Essentia Health Northern Pines Medical CenterCMS ratings, inspections and fines
- Address
- 5211 Highway 110, Aurora, MN 55705
- CCN
- 245469
- Ownership type
- Non-profit, corporation
- Certified beds
- 33
- Chain
- Essentia Health
- Residents per day
- 31
- CMS flags
- None in the CMS record
The watch list stays in this browser. After each CMS update, it shows the values that changed at the homes on the list.
CMS gives Essentia Health Northern Pines Medical Center an overall rating of 5 of 5 stars. The last standard survey was on 28 Jan 2026. The latest survey cycle has 0 health citations. The median for nursing homes in Minnesota is 6. CMS lists no fines for this home in its penalties file.
Facilities may see a change in their overall rating for a number of reasons. Since the overall rating is based on three individual domains, a change in any one of the domains can affect the overall rating. Any new data for a nursing home could potentially change a star rating domain.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Five-Star Quality Rating System: Technical Users' Guide, July 2026. CMS processed this record on .
Since the last CMS update
The site has no recorded change for this home. In each CMS update, the site compares the ratings, the penalties and the citations of each home.
Ratings
CMS gives each home 1 to 5 stars for health inspections, for staffing and for quality measures, and one overall rating.
| Rating (1 to 5 stars) | This home | St. Louis County median | Minnesota median | US average (CMS) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 5 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 3.0 |
| Health inspection rating | 5 | 2.0 | 3.0 | 2.8 |
| Staffing rating | 5 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 2.9 |
| Quality measure rating | 4 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.6 |
A median is the middle value of the homes in the group: 17 homes in the county, 338 homes in the state. What the CMS star ratings measure
Citations by survey cycle
CMS keeps the last three cycles, and cycle 1 is the latest. A cycle has one standard survey. Citations from complaint and infection control inspections go into cycles of 12 months.
| Survey cycle | Standard survey | Citations | Minnesota median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cycle 1 (latest) | 28 Jan 2026 | 0 | 6 |
| Cycle 2 | 30 Jan 2025 | 0 | 7 |
| Cycle 3 | No date | 5 | 6 |
Health citations
The record of one deficiency in an inspection. One inspection can give many citations.
Scope and severity. A letter from A to L on each citation. Scope is the number of residents that the deficiency affected. Severity is the level of harm.
| Severity | Isolated | Pattern | Widespread |
|---|---|---|---|
| Immediate jeopardy to resident health or safety | J0 | K0 | L0 |
| Actual harm that is not immediate jeopardy | G0 | H0 | I0 |
| No actual harm, potential for more than minimal harm | E0 | ||
| No actual harm, potential for minimal harm | A0 | B0 | C0 |
Survey cycle 3: 5 citations
The CMS provider file has no standard survey date for this cycle.
| Survey date | F-tag | Requirement (CMS text) | Scope and severity | Survey type | Corrected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 Oct 2023 | F0578 | 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 | Standard survey | 4 Dec 2023 |
| 25 Oct 2023 | F0677 | Provide care and assistance to perform activities of daily living for any resident who is unable. | D | Standard survey | 4 Dec 2023 |
| 25 Oct 2023 | F0690 | Provide appropriate care for residents who are continent or incontinent of bowel/bladder, appropriate catheter care, and appropriate care to prevent urinary tract infections. | D | Standard survey | 4 Dec 2023 |
| 25 Oct 2023 | F0851 | Electronically submit to CMS complete and accurate direct care staffing information, based on payroll and other verifiable and auditable data. | F | Standard survey | 4 Dec 2023 |
| 25 Oct 2023 | F0883 | Develop and implement policies and procedures for flu and pneumonia vaccinations. | D | Standard survey | 4 Dec 2023 |
The requirement text is the CMS summary of the F-tag. It is not the report of the surveyor. How to read an inspection report
Penalties
A fine, or a payment denial: a period in which Medicare or Medicaid does not pay for new admissions. The CMS penalties file holds three years.
CMS lists no fine and no payment denial for this home in its penalties file.
Staffing
Hours per resident per day. The nurse hours for one resident on an average day. CMS calculates the figure from the hours that the home reports for a quarter.
| Staff | This home | Minnesota median | Minnesota average (CMS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All nurse staff | 3.67 | 4.20 | 4.19 |
| Registered nurses (RN) | 1.08 | 1.00 | 1.06 |
| Licensed practical nurses (LPN) | 0.19 | 0.61 | |
| Nurse aides | 2.40 | 2.52 | |
| All nurse staff, weekends | 2.99 | 3.70 | 3.71 |
- Nurse staff turnover in a year
- 22.6%
- Nurse staff turnover, Minnesota median
- 40.0%
- RN turnover in a year
- 11.1%
- Administrators who left in a year
- 1
Homes report the hours to CMS in the Payroll-Based Journal.
Quality measures
A figure that CMS calculates from the assessments of residents. One example is the percentage of long-stay residents with a fall and a major injury.
| Measure (CMS text) | Residents | This home | Minnesota median | US median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose need for help with daily activities has increased | Long Stay | 17.0% | 18.0% | 12.6% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a catheter inserted and left in their bladder | Long Stay | 0.0% | 1.3% | 0.3% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a urinary tract infection | Long Stay | 0.9% | 2.1% | 0.9% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents experiencing one or more falls with major injury | Long Stay | 2.6% | 3.7% | 2.8% |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who newly received an antipsychotic medication | Short Stay | 0.0% | 1.4% | 1.0% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose ability to walk independently worsened | Long Stay | 11.5% | 20.2% | 12.5% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with pressure ulcers | Long Stay | 4.4% | 4.9% | 4.2% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antipsychotic medication | Long Stay | 0.0% | 15.9% | 13.4% |
For each measure in this table, CMS gives more points in the quality measure rating for a lower percentage. The site calculates the medians from the CMS file. What the CMS star ratings measure
Ownership
An organisation in the CMS ownership file. CMS records its role, for example an ownership interest, operational or managerial control, or a mortgage interest.
- Ownership type
- Non-profit, corporation
- Setting
- In a hospital
- Legal business name
- Northern Pines Medical Center
- Chain
- Essentia Health (6 homes in the CMS chain file)
| Organisation | Role in the CMS record | Interest | Since |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essentia Health | 5% or greater direct ownership interest | 100% | 1 Jul 2023 |
| St Marys Duluth Clinic Health System | Operational/managerial control | 1 Jul 2023 | |
| Essentia Health | Adp of the snf | 28 Jan 2025 | |
| St Marys Duluth Clinic Health System | Adp of the snf | 28 Jan 2025 |
The site shows organisations only. It does not show the names of persons.
Other homes in St. Louis County
| Nursing home | City | Overall rating | Citations, latest cycle | Fines | Last standard survey | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Waterview Woods LLC | Eveleth | 1 of 5 | 13 | $55,269 | 20 Nov 2025 | |
| Essentia Health Virginia Care Cent | Virginia | 5 of 5 | 3 | $0 | 26 Mar 2026 | |
| The Waterview Pines LLC | Virginia | 1 of 5 | 14 | $10,036 | 15 Jan 2026 | |
| Cornerstone Villa | Buhl | 3 of 5 | 4 | $11,243 | 4 Dec 2025 | |
| Heritage Manor | Chisholm | 1 of 5 | 16 | $0 | 26 Jun 2025 | |
| Boundary Waters Care Center | Ely | 5 of 5 | 0 | $0 | 11 Dec 2025 | |
| Cook Hospital & Care Center | Cook | 4 of 5 | 2 | $0 | 29 May 2026 | |
| Guardian Angels Health & Rehab Center | Hibbing | 2 of 5 | 16 | $26,481 | 12 Jun 2025 | |
| Hilltop Healthcare Rehabilitation and Skilled Nurs | Duluth | 2 of 5 | 10 | $170,619 | 12 Mar 2026 | |
| Ecumen Lakeshore | Duluth | 5 of 5 | 0 | $0 | 21 May 2026 | |
| Aftenro Home | Duluth | 1 of 5 | 14 | $0 | 19 Mar 2026 | |
| Benedictine Health Center | Duluth | 1 of 5 | 12 | $0 | 19 Dec 2025 |
Official channels
- Care Compare record of this nursing homeMedicare.gov. The official CMS record of this home.
- Contact information for State Survey AgenciesCMS. The web address and the telephone number of the State Survey Agency of each state. These agencies investigate complaints about nursing homes.
- Filing a complaintMedicare.gov. The page names the State Survey Agency as the place for a complaint about nursing home care or facility conditions.
- Eldercare LocatorAdministration for Community Living. A public service that connects older adults and their families to local services. Telephone: 1-800-677-1116.
Cite this page
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Care Compare. Record of Essentia Health Northern Pines Medical Center (CCN 245469). Data processed 1 Aug 2026. Elder Care Record, https://eldercarerecord.com/facility/essentia-health-northern-pines-medical-center-aurora-mn-245469/
Provenance
- Licence
- US government work, public domain
- CMS processed the data on
A program makes this page from the CMS files, and the same files always give the same text. How the site makes the figures. Report an error.
Questions
- When was Essentia Health Northern Pines Medical Center last inspected?
- The latest inspection with a citation in the CMS record was on 25 Oct 2023. It was a standard survey. It gave 5 citations. The standard survey before the last one was on 30 Jan 2025.
- Who operates Essentia Health Northern Pines Medical Center?
- The CMS record gives the ownership type as non-profit, corporation. CMS lists the home in the chain Essentia Health. The CMS ownership file names St Marys Duluth Clinic Health System for operational or managerial control. This site does not show the names of persons.
- Is Essentia Health Northern Pines Medical Center a Special Focus Facility?
- No. The CMS provider file lists no Special Focus status for this home. CMS lists 2 homes in Minnesota as Special Focus Facilities and 10 as candidates.
- Where does the data on this page come from?
- The data comes from the CMS Care Compare files for nursing homes. CMS processed the files on 1 Aug 2026. The Care Compare record on Medicare.gov is the official record of the home.