All states › Minnesota › Starbuck › Minnewaska Community Health Services
605 Main Street Starbuck, MN 56381 · Pope County
CMS certification number 245537 · See this home on Medicare Care Compare
Is Minnewaska Community Health Services a good nursing home? Reviews, ratings and inspection record
There are no official resident reviews of nursing homes: Medicare's Care Compare publishes inspections, staffing and quality data instead. Here is what that record shows for Minnewaska Community Health Services as of October 2026.
CMS rates it 3 out of 5 stars overall, about the same as the Minnesota average of 3.2.
Online reviews from families and residents are on Google Maps and other sites; they reflect individual experiences and aren't checked by CMS. The full inspection reports, including what inspectors observed, are on Medicare Care Compare.
Staffing
Nursing staff spend about 6.73 hours per resident per day at Minnewaska Community Health Services, above the Minnesota median of 4.18 (US median: 3.72). About 1.52 of those hours are from registered nurses. On weekends it falls to 6.00 hours, 11% below its all-week average. 61.8% of nursing staff left within a year (Minnesota median 39.7%). High turnover can mean residents see unfamiliar caregivers; ask how long the nurses on the unit have worked there.
About this nursing home
Paying for care at Minnewaska Community Health Services: Medicare and Medicaid
Minnewaska Community Health Services is certified for both Medicare and Medicaid. Medicare Part A can cover a short skilled-nursing or rehab stay here after a qualifying hospital stay of at least three inpatient days (observation days don't count), for up to 100 days per benefit period. Medicaid can pay for long-term care for residents who meet Minnesota's income and asset rules. Being certified doesn't guarantee a Medicaid bed is open, so ask whether the home accepts residents whose Medicaid application is still pending.
In 2026 Medicare covers days 1–20 in full after the Part A deductible ($1,736 per benefit period); for days 21–100 you pay $217 a day; after day 100 you pay all costs. Medicare doesn't pay for long-term custodial care. Medicare's coverage rules.
Health inspections
The most recent standard inspection was on April 29, 2026 and found 1 deficiency, plus 1 from complaint inspections in the same period. In total, inspectors issued 17 citations in the last three years.
Each citation has a scope and severity letter from A to L. A–C: potential for minimal harm. D–F: potential for more than minimal harm. G–I: actual harm. J–L: immediate jeopardy to resident health or safety.
What the inspections found
Over the last three years, inspectors issued 17 citations at Minnewaska Community Health Services across 7 inspection dates, 6 of them from complaint investigations. 1 was at the immediate-jeopardy level (J–L), CMS's most serious category, most recently on March 25, 2025. The most common areas cited were environmental (4) and resident rights (4). The most serious was cited under the CMS rule to "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" (tag F0578, level J, March 25, 2025).
April 29, 2026 · 1 citation
BProvide rooms that are at least 80 square feet per resident in multiple rooms and 100 square feet for single resident rooms.
November 24, 2025 · 1 citation · includes complaint inspection
DProvide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
July 1, 2025 · 1 citation · includes complaint inspection
DProvide appropriate pressure ulcer care and prevent new ulcers from developing.
March 28, 2025 · 1 citation · includes complaint inspection
EHonor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.
March 25, 2025 · 7 citations, includes immediate jeopardy
JHonor 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.
FProcure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
FElectronically submit to CMS complete and accurate direct care staffing information, based on payroll and other verifiable and auditable data.
FProvide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
EProvide rooms that are at least 80 square feet per resident in multiple rooms and 100 square feet for single resident rooms.
DEnsure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
DMake sure that a working call system is available in each resident's bathroom and bathing area.
January 16, 2025 · 1 citation · includes complaint inspection
DEnsure that residents are free from significant medication errors.
January 24, 2024 · 5 citations · includes complaint inspection
FElectronically submit to CMS complete and accurate direct care staffing information, based on payroll and other verifiable and auditable data.
EProvide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
EProvide rooms that are at least 80 square feet per resident in multiple rooms and 100 square feet for single resident rooms.
DProvide timely notification to the resident, and if applicable to the resident representative and ombudsman, before transfer or discharge, including appeal rights.
DNotify the resident or the resident’s representative in writing how long the nursing home will hold the resident’s bed in cases of transfer to a hospital or therapeutic leave.
Questions to ask on a tour of Minnewaska Community Health Services
- Inspectors cited the home at the immediate-jeopardy level on March 25, 2025 under the rule on resident rights. What changed afterwards, and can I see the plan of correction?
- Nursing staff turnover was 61.8% a year. How many of the staff come from agencies?
- Do you have a Medicaid bed open now, and will you admit someone whose Medicaid application is still pending?
- When is the first care-plan meeting, and can family attend?
Questions come from this home's CMS data: its inspections, staffing and ownership record.
Fines and payment denials
1 penalty in the last three years, including $11,357 in fines.
| Date | Type | Amount or length |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 25, 2025 | Fine | $11,357 |
Rating history
| CMS month | Overall | Inspection | Staffing | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 2026 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 |
| August 2026 | 2/5 | 2/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 |
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Location
Hospitals near Minnewaska Community Health Services
The Medicare-certified hospitals closest to this nursing home, with their CMS data. Ask the home which hospital it usually sends residents to.
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7.2 mi
Glacial Ridge Hospital GlenwoodEmergency room ★★★★☆ Medicare overall 4 of 5Median ER visit 2h 20m for patients treated and sent home
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18.2 mi
Stevens Community Medical Center MorrisEmergency roomMedian ER visit 2h 46m for patients treated and sent home
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19.5 mi
Alomere Health AlexandriaEmergency room ★★★★☆ Medicare overall 4 of 5Median ER visit 2h 16m for patients treated and sent home
Hospital ratings, ER visit times and more at Hospitals In Each State
Source: CMS Care Compare. Distances are approximate.
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Source: CMS Provider Data Catalog (provider information, health deficiencies, penalties), October 2026. Inspection citations and penalties cover the last three years. Nursing Homes In Each State is independent and not affiliated with CMS or Medicare. About the data · Report a problem with this listing. Is this your nursing home? Feature it here.