Nursing home
Northern Mahaska Specialty Care
2401 Crestview Drive, Oskaloosa, IA 52577 · Map
Non profit - Corporation · Part of Care Initiatives (43 facilities) · 79 certified beds
Northern Mahaska Specialty Care is a Medicare-certified nursing home in Oskaloosa, Iowa. CMS rates it 2 out of 5 stars overall (3/5 for staffing, 2/5 for health inspections). Nurse staffing is 3.19 hours per resident per day, below the Iowa average of 3.83. Its most recent inspection on Nov 24, 2025 cited 4 deficiencies.
- 2 fines totaling $46,989In CMS records: 2 total penalties.
CMS quality ratings
Ratings from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), updated monthly. 5 stars is the highest quality.
How Northern Mahaska Specialty Care 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) | 3.19 | 3.83 | 3.89 | below avg |
| RN staffing (hrs/resident/day) | 0.42 | 0.73 | 0.68 | below avg |
| Aide staffing (hrs/resident/day) | 2.18 | 2.53 | 2.34 | below avg |
| Nursing staff turnover | 38.0% | 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 November 24, 2025 inspection was corrected by December 1, 2025
Penalties in CMS records: 2 fines totaling $46,989, 2 total penalties.
What inspectors found at Northern Mahaska Specialty Care
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 · Nov 24, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Ensure menus must meet the nutritional needs of residents, be prepared in advance, be followed, be updated, be reviewed by dietician, and meet the needs of the resident.
Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies · Nov 24, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Ensure that nurses and nurse aides have the appropriate competencies to care for every resident in a way that maximizes each resident's well being.
Nursing and Physician Services Deficiencies · Nov 24, 2025 · 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 · Nov 24, 2025 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities.
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Deficiencies · Feb 26, 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 · Jul 6, 2024 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
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.
Resident Rights Deficiencies · Dec 21, 2023 · Full report (PDF) - Potential for harm
Provide enough nursing staff every day to meet the needs of every resident; and have a licensed nurse in charge on each shift.
Nursing and Physician Services Deficiencies · Aug 30, 2023 - Potential for harm
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies · Aug 30, 2023 - Potential for harm
Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.
Resident Rights Deficiencies · Aug 30, 2023 - Actual harm
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
Quality of Life and Care Deficiencies · May 10, 2023 - Potential for harm
Provide each resident with a nourishing, palatable, well-balanced diet that meets his or her daily nutritional and special dietary needs.
Nutrition and Dietary Deficiencies · May 10, 2023
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
- 2401 Crestview Drive
Oskaloosa, IA 52577 - CMS certification #
- 165274
- Ownership
- Non profit - Corporation
- Certified beds
- 79
- Avg residents/day
- 75.9
- Provider type
- Medicare and Medicaid
- First certified
- 1996-04-05
- Chain
- Care Initiatives (43 facilities)
- Setting
- Rural
Part of Care Initiatives
Care Initiatives operates 43 nursing facilities across the United States. View all Care Initiatives facilities →
Not SLA enrolled. This facility hasn’t enrolled in resident survey verification. Learn about enrollment →
Location and nearby
Explore the area around Northern Mahaska Specialty Care using Google Maps.
Other public records
- Website says Works with hospice
Full public records, with dates and sources
Care and services
From the community’s website
What Northern Mahaska Specialty Care says about itself, quoted from its own site. We have not checked these claims against licensing records. Ask about each one on a tour.
- Offers hospice care on site or works with hospice providers.
Care Initiatives is Iowa’s largest nonprofit provider of high-quality skilled nursing care, hospice care, assisted living, independent living, memory care and more.
(page, checked Oct 12, 2026)
Location and nearby care
- Nearest hospital with an emergency room
- Mahaska Health Partnership, Oskaloosa. 1.3 miles away, straight line. CMS overall hospital rating: 4 of 5 stars.
- Nearest Medicare nursing home
- Oskaloosa Care Center, Oskaloosa. 1.6 miles away, straight line.
- Nearest home health agency office
- Heartland Home Care, Oskaloosa. 1.3 miles away, straight line. Agencies travel to clients, so ask which ones serve this address.
- Nearest pharmacy
- Mahaska Drug. 1.3 miles away, straight line. From OpenStreetMap, which does not list every pharmacy, so one may be closer.
- Area
- USDA classes ZIP code 52577 as micropolitan (micropolitan core).
- Hospice
- 10 Medicare hospices tell CMS they serve ZIP code 52577.
Mahaska Health Partnership Hospice Services, office in Oskaloosa, 1.2 miles away, straight line
Hospice Of Pella, The Comfort House, office in Pella, 15.5 miles away, straight line (CMS family survey rating 5 of 5 stars)
Care Initiatives Hospice - Albia, office in Albia, 21.6 miles away, straight line (CMS family survey rating 2 of 5 stars) - Nearest geriatric medicine practice
- Lucas County Health Center, Chariton. 39.6 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 low. By hazard: hurricane very low, inland flooding relatively low, wildfire very low, tornado relatively high, heat wave relatively moderate, 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 Northern Mahaska Specialty Care a good nursing home?
CMS gives Northern Mahaska Specialty Care an overall rating of 2 out of 5 stars, including 3/5 for staffing and 2/5 for health inspections. These ratings come from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and are updated monthly.
How is Northern Mahaska Specialty Care staffed?
Northern Mahaska Specialty Care reports 3.19 total nurse hours per resident per day, compared with the Iowa average of 3.83.
Has Northern Mahaska Specialty Care had inspection problems?
Its most recent CMS inspection cited 4 deficiencies.
How many beds does Northern Mahaska Specialty Care have?
Northern Mahaska Specialty Care is certified for 79 beds.