Your report for Essentia Health Northern Pines Medical Center
Overall Score
CMS Five-Star Quality Rating- Much below average
- Below average
- Average
- Above average
- Much above average
Where it ranks
- MinnesotaAbove 74% of peers337 rated homes · average 3.2★
- St. Louis CountyAbove 81% of peers17 rated homes · average 2.7★
- United StatesAbove 80% of peers14,574 rated homes · average 3.0★
How the rating is built
- Health inspectionsStarting point5★+2.2 vs MN avg
- StaffingCan add or remove a star5★+0.9 vs MN avg
- Quality measuresCan add or remove a star5★+1.8 vs MN avg
CMS starts from the health inspection stars, then adds or subtracts a star for staffing and for quality measures. Stars are assigned relative to other facilities in the same state.
Ratings & measures
Tap a row to see what it meansHealth inspection ratingCMS stars from the last three on-site inspection cycles5★Top 10%MN avg2.8★U.S. avg2.8★
Stars assigned from the last three standard surveys and every complaint investigation in that window, weighted toward the most recent and the most serious findings. CMS assigns these stars relative to other facilities in the same state.
It carries the most weight in the overall rating and is the only domain based on what trained inspectors saw on site rather than what the facility reported.
Staffing ratingCMS stars from payroll-reported hours and turnover5★Above 56% of peersMN avg4.1★U.S. avg2.9★
Nurse and aide hours per resident day from payroll records CMS collects every quarter, adjusted for how much care residents need, plus staff turnover and weekend coverage.
More hours and lower turnover are the strongest predictors of fewer falls, pressure sores, and avoidable hospital stays.
Quality measures ratingCMS stars from clinical outcomes and resident assessments5★Above 87% of peersMN avg3.2★U.S. avg3.6★
Clinical outcomes from resident assessments and Medicare claims: falls with injury, pressure ulcers, hospitalizations, antipsychotic use, and more, for both short-stay and long-stay residents.
It shows whether care is working, but part of it comes from the facility’s own assessments, so read it alongside the inspection results.
Total nurse hoursPer resident per day, all nursing staff3.67hrsAbove only 22% of peersMN avg4.23Benchmark4.10
All licensed nurse and aide hours worked, divided by the number of residents, on an average day. Reported from payroll, not self-reported.
Federal research links 4.1 hours a day to fewer avoidable harms. Below about 3 hours, residents wait longer for help with basics like toileting and repositioning.
RN hoursPer resident per day, registered nurses only1.12hrsAbove 65% of peersMN avg1.06Benchmark0.75
Registered nurse hours only. RNs assess residents, manage medications, and catch changes in condition; LPNs and aides deliver most hands-on care.
RN coverage is the staffing measure most tied to fewer hospital transfers and infections, and it is where thinly staffed facilities cut first.
Nursing staff turnoverShare of nursing staff who left within a year · lower is better29%Above 83% of peersMN avg42%RN turnover13%
The share of nursing staff who left within the past year, from the same payroll data.
High turnover means residents are cared for by people who do not know them, and it is one of the strongest predictors of inspection problems.
Fines in the last three yearsCivil money penalties imposed by CMS · lower is better$0Above only 41% of peersMN avg$19,953Fines · denials0 · 0
Civil money penalties CMS imposed after serious or uncorrected deficiencies, and denials of Medicare payment for new admissions.
Penalties follow the worst inspection findings. A recent fine is the clearest sign that inspectors found real harm.
Inspection history
Last three inspection cyclesCitations by monthDec 2022 – Oct 2023
- No actual harm (D–F)
- Actual harm (G–I)
- Immediate jeopardy (J–L)
- $Fine or payment denial
Showing
Click a month or a year to filter the findings below. Arrow keys move between months; Esc clears.
Oct 25, 2023Cycle 2worst F · no actual harm
- F578Honor 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.Resident RightsD · isolatedCorrected Dec 4, 2023
- F677Provide care and assistance to perform activities of daily living for any resident who is unable.Quality of Life and CareD · isolatedCorrected Dec 4, 2023
- F690Provide appropriate care for residents who are continent or incontinent of bowel/bladder, appropriate catheter care, and appropriate care to prevent urinary tract infections.Quality of Life and CareD · isolatedCorrected Dec 4, 2023
- F851Electronically submit to CMS complete and accurate direct care staffing information, based on payroll and other verifiable and auditable data.AdministrationF · widespreadCorrected Dec 4, 2023
- F883Develop and implement policies and procedures for flu and pneumonia vaccinations.Infection ControlD · isolatedCorrected Dec 4, 2023
Dec 8, 2022Cycle 3worst F · no actual harm
- F583Keep residents' personal and medical records private and confidential.Resident RightsE · patternCorrected Feb 7, 2023
- F689Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.Quality of Life and CareE · patternCorrected Feb 7, 2023
- F812Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.Nutrition and DietaryF · widespreadCorrected Feb 7, 2023
Staffing
From quarterly payroll reportsHours per resident per day
- All nursing staffRNs, LPNs and aides combined3.67hrs
- Registered nursesRN hours only1.12hrs
- Licensed practical nursesLPN hours0.20hrs
- Nurse aidesCNA hours2.36hrs
- Weekend nursingAll staff on Saturdays and Sundays2.90hrs
- Minnesota average
- Research benchmark (4.10 total, 0.75 RN)
Turnover & capacity
- Nursing staff turnoverShare who left within a year · lower is better29%Above 83% of peersMN avg 42%
- RN turnoverRegistered nurses only13%Not ranked by CMS
- Administrators who leftIn the past year3Leadership changed
- Occupancy33 certified beds · ~32 residents a day97%Top 4%MN avg 83%
Fines & penalties
Roughly the past three yearsEnforcement summary
- $0In fines
- 0Fines
- 0Payment denials
- $19,953MN avg in fines
Actions on record
Ownership
As filed with CMSStructure
- Ownership type
- Non profit - Corporation
- Chain
- Essentia Health5 facilities in the chain3.8★ chain average
- Certification
- Medicare and Medicaid
- Location type
- Urban
- Ownership change
- None in the last 12 months
People and entities on file
- Essentia Health
- St Marys Duluth Clinic Health System
- Bradley Beard
- Kevin Boren
- Diana Kallberg
- Christopher Whiting
- Nancy Aronson Norr
- Adam Bachand
- Jan Baldwin
- Amy Bergstrom
- Troy Duininck
- Thomas Jamar
- George Loban
- Beverly Raway
- +4 more
- Bradley Beard
- Kevin Boren
- Mark Bortnem
- Krista Skorupa
- Michael Watters
Person Organization
Sources & notes
Public data, updated quarterlyData sources
- CMS Care Compare · Provider InformationStar ratings, staffing hours, turnover, penalties and flags · processed February 2026.
- CMS Health CitationsEvery deficiency from the last three inspection cycles, with scope, severity and inspection cycle.
- CMS Penalties and Ownership filesCivil money penalties, payment denials, and the owners and managers on file.
Notes
- CMS Certification Number 245469 · 5211 HIGHWAY 110, AURORA, MN, 55705.
- Percentiles compare this facility with every rated nursing home in Minnesota and St. Louis County. Turnover and fines are inverted so a high percentile is always good.
- This is an informational summary of public data, not medical, legal, or placement advice. Facilities cannot pay to change it; a facility that believes a record is wrong can dispute it with CMS.
