses left in the past year.
Reported hours from payroll data the home submits to CMS, divided by its daily resident count. Not adjusted for how sick residents are.
5
Fines and payment denials
$4,011 in federal fines on record over the past three years.
| Date | Penalty | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-11-26 | Fine | $4,011 |
6
Resident outcomes
Quality measures compared with state and national averages. Most come from assessments the home itself reports.
| Measure | This home | State | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of hospitalizations per 1000 long-stay resident days0.7 pts worse | 2.1 | 1.4 | 1.8 |
| Number of outpatient emergency department visits per 1000 long-stay resident days1 pts worse | 2.9 | 1.9 | 1.7 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine5 pts better | 99.2% | 94.2% | 93.7% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine4.2 pts better | 100.0% | 95.8% | 95.3% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents experiencing one or more falls with major injury6.5 pts worse | 10.4% | 3.9% | 3.2% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who have depressive symptoms4.2 pts better | 0.0% | 4.2% | 13.5% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who lose too much weight1.7 pts better | 2.7% | 4.4% | 5.1% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antianxiety or hypnotic medication1.1 pts worse | 22.1% | 21.0% | 19.5% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antipsychotic medication2.8 pts better | 17.0% | 19.8% | 15.4% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who were physically restrained0.2 pts better | 0.0% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose ability to walk independently worsened0.3 pts better | 14.9% | 15.2% | 12.7% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose need for help with daily activities has increased4.6 pts better | 12.0% | 16.6% | 13.5% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a catheter inserted and left in their bladder1.4 pts better | 0.0% | 1.4% | 0.7% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a urinary tract infection7.2 pts worse | 9.6% | 2.4% | 1.5% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with new or worsened bowel or bladder incontinence12 pts better | 13.0% | 25.0% | 18.3% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with pressure ulcers0.8 pts better | 3.3% | 4.1% | 4.5% |
| Percentage of short-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine9.6 pts worse | 74.4% | 84.0% | 82.3% |
·
Fire safety
5 life-safety citations (sprinklers, exits, alarms). These don't count toward the star rating.
Gas, Vacuum, and Electrical Systems2F
- F
Have generator or other power source capable of supplying service within 10 seconds.
- F
Ensure that testing and maintenance of electrical equipment is performed.
Construction1F
- F
Install a two-hour-resistant firewall separation.
Egress1F
- F
Install emergency lighting that can last at least 1 1/2 hours.
Miscellaneous1F
- F
Have simulated fire drills held at unexpected times.
·
Other homes nearby
-
Rehabilitation Centers of Independence West Campus
Independence, IA · Legacy Healthcare
★★★★★- Worst citation, 3 yrs
- J
- Nursing / resident / day
- 2 h 58 min
- Fines
- $22,740
-
Oelwein Health Care Center
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- D
- Nursing / resident / day
- 3 h 7 min
- Fines
- $0
-
Grandview Healthcare Center
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★★★★★- Worst citation, 3 yrs
- E
- Nursing / resident / day
- 4 h 14 min
- Fines
- $0