Federal inspection record · CMS data as of October 1, 2026
Northwest Healthcare Center
4601 Pall Mall Road, Baltimore, MD · (410) 664-5551
- Certified beds
- 91
- Residents per day
- 76
- Ownership
- For-Profit
- Chain
- Communicare Health
- Medicare / Medicaid
- Medicare + Medicaid
- Certified since
- September 14, 2004
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 Maryland.
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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.
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Overall
★★★★★5 of 5
Matches the rating CMS publishes on Care Compare.
2
Where it sits among Maryland homes
Northwest Healthcare Center carries 43 inspection points. That is fewer than 82% of Maryland's 219 rated homes.
Inspectors' citations earn points by how serious and how widespread they were (the grid below). CMS then ranks every home in Maryland: 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★ 0–32 pts
- 4★ 32–72 pts
- 3★ 72–104.75 pts
- 2★ 104.75–158.12 pts
- 1★ over 158.12 pts
Bars show every rated home in Maryland 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
30 health citations on record since 2019. 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.
No citation on record at the harm or immediate-jeopardy level.
Everything else, by area of care
Resident Rights10E
- D
Give residents notice of Medicaid/Medicare coverage and potential liability for services not covered.
- D
Honor the resident's right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely.
- D
Not require residents to give up Medicare or Medicaid benefits, or pay privately as a condition of admission; and must tell residents what care they do not provide.
- D
Honor the resident's right to request, refuse, and/or discontinue treatment, to participate in or refuse to participate in experimental research, and to formulate an advance directive.
- D
Immediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor, and a family member of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect the resident.
- D
Provide timely notification to the resident, and if applicable to the resident representative and ombudsman, before transfer or discharge, including appeal rights.
- D
Prepare residents for a safe transfer or discharge from the nursing home.
- E
Honor the resident's right to a safe, clean, comfortable and homelike environment, including but not limited to receiving treatment and supports for daily living safely.
- D
Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.
- D
Give residents notice of Medicaid/Medicare coverage and potential liability for services not covered.
Resident Assessment and Care Planning7D
- D
Ensure each resident receives an accurate assessment.
- D
Develop the complete care plan within 7 days of the comprehensive assessment; and prepared, reviewed, and revised by a team of health professionals.
- D
Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured.
- D
Develop the complete care plan within 7 days of the comprehensive assessment; and prepared, reviewed, and revised by a team of health professionals.
- D
Plan the resident's discharge to meet the resident's goals and needs.
- D
Ensure necessary information is communicated to the resident, and receiving health care provider at the time of a planned discharge.
- D
Safeguard resident-identifiable information and/or maintain medical records on each resident that are in accordance with accepted professional standards.
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation4D
- D
Protect each resident from all types of abuse such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody.
- D
Timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities.
- D
Respond appropriately to all alleged violations.
- D
Protect each resident from all types of abuse such as physical, mental, sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect by anybody.
Nutrition and Dietary3F
- D
Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
- F
Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
- D
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
Provide or obtain dental services for each resident.
- D
Provide safe, appropriate pain management for a resident who requires such services.
Administration1D
- D
Employ or obtain outside professional resources to provide services in the nursing home when the facility does not employ a qualified professional to furnish a required service.
Nursing and Physician Services1D
- D
Ensure nurse aides have the skills they need to care for residents, and give nurse aides education in dementia care and abuse prevention.
Pharmacy Service1E
- E
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.
Environmental1C
- C
Have enough outside ventilation via a window or mechanical ventilation, or both.
Inspection history
2026-01-23
9 health deficiencies · 9 fire-safety deficiencies
Top issue: Resident Rights (3 deficiencies)
2024-08-26
6 health deficiencies · 12 fire-safety deficiencies
Top issue: Freedom from Abuse and Neglect and Exploitation (3 deficiencies)
2019-06-26
15 health deficiencies · 3 fire-safety deficiencies
Top issue: Resident Assessment and Care Planning (5 deficiencies)
4
Nursing time per resident, per day
Each resident here gets about 3 h 25 min of nursing staff time a day, 45 min of it from a registered nurse.
This home
3 h 25 min
Maryland average
3 h 56 min
U.S. average
3 h 54 min
- Registered nurse
- Licensed practical nurse
- Nurse aide
Turnover: 32% of nursing staff and 50% 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
Resident outcomes
Quality measures compared with state and national averages. Most come from assessments the home itself reports.
| Measure | This home | State | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine5.3 pts better | 98.4% | 93.1% | 93.7% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine0.1 pts better | 96.2% | 96.1% | 95.3% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents experiencing one or more falls with major injury0.9 pts better | 1.6% | 2.5% | 3.2% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who have depressive symptoms12.7 pts better | 11.1% | 23.8% | 13.5% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who lose too much weight0.6 pts better | 4.8% | 5.4% | 5.1% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antianxiety or hypnotic medication4.1 pts worse | 20.9% | 16.8% | 19.5% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antipsychotic medication16.1 pts worse | 30.2% | 14.1% | 15.4% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who were physically restrainedAbout the same | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose ability to walk independently worsened11.5 pts better | 8.4% | 19.9% | 12.7% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose need for help with daily activities has increased6.3 pts better | 13.3% | 19.6% | 13.5% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a catheter inserted and left in their bladder0.5 pts better | 0.0% | 0.5% | 0.7% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a urinary tract infection1.4 pts better | 0.0% | 1.4% | 1.5% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with new or worsened bowel or bladder incontinence2.3 pts better | 21.9% | 24.2% | 18.3% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with pressure ulcersAbout the same | 5.7% | 5.7% | 4.5% |
| Percentage of short-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine1.9 pts worse | 77.8% | 79.7% | 82.3% |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who had an outpatient emergency department visit11.5 pts worse | 20.9% | 9.4% | 11.8% |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who newly received an antipsychotic medication1.1 pts better | 0.0% | 1.1% | 1.5% |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who were assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine3.7 pts worse | 77.6% | 81.3% | 80.1% |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who were rehospitalized after a nursing home admission1 pts better | 19.2% | 20.2% | 23.4% |
·
Fire safety
24 life-safety citations (sprinklers, exits, alarms). These don't count toward the star rating.
Smoke11F
- F
Have approved installation, maintenance and testing program for fire alarm systems.
- F
Inspect, test, and maintain automatic sprinkler systems.
- E
Provide properly protected cooking facilities.
- E
Construct fire resistant interior walls.
- E
Ensure that corridors are separated from use areas by walls constructed to limit the passage of smoke.
- F
Have approved installation, maintenance and testing program for fire alarm systems.
- F
Inspect, test, and maintain automatic sprinkler systems.
- F
Install corridor and hallway doors that block smoke.
- D
Construct fire resistant interior walls.
- D
Properly select, install, inspect, or maintain portable fire extinguishes.
- E
Install corridor and hallway doors that block smoke.
Gas, Vacuum, and Electrical Systems5F
- F
Have generator or other power source capable of supplying service within 10 seconds.
- E
Ensure proper usage of power strips and extension cords.
- F
Have generator or other power source capable of supplying service within 10 seconds.
- D
Have proper medical gas storage and administration areas.
- D
Ensure proper usage of power strips and extension cords.
Egress4F
- F
Add doors in an exit area that do not require the use of a key from the exit side unless in case of special locking arrangements.
- F
Provide exit doors that are held open by devices that will automatically close on the activation of a fire alarm or smoke detector.
- D
Meet other general requirements that are deficient.
- E
Provide exit doors that are held open by devices that will automatically close on the activation of a fire alarm or smoke detector.
Miscellaneous2F
- F
To conduct inspection, testing and maintenance of fire doors by qualified individuals.
- F
Have simulated fire drills held at unexpected times.
Services1F
- F
Have properly installed electrical wiring and gas equipment.
Construction1F
- F
Meet other general requirements.
·
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