Northern Lights Health Care Center
Nursing Home, Assisted Living & Skilled Nursing · Washburn, WI
CMS overall rating Info CMS (the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) is the federal agency that rates nursing home quality. Its Overall Rating runs from 1 to 5 stars, combining health inspections, staffing, and quality measures, with inspections weighted most heavily.

Northern Lights Health Care Center

Nursing Home, Assisted Living & Skilled Nursing · Washburn, WI
CMS overall rating Info CMS (the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) is the federal agency that rates nursing home quality. Its Overall Rating runs from 1 to 5 stars, combining health inspections, staffing, and quality measures, with inspections weighted most heavily.
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Northern Lights Health Care Center accepts Medicare, Medicaid, and private pay.

CMS Health Inspection History

Inspections Since 2023 · 3 years of data
Total health inspections 5

State average 6


Last Health inspection on Nov 2025

Total health citations
33 Rank #113 / 169Health citations — State benchmarkedThis home is ranked 113th out of 169 homes we track in Wisconsin for health citations. Shows this facility's total health deficiency citations benchmarked to the Wisconsin State average, with a ranking across all 169 WI facilities. Lower citation counts earn a better rank.Communities with the same value for a metric share the same rank. Rankings cover every community we track in Wisconsin that reports data for that category. Communities without available data are excluded, so the pool size varies from metric to metric.Click the rank badge to see the full State ranking.Click here to see the full State ranking.

State average 27.3

Citations per inspection
6.6 Rank #148 / 169Citations per inspection — State benchmarkedThis home is ranked 148th out of 169 homes we track in Wisconsin for citations per inspection. Shows average deficiency citations per CMS inspection for this facility versus the Wisconsin mean across 169 facilities with citation data. Lower is better.Communities with the same value for a metric share the same rank. Rankings cover every community we track in Wisconsin that reports data for that category. Communities without available data are excluded, so the pool size varies from metric to metric.Click the rank badge to see the full State ranking.Click here to see the full State ranking.

State average 4.19


Health citations are formal notices following inspections when they fail to comply with safety and care standards.

27 of 33 citations resulted from standard inspections; 5 of 33 resulted from complaint investigations; and 1 of 33 came from combined inspections (standard and complaint).

Breakdown of citation severity (last 3 years)
Critical health citations
1
11% worse than State average

State average: 0.9


Serious health citations
1
17% better than State average

State average: 1.2

1 critical citation State average: 0.9

1 serious citation State average: 1.2

30 moderate citations State average: 24.7

1 minor citation State average: 0.6
Citations history (last 3 years)
Abuse/Neglect moderate citation Nov 12, 2025

Abuse/Neglect moderate citation Nov 12, 2025

Quality of Care serious citation Nov 12, 2025

Quality of Care moderate citation Nov 12, 2025

Staffing Data

Reporting period: October 1 – December 31, 2025 (Q4 2025). Source: CMS Payroll-Based Journal report.

Total staff 91
Employees 58
Contractors 33
Staff to resident ratio 1.98 : 1
20% fewer staff per resident than Wisconsin average
Wisconsin average ratio: 2.48 : 1 Wisconsin average ratio: 2.48 : 1See full Wisconsin ranking
Avg staff/day 29
Average shift 7.6 hours
0% compared with Wisconsin average
Wisconsin average: 7.3 hours Wisconsin average shift: 7.3 hoursSee full Wisconsin ranking
Total staff hours (quarter) 20,354

Nursing staff breakdown

Q4 2025 · Oct 1 – Dec 31 More info This data comes from the CMS Payroll-Based Journal report covering October 1 – December 31, 2025.
Registered Nurse

Manages medical care and health needs.

RN Staff Info All 10 RN Staff are full-time employees. No contractors work on this role. 10
Average shift length Info Average shift length. Calculated as total hours divided by days worked and average staff per day. 8.3 hours
Licensed Practical Nurse

Assists with medical care and medications.

LPN Staff Info All 7 LPN Staff are full-time employees. No contractors work on this role. 7
Average shift length Info Average shift length. Calculated as total hours divided by days worked and average staff per day. 10.3 hours
Certified Nursing Assistant

Helps with daily care and mobility.

CNA Staff Info 35 total: 30 full-time employees and 5 contractors. 35
Average shift length Info Average shift length. Calculated as total hours divided by days worked and average staff per day. 7.9 hours

Contractor staffing

Q4 2025 · Oct 1 – Dec 31 More info This data comes from the CMS Payroll-Based Journal report covering October 1 – December 31, 2025.

Total hours from contractors

10.1%

2,059 contractor hours this quarter

Certified Nursing Assistant: 5 Physical Therapy Assistant: 4 Respiratory Therapy Technician: 4 Physical Therapy Aide: 4 Qualified Social Worker: 4 Speech Language Pathologist: 3 Other Physician: 3 Medical Director: 2 Occupational Therapy Assistant: 2 Occupational Therapy Aide: 1 Feeding Assistant: 1

Staff by category

Q4 2025 · Oct 1 – Dec 31 More info This data comes from the CMS Payroll-Based Journal report covering October 1 – December 31, 2025.
Certified Nursing Assistant305359,65592100%7.9
Registered Nurse100102,53792100%8.3
Licensed Practical Nurse7071,8629098%10.3
Medication Aide/Technician4041,1618188%8.5
Clinical Nurse Specialist2021,1557480%8.9
Other Dietary Services Staff2027847177%7.8
Speech Language Pathologist0336276773%5.3
Administrator1014806065%8
Physical Therapy Assistant0444575560%7.2
Nurse Practitioner1014565762%8
Dental Services Staff1014525964%7.7
Physical Therapy Aide0443224549%6.6
Qualified Social Worker0441624145%3.6
Respiratory Therapy Technician0441455054%2.4
Occupational Therapy Aide011423740%1.1
Feeding Assistant011261415%1.9
Other Physician0331467%2.3
Occupational Therapy Assistant0221233%4
Medical Director022955%1.8
35 Certified Nursing Assistant
% of Days 100%
10 Registered Nurse
% of Days 100%
7 Licensed Practical Nurse
% of Days 98%
4 Medication Aide/Technician
% of Days 88%

Penalties and fines

Includes penalties issued in 2025

Federal penalties imposed by CMS for regulatory violations, including civil money penalties (fines) and denials of payment for new Medicare/Medicaid admissions.

Source: CMS Penalties Database (Data as of Jan 2026)

Total fines amount $16K Rank #112 / 169Federal fines — State benchmarkedThis home is ranked 112th out of 169 homes we track in Wisconsin for federal fines. Shows this facility's cumulative CMS federal fine dollars versus the Wisconsin average among facilities with fines, and where it ranks among 169 facilities in the pool. Lower total dollars mean a better rank.Communities with the same value for a metric share the same rank. Rankings cover every community we track in Wisconsin that reports data for that category. Communities without available data are excluded, so the pool size varies from metric to metric.Click the rank badge to see the full State ranking.Click here to see the full State ranking.
83% lower than Wisconsin average

Wisconsin average: $95K

Number of fines 1
52% fewer fines than Wisconsin average

Wisconsin average: 2.1

Payment Denials Info Serious action where Medicare and/or Medicaid temporarily stops payments for new residents until issues are fixed. 0
100% fewer payment denials than Wisconsin average

Wisconsin average: 0.7

Fines amount comparison
Fines amount comparison
This facility $16K
Wisconsin average $95K
Penalty History

Penalties are imposed by CMS for violations of federal nursing home regulations.

1 penalty in the past 3 years

Jan 29, 2025 · $16K

Civil Money Penalty Info Fines imposed for noncompliance, which can be assessed per day or per instance of violation. Jan 29, 2025
$16K

Last updated: Jan 2026

Quality of care over time

These measures show how residents usually do over time at this home, based on health outcomes and preventive care.

High-risk clinical events score Info A composite score based on pressure ulcers, falls with injury, weight loss, walking ability decline, and activities of daily living decline. 8.0
23% better than Wisconsin average

Wisconsin average: 10.5

Functional decline score Info A composite score based on activities of daily living decline, walking ability decline, and incontinence. 16.7
24% better than Wisconsin average

Wisconsin average: 22.1

Long-stay resident measures
Below average Info CMS star rating based on long-stay quality measure performance. 5 stars = significantly above average, 1 star = significantly below average.
Need for Help with Daily Activities Increased Info Percent of long-stay residents whose need for help with daily activities has increased 11.6%
34% better than Wisconsin average

Wisconsin average: 17.6%

Walking Ability Worsened Info Percent of long-stay residents whose ability to move independently worsened 19.1%
16% better than Wisconsin average

Wisconsin average: 22.8%

Low Risk Residents with Bowel/Bladder Incontinence Info Percent of low risk long-stay residents who lose control of their bowels or bladder 19.5%
25% better than Wisconsin average

Wisconsin average: 26.0%

Falls with Major Injury Info Percent of long-stay residents experiencing one or more falls with major injury 2.1%
36% better than Wisconsin average

Wisconsin average: 3.2%

High Risk Residents with Pressure Ulcers Info Percent of long-stay high risk residents with pressure ulcers 1.5%
73% better than Wisconsin average

Wisconsin average: 5.4%

Urinary Tract Infection Info Percent of long-stay residents with a urinary tract infection 0.7%
78% better than Wisconsin average

Wisconsin average: 3.2%

Lost Too Much Weight Info Percent of long-stay residents who lose too much weight 5.9%
22% worse than Wisconsin average

Wisconsin average: 4.9%

Depressive Symptoms Info Percent of long-stay residents who have depressive symptoms 3.6%
28% better than Wisconsin average

Wisconsin average: 5.0%

Antipsychotic Use Info Percent of long-stay residents who received an antipsychotic medication 11.3%
30% better than Wisconsin average

Wisconsin average: 16.1%

Pneumococcal Vaccine Info Percent of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine 95.9%
In line with Wisconsin average

Wisconsin average: 95.9%

Influenza Vaccine Info Percent of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine 100.0%
5% better than Wisconsin average

Wisconsin average: 95.0%

Short-stay resident measures
Average Info CMS star rating based on short-stay quality measure performance. 5 stars = much above average, 1 star = much below average.
Pneumococcal Vaccine Info Percent of short-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine 81.1%
7% worse than Wisconsin average

Wisconsin average: 87.3%

Antipsychotic medication increase Info Percent of short-stay residents who newly received an antipsychotic medication 4.2%
240% worse than Wisconsin average

Wisconsin average: 1.2%

Influenza Vaccine Info Percent of short-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine 89.6%
9% better than Wisconsin average

Wisconsin average: 82.2%

Breakdown by payment type

Medicare

61% of new residents, usually for short-term rehab.

Typical stay 1 - 2 months

Private pay

37% of new residents, often for short stays.

Typical stay 6 - 7 months

Medicaid

3% of new residents, often for long-term daily care.

Typical stay 7 years

Facility Characteristics

Source: CMS Long-Term Care Facility Characteristics (Data as of Jan 2026)

Total residents 46
Medicare
6
13% of residents
Medicaid
30
65.2% of residents
Private pay or other
10
21.7% of residents
Programs & Services
Residents Group

Residents meet regularly to discuss policies, care quality, and activities

Active Resident Council

Organized group of residents that meets regularly to discuss facility policies, quality of life, and activities.

Finances and operations

Based on CMS SNF Cost Report for fiscal year ending in 12/2023.

Nonprofit
Nonprofit Corporation
Net patient revenue Info Net patient revenue — what the home actually collects for resident care, after contractual allowances, bad debt and discounts are subtracted from its gross charges (CMS cost report, Worksheet G-3). It covers resident care only; money the home earns from other sources is shown separately as "Other income."
$5.2M
Net patient income Info Net patient income: net patient revenue minus the home's total operating expenses. A positive figure means it earns more from resident care than it spends to deliver it; a negative figure means the opposite. It excludes non-operating "other income."
-$1.6M
Nonprofit Nonprofit Corporation
Net patient revenue Info Net patient revenue — what the home actually collects for resident care, after contractual allowances, bad debt and discounts are subtracted from its gross charges (CMS cost report, Worksheet G-3). It covers resident care only; money the home earns from other sources is shown separately as "Other income."
$5.2M Rank #120 / 161Net patient revenue — State benchmarkedThis home is ranked 120th out of 161 homes we track in Wisconsin. Shows this facility's net patient revenue compared to the Wisconsin average, among facilities reporting a recent fiscal year. Higher revenue generally means more resources for staffing and capital — read alongside Payroll %.Communities with the same value for a metric share the same rank. Rankings cover every community we track in Wisconsin that reports data for that category. Communities without available data are excluded, so the pool size varies from metric to metric.
Net patient income Info Net patient income: net patient revenue minus the home's total operating expenses. A positive figure means it earns more from resident care than it spends to deliver it; a negative figure means the opposite. It excludes non-operating "other income."
-$1.6M
Other income Info Money the home earns outside of resident care — such as investments, grants, rentals and other non-operating sources (CMS cost report, Worksheet G-3). It is tracked separately from net patient revenue: it is not part of that figure, and it is not included in net patient income.
$819.3K
Payroll costs Info Staff salaries plus wage-related costs — benefits such as payroll taxes, health insurance and retirement — from the home's own accounting records (CMS cost report, Worksheet A). Contract or agency labor is counted separately, under other operating costs. Rank #84 / 161Payroll costs — State benchmarkedThis home is ranked 84th out of 161 homes we track in Wisconsin. Shows total staff payroll — salaries plus wage-related benefits — benchmarked to the Wisconsin average, among facilities reporting a recent fiscal year. Higher payroll relative to peers often signals better staffing and less reliance on contract labor.Communities with the same value for a metric share the same rank. Rankings cover every community we track in Wisconsin that reports data for that category. Communities without available data are excluded, so the pool size varies from metric to metric.
$4.0M 76.9% of net patient revenue Info Payroll as a share of revenue: staff salaries and wage-related benefits divided by net patient revenue. A higher figure means more of each revenue dollar goes to staff pay. Rank #21 / 161Payroll % of net patient revenue — State benchmarkedThis home is ranked 21st out of 161 homes we track in Wisconsin. Shows payroll as a percentage of net patient revenue versus the Wisconsin average, among facilities reporting a recent fiscal year. Below 25% may signal understaffing or heavy agency use — read with Staffing ratings.Communities with the same value for a metric share the same rank. Rankings cover every community we track in Wisconsin that reports data for that category. Communities without available data are excluded, so the pool size varies from metric to metric.
Other operating costs Info Everything it costs to run the home apart from payroll — food, utilities, supplies, maintenance, contract labor and administration. Calculated as total operating expense minus payroll (staff salaries and wage-related benefits).
$2.8M
Total costs Info The home's total operating expense for the year — all the costs of running it, salaries included (CMS cost report, Worksheet G-3).
$6.8M

Who this home usually serves

TYPE OF STAY

Mostly short-term rehab stays

Most residents typically stay for a few weeks or months before returning home or moving on.

Most new residents arrive under Medicare (61% of admissions), and a typical Medicare stay runs around 1 - 2 months.

Admissions
79 total

Coverage residents most often arrive under.

Medicare 61%
Private pay 37%
Medicaid 3%
Discharges
115 total

Coverage residents most often leave under.

Medicare 37%
Private pay 43%
Medicaid 21%

Places of interest near Northern Lights Health Care Center

Address 706 Bratley Dr, Washburn, WI 54891

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Compare Nursing Homes around the area

Info below is compiled from CMS reports & the WI Dept. of Health Services (DHS), senior community websites & trusted data sources such as Walk Score & BBB.

Communities are listed from highest to lowest based on our ranking methodology.

Official facility name used in federal/state reporting (may differ slightly from the marketing name).
Care Types in This Table AL (Assisted Living): Housing with help for daily activities like bathing, dressing, and medication, without 24-hour skilled nursing. NH (Nursing Home): 24/7 skilled nursing care for residents with complex, ongoing medical needs. SNF (Skilled Nursing Facility): Round-the-clock nursing care, often for recovery after surgery, injury, or illness. MC (Memory Care): Secured, specialized care for people living with Alzheimer's or dementia. RC (Respite Care): Short-term temporary care that gives family caregivers a break. IL (Independent Living): Community living with dining, activities, and transportation for active seniors who need little personal care. PC (Palliative Care): Comfort-focused care for serious illness at any stage, including alongside curative treatment.
City and state of the facility. Used for mapping and state-average comparisons.
Estimated monthly cost range for the facility.
Licensed bed capacity (maximum allowed). Not the same as how many beds are currently filled.
Better Business Bureau grade for the operating company. Reflects complaint handling and business practices, not clinical care quality.
Third-party neighborhood walkability score (0–100). Convenience/context metric, not a healthcare quality measure.
Housing or bed configuration options (e.g. studio, shared), often from facility-reported amenities and licensing details.
Eastcastle Place
NH
AL
IL
MC
SNF
Milwaukee (Murray Hill) $5,134 - $7,789
18
Facility 18
WI AVG 61
Rank #466 / 494
-
92
Facility 92
WI AVG 44
Rank #6 / 556
Studio / 1 Bed / 2 Bed
Woodside Lutheran Home
NH
AL
MC
RC
SNF
Green Bay -
118
Facility 118
WI AVG 61
Rank #40 / 494
-
67
Facility 67
WI AVG 44
Rank #113 / 556
-
Clement Manor Inc
NH
AL
IL
MC
PC
RC
SNF
Greenfield -
47
Facility 47
WI AVG 61
Rank #302 / 494
-
41
Facility 41
WI AVG 44
Rank #296 / 556
-
Kenosha Brookside Care Center
NH
AL
SNF
Kenosha -
154
Facility 154
WI AVG 61
Rank #10 / 494
-
32
Facility 32
WI AVG 44
Rank #366 / 556
-
Northern Lights Health Care Center
NH
AL
SNF
Washburn -
50
Facility 50
WI AVG 61
Rank #234 / 494
-
55
Facility 55
WI AVG 44
Rank #191 / 556
-

Frequently Asked Questions about Northern Lights Health Care Center

Who is the owner of Northern Lights Health Care Center?

Northern Lights Health Care Center is legally operated by Northern Lights Services, Inc., and administered by Nolan Santikko.

Is Northern Lights Health Care Center in a walkable area?

Northern Lights Health Care Center has a walk score of 55. Moderately walkable. Some errands can be accomplished on foot, with a mix of nearby amenities.

What is the occupancy rate at Northern Lights Health Care Center?

Northern Lights Health Care Center's occupancy is 89%.

Are pets allowed at Northern Lights Health Care Center?

No, Northern Lights Health Care Center has a no-pet policy.

Does Northern Lights Health Care Center operate as a for-profit or non-profit?

Northern Lights Health Care Center is registered as a non-profit in WI.

Who is the administrator of Northern Lights Health Care Center?

Nolan Santikko is the administrator of Northern Lights Health Care Center.

How many beds does Northern Lights Health Care Center have?

Northern Lights Health Care Center has 50 beds.

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