Sisters of Charity Hospital
An acute care hospital in Buffalo, New York 14214
2157 Main Street, Buffalo, New York 14214. (716) 862-1000.
- Medicare payments cut under the HAC Reduction Program (fiscal year 2026)
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The short answer
Record last released by CMS on Oct 20, 2026.
- 3of 5 CMS’s overall rating
- 3of 5 patient survey rating
- 1 deficiency cited in the last three years
- 413 beds
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?
The last inspection on record was on Jan 8, 2026: a complaint inspection.
1 deficiency cited in the last three years.
CMS, QCOR Hospital 2567 statements of deficiencies. Released Oct 20, 2026. Updated monthly.
When those deficiencies happened
1 deficiency in 1 month of the last 36. Last cited Sep 2024. Most serious: Standard-level. The last 3 years, to Nov 5, 2026.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 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 | Nov |
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 Hospital 2567 statements of deficiencies. Released Oct 20, 2026. Updated monthly.
Sep 27, 2024: complaint inspection1 deficiency
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Rn Supervision Of Nursing Care
The inspectors’ words, 955 words
“RN SUPERVISION OF NURSING CARE CFR(s): 482.23(b)(3) A registered nurse must supervise and evaluate the nursing care for each patient. This Standard is not met as evidenced by: 48608 Based on policy review, medical record review, and interviews, the hospital failed to follow internal hospital policies, specifically: 1. The hospital failed to document patient repositioning every two hours to prevent skin injury as indicated in policy, “Skin and Wound Care: Skin Assessment and Wound Prevention Guidelines” for one of eight medical records reviewed. (Patient #1). 2. The hospital failed to notify the provider of a new skin injury and request a referral/consult to the wound advisor for a stage two or greater pressure injury for further evaluation per policy, “Skin and Wound Care: Wound Management and Treatment,” for one out of eight medical records reviewed (Patient #12). This is evidenced by: Findings #1: Review on 08/15/24 of policy “Skin and Wound Care: Skin Assessment and Wound Prevention Guidelines”, effective date 01/07/24, revealed “Skin injury prevention measures will be implemented for all patients identified at risk according to the Braden Pressure Injury Risk Assessment Tool. A score of 18 or less indicates the client is at risk for development of pressure injuries and a score of 9 or less indicates the patient is at a very high risk for development of pressure injuries. Preventive interventions are based on the Braden Pressure Injury Risk Assessment Tool’s score, and prescriber orders. Skin inspections will be completed every shift and all abnormal findings documented. Wound treatments require a provider’s order. Patients that are sedentary or spend prolonged time in bed should be repositioned at a minimum of every two hours and more often if at high risk or have immobility issues. For patients at higher risk of pressure injuries requiring additional support to manage their mobility and positioning, consider a referral and consultation with physiotherapy or occupational therapist or the wound ostomy nurse for assistance/advice on positioning, repositioning, and selection of most appropriate surface.” Review of the electronic medical record for Patient #1 revealed on 04/20/24 at 12:58 AM Patient #1 was transferred from an outside facility for surgical intervention of a gastrointestinal perforation (tear in the stomach or intestine). At 01:14 AM, the nursing admission assessment indicated no areas of skin injury or pressure injury were found during the four-eyes (two nurses assess together to verify findings) skin assessment. At 05:02 AM, the Braden Pressure Injury Risk Assessment Tool score of 12 was documented indicating Patient #1 was at high risk for development of skin/pressure injuries. Preventive interventions were based on the Braden Pressure Injury Risk Assessment Tool’s score and included turn and repositioning of Patient #1 every two hours. The nursing flowsheet documentation for turning and repositioning reflected Patient #1 changed position independently until 04/22/24 at 08:00 AM and 10:00 AM when staff assisted Patient #1 with repositioning. Per Nursing and Provider progress notes Patient #1’s medical condition progressively worsened. From 04/20/24 to 08/14/24 there was no documented evidence that Patient #1 was turned or repositioned for 146 out of 1,392 opportunities including no documentation that Patient #1 was turned or repositioned either independently or with assistance for the hours between 06:45 PM on 04/22/24 and 08:02 AM on 04/23/24. Additionally, on 04/24/24 turning, repositioning and/or incontinent care was documented every two hours except for the hours of 06:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM, and 06:00 PM. On 04/25/24 at 05:37 PM nursing assessment revealed a sacral (tailbone area) pressure injury and skin was described as “burgundy, purple, and red, and clean, dry, and intact.” Pressure injuries were also noted to both heels at 05:37 PM, described as “burgundy, purple, and red, but skin was clean, dry, and intact.” On 04/26/24 a nursing wound care consult assessment note indicated completion of evaluation and treatment recommendations for the sacral and heels pressure injuries. Patient #1 had a history of sacral wounds at home. The deep tissue pressure injury to the sacrum was documented, measured 10 centimeters by 10 centimeters, described as purple and red, and determined to be a deep tissue pressure injury. Both heels were assessed and documented as reddened, clean, dry, intact, and blanchable. Turning, repositioning and offloading pressure to the sacrum and both heels was part of the recommended treatment plan. Interview on 08/15/24 at 02:38 PM with Staff (I) Nurse, revealed turning and positioning should be documented every two hours on all patients regardless of their level of mobility. Findings #2: Review on 08/15/24 of policy “Skin and Wound Care: Wound Management and Treatment Policy” effective date 12/28/22 revealed “the nurse/clinician will notify the provider of a new ulcer/injury to obtain treatment orders. All hospital acquired pressure injuries stage two or greater are to be referred to the wound advisors. Wound treatments require a provider’s order.” Review of the inpatient medical record for Patient #12 revealed on 08/02/24 nursing documented an initial skin assessment as within normal limits and pressure points without redness. On 08/10/24 at 11:10 PM nursing assessment documentation included a Braden Pressure Injury Risk Assessment Tool score of 15 was documented indicating Patient #12 was at high risk for development of skin/pressure injuries. A stage two pressure injury (a shallow, open wound that extends into the lower layers of the skin)to the left ischium (boney part of the buttocks) was described as pink and moist. Review of the daily provider assessments and progress notes from 08/10/24 to 08/15/24 revealed no evidence that the provider was notified or addressed the stage two pressure injury. There was no evidence that a consult/referral was made to the wound advisors for further evaluation of the stage two pressure injury on Patient #12’s left ischium. Interview on 08/15/24 with Staff (C) Quality Manager verified these findings.”
All 4 inspections in the last three years
| Date | Visit | What the record says |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 8, 2026 | Complaint inspection | No deficiencies cited |
| Jul 15, 2025 | Complaint inspection | No deficiencies cited |
| Sep 27, 2024 | Complaint inspection | 1 deficiency cited |
| Feb 9, 2024 | Complaint inspection | No deficiencies cited |
How do patients fare?
- CMS’s overall 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. for it is 3 of 5.
- Of the measures behind its 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., CMS counts against the national value: mortality, 0 better and 0 worse of 5; safety of care, 2 better and 1 worse of 7; readmission, 1 better and 2 worse of 6.
- Patients rate it 3 of 5 in CMS’s patient survey (1,114 surveys completed, Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025): 65% rated it 9 or 10 out of 10, and 66% would definitely recommend it.
- Infections, compared by CMS with the national benchmark (Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025): central line bloodstream infections (CLABSI), better than the national benchmark; catheter urinary tract infections (CAUTI), better than the national benchmark; surgical site infections after colon surgery, no different than national benchmark; surgical site infections after abdominal hysterectomy, no different than national benchmark; MRSA bloodstream infections, no different than national benchmark; C. diff infections, better than the national benchmark.
- CMS’s patient safety composite for serious complications, PSI 90, Jul 1, 2022 to Jun 30, 2024: worse than the national value.
- Deaths within 30 days, as CMS gives them (Jul 1, 2022 to Jun 30, 2025): heart failure 11.1%, pneumonia 11.6%, COPD 9.1%, stroke 9.9%. CMS gives no comparison with the national rate for them in this release.
- Readmissions within 30 days, as CMS gives them (Jul 1, 2023 to Jun 30, 2025): heart attack 14.3%, heart failure 22.3%, pneumonia 18.3%, COPD 20.7%, hip or knee replacement 5.3%. CMS gives no comparison with the national rate for them in this release.
- After outpatient care, compared by CMS: unplanned hospital visits after a colonoscopy, no different than the national rate; hospital admissions after outpatient chemotherapy, no different than the national rate; emergency visits after outpatient chemotherapy, no different than the national rate; unplanned hospital visits after outpatient surgery, no different than expected.
- Emergency department patients spent a median of 203 minutes there before leaving (Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025), and 3% left before being seen.
- 27% of patients with severe sepsis or septic shock got the care CMS measures, SEP-1 (Oct 1, 2024 to Sep 30, 2025).
- Medicare’s spending per patient here is 0.96 times the national median (Jan 1, 2024 to Dec 31, 2024).
CMS, Hospital General Information, Patient survey (HCAHPS) - Hospital, Healthcare Associated Infections - Hospital, Timely and Effective Care - Hospital and Medicare Spending Per Beneficiary - Hospital. Released Aug 13, 2026. Updated quarterly.
CMS, Complications and Deaths - Hospital and Unplanned Hospital Visits - Hospital. Released Sep 30, 2026. Updated quarterly.
| Measure | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall ratingCMS’s overall hospital quality star rating, 1 to 5 | 3 of 5 |
| Patient survey ratingCMS star rating from its survey of the hospital’s patients (HCAHPS), 1 to 5 | 3 of 5 |
Is it certified, and in good standing?
- Medicare-certified acute care hospital since Jul 1, 1966.
- Ownership: voluntary non-profit - private.
- It is accredited by The Joint Commission, whose surveys stand in for the state’s routine inspections.
- 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 on record in the last three years.
- Voluntary non-profit - Private.
CMS, Provider of Services File - Hospital & Non-Hospital Facilities. Released Oct 14, 2026. Updated quarterly.
CMS, Hospital General Information. Released Aug 13, 2026. Updated quarterly.
CMS, QCOR Hospital 2567 statements of deficiencies. Released Oct 20, 2026. Updated monthly.
Has it been penalized?
- CMS doesn’t publish fines or other penalties for hospitals.
- CMS cut its Medicare payments by 1% for fiscal year 2026 under the Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program, which does so for the quarter of hospitals that fare worst on conditions patients get in hospital.
- 1 deficiency cited in the last three years came from an inspection that included a complaint investigation.
CMS, Hospital-Acquired Condition (HAC) Reduction Program. Released Aug 13, 2026. Updated yearly.
CMS, Provider of Services File - Hospital & Non-Hospital Facilities. Released Oct 14, 2026. Updated quarterly.
CMS, QCOR Hospital 2567 statements of deficiencies. Released Oct 20, 2026. Updated monthly.
| Date | What | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Medicare payment reduction (HAC Reduction Program) | Fiscal year 2026: 1% of Medicare payments |
What do patients say about their care?
- CMS doesn’t publish staffing levels for hospitals.
- In CMS’s patient survey, patients rate how well its nurses communicated 3 of 5.
- 54% of its health care workers got a flu shot (Oct 1, 2024 to Mar 31, 2025).
CMS, Patient survey (HCAHPS) - Hospital and Timely and Effective Care - Hospital. Released Aug 13, 2026. Updated quarterly.
Who owns it?
- Sisters of Charity Hospital of Buffalo New York runs it.
- 15 owners or officers are people: Nelson J Grimm (corporate director); David P Macholz (corporate officer); David P Macholz (runs it (operational or managerial control)); David P Macholz (other role (CMS gives no detail)); Joyce Markiewicz (corporate officer); Joyce Markiewicz (managing employee (on the payroll)); Alexis Agnello (corporate director); Robert E Zapfel (corporate director); Toni M Murphy (corporate director); Russell Edwards (corporate director); Walter Ludwig (corporate director); Leonardo Sette-Camara (corporate director); John Beyer (corporate director); Cj Urlaub (corporate director); Thomas Gleason (corporate director).
- CMS’s Provider of Services file records no change of ownership.
- No private-equity firm among the owners CMS lists.
- No real-estate investment trust among the owners CMS lists.
CMS, Hospital All Owners and Hospital Enrollments. Released Sep 29, 2026. Updated monthly.
CMS, Provider of Services File - Hospital & Non-Hospital Facilities. Released Oct 14, 2026. Updated quarterly.
How does it compare nearby?
- Of the 10 hospitals CMS lists in Erie County, 6 have an overall star rating from CMS: 1 rated 5 of 5, 3 rated 3 of 5, 2 rated 2 of 5.
- CMS rates this one 3 of 5.
CMS, Hospital General Information. Released Aug 13, 2026. Updated quarterly.
| Place | Overall star rating |
|---|---|
| Kaleida Health | 3 |
| Kenmore Mercy Hospital | 3 |
| Bertrand Chaffee Hospital | Not given |
| Upstate New York VA Healthcare System (Western NY VA Healthcare System) | 5 |
| Erie County Medical Center | 2 |
| Mercy Hospital of Buffalo | 2 |
| Brylin Hosp | Not given |
| Buffalo Psychiatric Center | Not given |
| Western NY Childrens Psychiatric Center | Not given |
What the record doesn’t say
- CMS doesn’t publish fines or other penalties for hospitals, so none are shown. The one payment cut CMS publishes for each hospital, under its Hospital-Acquired Condition Reduction Program, is shown where it applies.
- Only complaints that led to a citation appear; complaints that didn’t aren’t published.
- Most hospitals are accredited by a private organisation (The Joint Commission, DNV and others) whose routine inspections stand in for the state’s; those reports aren’t public, and QCOR holds only the state’s surveys: no inspection on record here doesn’t mean none took place.
- QCOR says its hospital inspection data are complete only through September 17, 2026, while it moves to a new system.
- CMS doesn’t publish staffing levels for hospitals.
- In its September 2026 release CMS gives no comparison with the national rate for death and readmission rates, though it gives the rates.
Sources
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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Hospital General Information (xubh-q36u).
Released Aug 13, 2026 and checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated quarterly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Patient survey (HCAHPS) - Hospital.
Released Aug 13, 2026 and checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated quarterly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Healthcare Associated Infections - Hospital (77hc-ibv8).
Released Aug 13, 2026 and checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated quarterly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Complications and Deaths - Hospital (ynj2-r877).
Released Sep 30, 2026 and checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated quarterly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Unplanned Hospital Visits - Hospital (632h-zaca).
Released Sep 30, 2026 and checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated quarterly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Timely and Effective Care - Hospital (yv7e-xc69).
Released Aug 13, 2026 and checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated quarterly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Medicare Spending Per Beneficiary - Hospital (rrqw-56er).
Released Aug 13, 2026 and checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated quarterly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Hospital-Acquired Condition (HAC) Reduction Program (yq43-i98g).
Released Aug 13, 2026 and checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated yearly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Provider of Services File - Hospital & Non-Hospital Facilities (Hospital_and_other.DATA.Q3_2026.csv).
Released Oct 14, 2026 and checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated quarterly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, QCOR Hospital 2567 statements of deficiencies (Hospital_2567s_2010_to_2026YTD.xlsx).
Released Oct 20, 2026 and checked Oct 27, 2026. Updated monthly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Hospital All Owners (Hospital_All_Owners_2026.09.29.csv).
Released Sep 29, 2026 and checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated monthly. Public domain (U.S. Government work).
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Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Hospital Enrollments (Hospital_Enrollments_2026.09.29.csv).
Released Sep 29, 2026 and checked Nov 5, 2026. Updated monthly. 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 Nov 5, 2026.
From the hospital
The public record above comes first. Anything the hospital adds will appear here, below it, and say who wrote it.
Replies
None. Replies aren’t open yet. When they open, the hospital 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 hospital”, and paying will never change a finding, a rating or the order of results.