Aurora · 55705
Essentia Health Northern Pines Medical Center
5211 Highway 110
Aurora, MN 55705
Boundary Waters Care Center
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⌖ Ely, MN · St. Louis County
No photos yet
Medicare overall rating 5 of 5 stars
Certified beds38
Medicare / MedicaidMedicare & Medicaid
OwnershipNon-profit (corporation)
About Boundary Waters Care Center
Boundary Waters Care Center is a 38-bed nonprofit nursing home in Ely, MN. Medicare rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall (much above average); the average in Minnesota is 3.2. At its last full inspection (Dec 2025), inspectors found 0 problems, fewer than the Minnesota average of 7.1. Nurses and aides spend about 4 hr 17 min a day with each resident, about the same as the Minnesota average of 4 hr 12 min. About 42% of its nursing staff left in the past year. It has had no federal fines in the last three years.
Written from Medicare’s published figures; nothing here is paid for or written by the home. Our methodology
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Key details
Facility nameBoundary Waters Care Center
LocationSt. Louis County, Minnesota
Phone(218) 365-8705
Address200 West Conan Street, Ely, MN 55731 · St. Louis County
CMS provider number245138
Ownership typeNon-profit (corporation)
Operating companyHealth Dimensions Group · 10 homes
Official inspection reportsRead them on Medicare.gov ↗
Medicare enrolled sinceJuly 24, 1967 (59 years)
✓ Medicare✓ Medicaid
Certified for Medicaid; ask whether a Medicaid bed is available.
Quality & inspections
Explore this facility's official CMS inspection history, staffing levels and quality measures below — sourced directly from Medicare's public records.
Ratings and inspection data on this page come directly from CMS's public records and are never altered for any paid listing. Medicare data as of September 2026.
What Medicare found
3 strengths and nothing that stands out as a concern in Medicare's inspection, fine and staffing records for this home.
Strengths
- Fines and penaltiesNoneNo federal fines or payment denials in the last three years.Strength
- Health citations at last inspection0 (Dec 2025)Minnesota average: 7.1. Most citations are minor and corrected within weeks.Strength
- Registered nurse time per resident1 hr 18 min a dayMinnesota average: 1 hr 04 minStrength
About average
- Nurse staffing per resident4 hr 17 min a dayMinnesota average: 4 hr 12 minAbout average
- Nursing staff turnover42% a yearMinnesota average: 42%About average
Source: Medicare (CMS) inspection, penalty and staffing records, compared with the Minnesota average. Problems may have been corrected since; ask the home about anything listed here. How we choose these
Short-term rehab or long-term care?
Medicare rates these separately, and many homes are better at one than the other.
Short-term rehab
For a stay of a few weeks after a hospital visit, such as after surgery or a stroke.
- Newly given antipsychotic drugs0.0%State average: 1.9%Better than average
Physical therapist time: about 5 minutes per resident a day. That is about the same as the state average of 4 minutes. If rehab is the goal, ask how many therapy sessions a week to expect.
Long-term care
For residents who live at the home for months or years.
- Falls with a major injury3.6%State average: 4.0%About average
- Pressure sores (bedsores)5.5%State average: 5.2%About average
- Given antipsychotic drugs7.6%State average: 17.1%Better than average
Source: Medicare (CMS) quality measures, compared with the Minnesota average. Lower is better for every rate shown.
Who pays, and how full it is
Most residents here have their care paid by Medicaid. In Minnesota, Medicaid pays for 51% of resident days at a typical home.
- 61% Medicaid
- 3% Medicare
- 37% Private pay, insurance and other
Beds in use, on average78%Minnesota typical: 84%
Cost of care per resident day$446Minnesota typical: $449
Shares of resident days, from the home’s Medicare cost report for the year ending December 2024. The cost per day is what care costs the home to provide, not the price you would pay; ask the home for its private-pay rate. A busy home may have fewer open beds, so ask about availability.
Ratings over time
Its overall Medicare rating is 5 stars now, up from 3 stars in January 2019. It has ranged from 1 to 5 stars and changed 12 times.
Overall rating5★
Health inspections5★
Staffing5★
Quality of care5★
Nurse hours per resident per day4.3
20192020202120222023202420252026
Show the values by year
| Month | Overall | Inspections | Staffing | Quality | Nurse hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2019 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3.5 |
| Jan 2020 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3.6 |
| Jan 2021 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 3.7 |
| Jan 2022 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 3.5 |
| Jan 2023 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3.4 |
| Jan 2024 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3.6 |
| Feb 2025 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 | – |
| Feb 2026 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4.0 |
| Sep 2026 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4.3 |
Source: Medicare (CMS) monthly Care Compare releases since 2019. Medicare has changed how some ratings are calculated over the years and paused most inspections in 2020, so some jumps reflect rule changes rather than changes at the home. Our methodology
See the full inspection reportEvery citation, fine, staffing figure and quality measure Medicare publishes for this home
From Medicare’s September 2026 data. Each inspection is dated below; staffing comes from payroll records for a recent quarter, and resident outcomes cover the latest period Medicare reports.
Inspection summary
How this facility compares to state and national averages on CMS-reported problems.
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Three-survey history
Citation counts across this facility's three most recent inspection cycles, so you can see whether problems are trending up, down, or holding steady.
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