St. Joseph’s Hospice
A hospice in Park Rapids, Minnesota 56470
323 Main Avenue South, Park Rapids, Minnesota 56470. (218) 732-4552.
Watch and the shortlist are kept with a free account, on every device. Your watch list. CMS’s own record is on Care Compare.
The short answer
Record last released by CMS on Oct 23, 2026.
- 5 deficiencies cited in the last three years
- 5of 5 family caregiver rating
- 10of 10 CMS’s Hospice Care Index
Each figure’s source sits beside it, in its section below.
What these words mean3
- Star ratings
- CMS rates some kinds of place from 1 to 5 stars, more stars meaning better on CMS’s own measures for that kind: for a nursing home, its health inspections, staffing and quality measures. A rating is CMS’s summary of those measures; it doesn’t promise good care. Source: CMS, Care Compare and the Five-Star Quality Rating System.
- Inspection (survey)
- A visit by state inspectors, often unannounced, who check a place against the rules it must meet. For nursing homes and other places Medicare pays, CMS calls these visits surveys: a standard survey of a nursing home comes at least every 15 months, and a complaint survey whenever a complaint calls for one. Source: CMS; 42 CFR 488.308.
- Deficiency, citation, violation
- What inspectors write up when a place didn’t meet a rule: the rule, what they saw, and when. CMS calls it a deficiency; states may say citation or violation. It is the inspectors’ finding, not a court’s, and the place is usually asked for a plan to correct it. Source: CMS, statement of deficiencies (Form CMS-2567); each state’s licensing agency.
What did inspectors find?
5 deficiencies cited in the last three years
The middle of the 7 hospices serving ZIP code 56470 had 3.
The last inspection on record was on Aug 14, 2025: a reaccreditation inspection by The Joint Commission.
CMS, QCOR hospice inspection reports. Released Oct 23, 2026. Updated quarterly.
CMS, Hospice ZIP Data. Released Aug 26, 2026. Updated quarterly.
When those deficiencies happened
5 deficiencies in 1 month of the last 36. Last cited Aug 2025. Most serious: Standard-level. The last 3 years, to Oct 27, 2026.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Nov | Dec | ||||||||||
| 2024 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 2025 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 2026 | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct |
Hover or focus a month to read it.
Hearth Record drew this from the dates and levels in the source’s own records.
Each deficiency, as cited
Rule titles as CMS’s inspectors cite them, set in sentence case.
CMS, QCOR hospice inspection reports. Released Oct 23, 2026. Updated quarterly.
Aug 14, 2025: reaccreditation inspection by The Joint Commission5 deficiencies
-
Content of plan of care (42 CFR 418.56(c)(4))
The inspectors’ words, 152 words
“Observed in Record Review. In 6 of 14 active hospice patient records reviewed, it was noted the organization had failed to ensure that the plan of care includes all services needed for the palliation and management of the terminal illness and related conditions, including the drugs necessary to meet the needs of the patient. For example, in review of HosRRHV#2. HosRRHV#4, HosRRNHV#1, HosRRNHV#4, and HosRRNHV#8, there were 2 PRN pain medications, Acetaminophen 325 mg 2 tablets orally as needed for pain and Morphine 5 mg oral suspension every 6 hours PRN for pain, however. the order did not specify the pain level at which each medication should be administered. Additionally, in HosRRNHV#7, two (2) PRN pain medication Lyrica 50 mg q HS PRN for pain and Morphine Concentrate PRN did not specify the pain level at which each medication should be administered. This finding was discussed and validated by the Hospice Director.”
-
Hospice aide assignments and duties (42 CFR 418.76(g)(1))
The inspectors’ words, 97 words
“Observed in Record Review. In 1 of 4 active patient records with hospice aide services,, it was noted the organization had failed to ensure that the written patient care instructions for a hospice aide must be prepared by a registered nurse who is responsible for the supervision of a hospice aide. For example, in record of HosRRHV#1, the patient was on continuous oxygen at 3 LPM via nasal cannula, however, the hospice aide care plan did not address whether the oxygen could be removed for the bath. This finding was discussed and validated by the Hospice Director.”
-
Initial certification of terminal illness (42 CFR 418.102(b)(4))
The inspectors’ words, 161 words
“Observed in Record Review. In 3 of 14 active hospice patient records reviewed,, it was noted the organization failed to ensure that the medical director, physician member of the interdisciplinary team, or physician designee reviews the clinical information for each hospice patient and provides written certification that the patient’s life expectancy is six months or less if the illness runs its normal course and had addressed the several factors including the current medication orders. For example in HosRRNHV#2, the Certificate of Terminal Illness (CTI) dated 08/07/2025 still had not signed by MD and the narrative documentation did not consistently contain the current medication status as required. The section where they supposed to document medication status was left blank. Also noted in HosRRNHV#4, and HosRRNHV#9, wherein the CTI narrative documentation did not include the current medication status as required. The section where they supposed to document medication status was left blank. This finding was discussed with and validated by the Hospice Director.”
-
Authentication (42 CFR 418.104(b))
“Observed in Record Review. In 14 of 14 active hospice patient records reviewed, , it was noted that the organization failed to ensure that all documentation entries were appropriately authenticated. For example, in review of records HosRRHV#1, HosRRHV#2, HosRRHV#3, HosRRHV#4, HosRRNHV#1, HosRRNHV#2, HosRRNHV#3, HosRRNHV#4, HosRRNHV#5, HosRRNHV#6, HosRRNHV#7, HosRRNHV#8, HosRRNHV#9, and HosRRNHV#10 - the paper-format Hospice Management Order Set was not properly authenticated, as it did not include the credential of the individual who signed the clinical document. This finding was discussed and validated by the hospice Director.”
-
Retrieval of clinical records (42 CFR 418.104(f))
“Observed in Record Review. In 1 of 14 active hospice patient records,, it was noted the organization failed to ensure that the clinical record must be accurate. For example in HosRRNHV#7, the two (2) Skilled nursing notes dated (08/11 and 08/04), stated that the patient had no oxygen in the home, which contradicts prior assessments, the hospice plan of care, and medication profile indicating the patient has been receiving home oxygen therapy. This finding was discussed and validated by the Hospice Director.”
All 2 inspections in the last three years
| Date | Visit | What the record says |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 14, 2025 | Reaccreditation inspection by The Joint Commission | 5 deficiencies cited |
| Sep 4, 2024 | Complaint inspection by the state | No deficiencies cited |
Is it certified?
- Medicare-certified hospice since Dec 16, 1994.
- Ownership: non-profit.
- No For hospices, home health agencies, hospitals and dialysis facilities, CMS writes deficiencies at two levels. Standard is the usual one; condition-level is the more serious, when a problem is serious enough that the provider doesn’t meet a whole condition of taking part in Medicare. Source: CMS, State Operations Manual. deficiency or CMS’s most serious finding: the place’s failure to meet a rule caused, or was likely to cause, serious injury, harm, impairment or death to someone in its care. Source: CMS; 42 CFR 489.3. on record in the last three years.
CMS, Hospice General Information. Released Aug 26, 2026. Updated quarterly.
CMS, QCOR hospice inspection reports. Released Oct 23, 2026. Updated quarterly.
Has anything been proven against it?
- CMS doesn’t publish fines or other penalties for hospices, so none are shown.
- 0 deficiencies cited in the last three years came from inspections that included a complaint investigation.
CMS, QCOR hospice inspection reports. Released Oct 23, 2026. Updated quarterly.
Who does the caring?
- From Medicare claims (Jan 1, 2023 to Dec 31, 2024): 12.4 nurse care minutes per routine home care day, 11.4% of skilled nursing minutes at weekends and a visit near death for 97.2% of patients who died.
- Where its patients were cared for (Jan 1, 2024 to Dec 31, 2024): 31% at home, 39% in assisted living, 1% in a nursing facility, 25% in a skilled nursing facility, 4% elsewhere.
CMS, Hospice Provider Data. Released Aug 26, 2026. Updated quarterly.
| Measure | This provider |
|---|---|
| Nurse care minutes per routine home care day | 12.4 min |
| Skilled nursing minutes at weekends | 11.4% |
| Visits near death | 97.2% of patients who died |
Who owns it?
- Commonspirit Health owns 100% directly since Jul 1, 1996.
- 15 owners or officers are people: John R Lageson (corporate director, 0%); Lloyd H Dean (other role (CMS gives no detail), 0%); Benjamin Koppelman (corporate officer, 0%); Benjamin Koppelman (other role (CMS gives no detail), 0%); Kurt Hansen (corporate director, 0%); Deborah Haagenson (corporate director, 0%); Jay Paul Ross (corporate officer, 0%); Jay Paul Ross (managing employee (on the payroll), 0%); Kathy Henry (corporate director, 0%); John Warren (corporate director, 0%); Clifford Tweedale (corporate director, 0%); Christine Broeker (corporate director, 0%); Bernice M Ebner (corporate director, 0%); Bradley Dahn (corporate director, 0%); Esther Simon (corporate director, 0%).
- No private-equity firm among the owners CMS lists.
- No real-estate investment trust among the owners CMS lists.
CMS, Hospice All Owners and Hospice Enrollments. Released Sep 29, 2026. Updated quarterly.
| Organisation | Role | Share | Since |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commonspirit Health | Owns 5% or more directly | 100% | Jul 1, 1996 |
What do families say?
- Family caregivers rate it 5 of 5 in CMS’s survey (Oct 1, 2023 to Sep 30, 2025): 88% rated it 9 or 10 out of 10, and 92% would definitely recommend it.
- CMS’s Hospice Care Index: 10 of 10 (Jan 1, 2023 to Dec 31, 2024).
- 97.62% of patients were assessed on all seven of CMS’s measures at the start of care (Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025); 81.4% had visits from a nurse or social worker on at least 2 of their last 3 days (Jan 1, 2023 to Dec 31, 2024).
CMS, CAHPS Hospice Survey and Hospice Provider Data. Released Aug 26, 2026. Updated quarterly.
| Measure | Rating |
|---|---|
| Family caregiver survey ratingCMS star rating from its survey of patients’ family caregivers, 1 to 5 | 5 of 5 |
| Hospice Care IndexCMS’s Hospice Care Index, 0 to 10 (higher is better): a point for each of ten measures from Medicare claims on which the hospice meets CMS’s threshold | 10 of 10 |
How does it compare nearby?
- Of the 7 hospices CMS’s data show serving patients in ZIP code 56470, where this hospice’s office is, the middle number of deficiencies cited in the last three years was 3; this one had 5.
CMS, Hospice ZIP Data. Released Aug 26, 2026. Updated quarterly.
CMS, QCOR hospice inspection reports. Released Oct 23, 2026. Updated quarterly.
| Place | Deficiencies, 3 years |
|---|---|
| St. Joseph’s Hospice This hospice | 5 |
| Sanford Bemidji Hospice | 0 |
| Essentia Health St Mary’s Hospice & Palliative Care Services | 8 |
| Vivie Hospice | 1 |
| Moments Hospice | 9 |
| St Croix Hospice | 3 |
| Hia Hospice | 0 |
What the record doesn’t say
- CMS doesn’t publish fines or other penalties for hospices, so none are shown.
- Only complaints that led to a citation appear; complaints that didn’t aren’t published.
- CMS ended its Special Focus Program for hospices with serious problems on Feb 14, 2025, so no hospice is marked as one.
- Hospice quality measures have a gap from October 2025: CMS replaced its patient assessment then, and public results from the new one (HOPE) are expected around November 2027.
Sources
-
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Hospice General Information (yc9t-dgbk).
Released Aug 26, 2026 and checked Oct 27, 2026. Updated quarterly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
-
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Hospice Provider Data (252m-zfp9).
Released Aug 26, 2026 and checked Oct 27, 2026. Updated quarterly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
-
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CAHPS Hospice Survey (gxki-hrr8).
Released Aug 26, 2026 and checked Oct 27, 2026. Updated quarterly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
-
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, QCOR hospice inspection reports (Hospice Survey Reports - Oct 2021 through Sep 2026.xlsx).
Released Oct 23, 2026 and checked Oct 27, 2026. Updated quarterly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
-
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Hospice All Owners (e983965e-1603-4cb8-82b5-c40090e380d1).
Released Sep 29, 2026 and checked Oct 27, 2026. Updated quarterly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
-
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Hospice Enrollments (25704213-e833-4b8b-9dbc-58dd17149209).
Released Sep 29, 2026 and checked Oct 27, 2026. Updated quarterly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
-
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Hospice ZIP Data (95rg-2usp).
Released Aug 26, 2026 and checked Oct 27, 2026. Updated quarterly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
If you believe something here is wrong, a correction starts with the agency whose record this copies: CMS. CMS’s own record is on Care Compare. If Hearth Record copied something wrongly, it will fix it and log the correction publicly, with its date: how corrections work.
This copy of the record was made on Oct 27, 2026.
From the hospice
The public record above comes first. Anything the hospice adds will appear here, below it, and say who wrote it.
Replies
None. Replies aren’t open yet. When they open, the hospice will be able to answer any finding for free, and the reply will show beside that finding, unedited and dated.
Paid listing
None. Paid listings aren’t open yet. When they open, anything paid for will say “Paid by the hospice”, and paying will never change a finding, a rating or the order of results.