Nursing home
Buchanan County Health Center
1600 First Street East, Independence, IA 50644 · Map
Government - County · 39 certified beds
Buchanan County Health Center is a Medicare-certified nursing home in Independence, Iowa. CMS rates it 4 out of 5 stars overall (5/5 for staffing, 3/5 for health inspections). Nurse staffing is 4.49 hours per resident per day, above the Iowa average of 3.83. Its most recent inspection on Mar 20, 2025 cited 4 deficiencies.
- 1 fine totaling $4,011In CMS records: 1 total penalty.
CMS quality ratings
Ratings from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), updated monthly. 5 stars is the highest quality.
How Buchanan County Health Center compares
This facility vs. the Iowa and national averages, from CMS data. For staffing, higher is generally better; for turnover and deficiencies, lower is better.
| Metric | This facility | Iowa avg | National avg | Compared with the state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total nurse staffing (hrs/resident/day) | 4.49 | 3.83 | 3.89 | above avg |
| RN staffing (hrs/resident/day) | 1.17 | 0.73 | 0.68 | above avg |
| Aide staffing (hrs/resident/day) | 2.84 | 2.53 | 2.34 | above avg |
| Nursing staff turnover | 22.2% | 43.9% | 46.4% | below avg |
| Deficiencies cited, last inspection | 4.0 | 6.2 | 9.5 | below avg |
Staffing
Hours per resident per day as reported to CMS. Higher numbers indicate more direct care time.
Staff turnover
Lower turnover typically indicates better working conditions and continuity of care. National average for nursing staff is 46.4%.
Recent health inspection
CMS inspects nursing facilities regularly. Deficiencies are categorized by severity.
- Every deficiency from the March 19, 2026 inspection was corrected by March 20, 2026
Penalties in CMS records: 1 fine totaling $4,011, 1 total penalty.
What inspectors found at Buchanan County Health Center
Specific deficiencies cited in recent CMS health inspections, most recent first. Severity follows the CMS scope/severity scale. Source: CMS Care Compare.
- Potential for harm
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Infection Control Deficiencies · Mar 19, 2026 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies · Mar 20, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality.
Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies · Mar 20, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Minimal
Develop the complete care plan within 7 days of the comprehensive assessment; and prepared, reviewed, and revised by a team of health professionals.
Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies · Mar 20, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Minimal
Assess the resident when there is a significant change in condition
Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies · Mar 20, 2025 · Full report (PDF)
Show all 12 deficiencies
- Immediate jeopardy
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies · Nov 26, 2024 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Ensure that the facility has sufficient staff members who possess the competencies and skills to meet the behavioral health needs of residents.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies · Nov 26, 2024 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies · Jun 6, 2024 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
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.
Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies · Jun 6, 2024 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
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.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies · Jun 6, 2024 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured.
Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies · Jun 6, 2024 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Assess the resident when there is a significant change in condition
Resident Assessment and Care Planning Deficiencies · Jun 6, 2024 · Full report (PDF)
Read the full inspection reports on Medicare.gov Each inspection there has a “Read the full report” link with the inspectors’ written findings.
About this facility
- Address
- 1600 First Street East
Independence, IA 50644 - CMS certification #
- 16E050
- Ownership
- Government - County
- Certified beds
- 39
- Avg residents/day
- 30.7
- Provider type
- Medicaid
- First certified
- 1974-10-01
- Setting
- Rural
Not SLA enrolled. This facility hasn’t enrolled in resident survey verification. Learn about enrollment →
Location and nearby
Explore the area around Buchanan County Health Center using Google Maps.
Other public records
Full public records, with dates and sources
Care and services
From the community’s website
What Buchanan County Health Center says about itself, quoted from its own site. We have not checked these claims against licensing records. Ask about each one on a tour.
- Apartment types named: two-bedroom.
Two-Bedroom/Two-Bathroom Apartment
(page, checked Oct 15, 2026)
Location and nearby care
- Nearest hospital with an emergency room
- Buchanan County Health Center, Independence. 1.9 miles away, straight line.
- Nearest Medicare nursing home
- Rehabilitation Centers of Independence West Campus, Independence. 0.2 miles away, straight line.
- Nearest home health agency office
- Regional Medical Center Home Care, Manchester. 20.9 miles away, straight line. Agencies travel to clients, so ask which ones serve this address.
- Nearest pharmacy
- Ryan Pharmacy. 0.1 miles away, straight line. From OpenStreetMap, which does not list every pharmacy, so one may be closer.
- Area
- USDA classes ZIP code 50644 as small town (small town core).
- Hospice
- 6 Medicare hospices tell CMS they serve ZIP code 50644.
St Croix Hospice, office in Strawberry Point, 22.8 miles away, straight line (CMS family survey rating 4 of 5 stars) - Nearest geriatric medicine practice
- State University Of Iowa, Coralville. 56.7 miles away, straight line. 1 geriatric medicine doctor listed there.
Distances are straight lines from the community, not driving distance. Hospitals, home health, dialysis, hospice and doctors come from CMS provider data (CMS, hospital list updated Jul 22, 2026). Star ratings are CMS’s own.
Emergency and natural hazard risk
Public hazard maps for this location. Ask the community about its emergency plan, its generator and where residents would go in an evacuation.
- Flood zone
- Outside the high and moderate risk flood areas on FEMA's flood map (Zone X, minimal flood hazard, or not studied). (FEMA flood map)
- FEMA National Risk Index
- Overall: relatively moderate. By hazard: hurricane very low, inland flooding relatively high, wildfire very low, tornado relatively high, heat wave relatively low, earthquake very low. These are FEMA’s ratings for the census tract, compared with tracts nationwide. (FEMA, December 2025)
A flood zone describes the map at this point, not the building's elevation. In an emergency, follow the local emergency management agency.
What we checked
Every public source we searched for this community. “Nothing on record” means we found no record that matched it. A record can be missed when a name or address differs.
| Source | Data as of | What we found |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Department of Labor wage and hour cases | Oct 15, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| OSHA workplace safety inspections since 2016 | Oct 15, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| FEMA flood map | See above | |
| USDA wildfire risk | Apr 15, 2026 | Not shown: FEMA rates wildfire risk here very low |
| FEMA National Risk Index | See above | |
| CMS hospitals, home health, dialysis, hospice and doctors; OpenStreetMap pharmacies | See above | |
| HUD Multifamily Properties - Assisted | Jul 6, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| State Veterans Homes (NASVH directory) | Sep 20, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| CMS Hospice - General Information | Aug 19, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| CMS Home Health Care Agencies | May 27, 2026 | Nothing on record |
| The community’s own website | See above |
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Frequently asked questions
Is Buchanan County Health Center a good nursing home?
CMS gives Buchanan County Health Center an overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars, including 5/5 for staffing and 3/5 for health inspections. These ratings come from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and are updated monthly.
How is Buchanan County Health Center staffed?
Buchanan County Health Center reports 4.49 total nurse hours per resident per day, compared with the Iowa average of 3.83.
Has Buchanan County Health Center had inspection problems?
Its most recent CMS inspection cited 4 deficiencies.
How many beds does Buchanan County Health Center have?
Buchanan County Health Center is certified for 39 beds.