Clifton-Fine Hospital
A rural emergency hospital in Star Lake, New York 13690
1014 Oswegatchie Trail, Star Lake, New York 13690. (315) 848-4205.
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The short answer
Record last released by CMS on Oct 20, 2026.
- Not rated CMS’s overall rating
- Not rated patient survey rating
- 3 deficiencies cited in the last three years
- 20 beds
Each figure’s source sits beside it, in its section below.
What these words mean2
- 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 Aug 20, 2026: a standard inspection.
3 deficiencies cited in the last three years.
CMS, QCOR Hospital 2567 statements of deficiencies. Released Oct 20, 2026. Updated monthly.
When those deficiencies happened
3 deficiencies in 1 month of the last 36. Last cited Aug 2026. 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.
Aug 20, 2026: standard inspection3 deficiencies
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Initial Comments - Not A Deficiency Citation
“There were no deficiencies identified as a result of a Life Safety Code Survey conducted on 8/18/2026 - 8/20/2026 at Clifton Fine Rural Emergency Hospital. This survey was conducted in conjunction with a Federal Title 18 Recertification Survey in accordance with 42 CFR part 485 Subpart E for Rural Emergency Hospitals.”
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Organization And Staffing.
The inspectors’ words, 711 words
“Organization and staffing. CFR(s): (a)Patient care responsibilities must be delineated for all nursing service personnel. Nursing services must be provided in accordance with recognized standards of practice. This Standard is not met as evidenced by: 21072 Based on document review, medical record (MR) review, and interview (1) nursing staff did not ensure patients fall risk was consistently assessed and/or fall prevention measures were consistently documented (Patient #1, Patient #2, Patient #3, Patient #4, Patient #5, and Patient #6) in six of 20 MRs reviewed. Also, the facility’s policy and procedure (P&P) for falls, did not include fall prevention interventions. (2) In one of 20 MR (Patient #3) reviewed, a patient presenting with a history of alcohol use was not assessed for withdrawal symptoms. Also, the facility lacked a P&P for alcohol withdrawal. Findings pertaining to (1) include: -- Per review of facility P&P titled “Fall Risk Screening & Post Fall Protocol,” last revised 9/18/2025, it stated under Screening / Assessment: “1. Every patient who is confused or who may be at risk for falling will receive immediate appropriate interventions on admission and what interventions were used will be documented in the EMR (electronic medical record). 2. If applicable, a Fall Risk Assessment (MORSE) will be filled in the EMR on the patient’s chart. 3. If patient is determined to be a fall risk, the patient room will be identified as such. 4. Patients do not need to be reassessed once determined to be a fall risk. 5. As available, staff will be used to sit with patients at high risk of fall.” -- Per MR review for Patient #1, they presented to the facility on 8/3/2026 with a complaint of a syncopal episode. Patient #1 had screenings completed by nursing. The “Begin Fall Risk Screen” was documented as “No”. The MR lacked documentation of a fall risk assessment. -- Per MR review for Patient #2, they presented to the facility on 8/6/2026 with a complaint of a fall and a hit to the head. Patient #2 had screenings completed by nursing. The “Begin Fall Risk Screen” was documented as “No”. The MR lacked documentation of a fall risk assessment. -- Per MR review for Patient #3, they presented to the facility on 8/11/2026 with a complaint of “post-seizure”. The “Begin Fall Risk Screen” was documented as “No”. The MR lacked documentation of a fall risk assessment. -- Per MR review for Patient #4, they presented to the facility on 8/14/2026 with a complaint of shortness of breath for two days. A fall risk assessment was completed that indicated Patient #4 was a high risk to fall. The MR lacked documentation of fall prevention interventions. -- Per MR review for Patient # 5, they presented to the facility on 8/17/2026 with complaint of malaise and diarrhea. Fall risk assessment completed indicated Patient #5 was a high risk to fall. The MR lacked documentation of fall prevention interventions. -- Per MR review for Patient # 6, they presented to the facility on 8/17/2026 with complaint of chest pain. Fall risk assessment completed indicated Patient #6 was a high risk to fall. The MR lacked documentation of fall prevention interventions. -- Per interview of Staff A on 8/19/2026 at 10:00 am and 8/20/2026 at 9:00 am, they stated there are no fall interventions listed in the MR that staff may select to be put in place. Staff must free text interventions in the MR. Staff A indicated possible interventions are yellow fall risk bracelet, star placed on the room door, and a sitter if needed. Staff A acknowledged the P&P lacked fall prevention interventions to be put in place and they acknowledged the above findings. Findings pertaining to (2) include: -- Per MR review for Patient #3, they presented to the facility on 8/11/2026 with a complaint of “post-seizure”. Patient #3 was screened for alcohol use and indicated they have frequent alcohol intake of two pints of vodka per day. Patient #3 was acutely intoxicated at the time of presentation. The MR lacked documentation of an alcohol withdrawal assessment. -- Per interview of Staff A on 8/20/2026 at 9:00 am, they stated there is a Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol (CIWA) screening tool available. Staff A indicated the facility lacks a CIWA P&P.”
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Buildings.
The inspectors’ words, 168 words
“Buildings. CFR(s): (a) (3) The REH must have a safe and sanitary environment, properly constructed, equipped, and maintained to protect the health and safety of patients. This Standard is not met as evidenced by: 52920 Based on document review, observation, and interview, the facility did not ensure that their storage and management of regulated medical waste (RMW) was in compliance with New York Codes, Rules, and Regulations Title 10 (10NYCRR) Part 70. Specifically, soiled holding rooms were not secured from unauthorized access. Findings include: -- Per review of facility’s policy and procedure (P&P) titled “Regulated Medical Waste,” revised 4/18/2018, it indicated “Storage is to be in a ventilated area that is locked and labeled as medical waste to protect it from the elements and to prevent unauthorized access. The storage area must be locked at all times.” -- Per observation on 8/18/2026 at 12:30 pm, soiled holding rooms were not locked or did not have a locking mechanism. Staff B acknowledged this finding at the time of observation.”
All 2 inspections in the last three years
| Date | Visit | What the record says |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 20, 2026 | Standard inspection | 2 deficiencies cited |
| Aug 20, 2026 | Standard inspection | 1 deficiency cited |
How do patients fare?
- CMS gives no 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.: “Data are shown only for hospitals that participate in the Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) and Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR) programs.”
- CMS gives no 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.: “Data are shown only for hospitals that participate in the Inpatient Quality Reporting (IQR) and Outpatient Quality Reporting (OQR) programs.”
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 | Not rated |
| Patient survey ratingCMS star rating from its survey of the hospital’s patients (HCAHPS), 1 to 5 | Not rated |
Is it certified, and in good standing?
- Medicare-certified rural emergency hospital since Nov 12, 2024.
- Ownership: voluntary non-profit - other.
- It is not accredited by a private organisation, so the state carries out its routine inspections for Medicare.
- 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 - Other.
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’s HAC Reduction Program file has no result for it: the program covers general acute care hospitals Medicare pays under its inpatient prospective payment system.
- None of the deficiencies 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.
What do patients say about their care?
- CMS doesn’t publish staffing levels for hospitals.
CMS, Patient survey (HCAHPS) - Hospital and Timely and Effective Care - Hospital. Released Aug 13, 2026. Updated quarterly.
Who owns it?
- 14 owners or officers are people: John Wheeler (other role (CMS gives no detail)); John Burns (other role (CMS gives no detail)); Chris Hochgraf (corporate director); Dierdra D Sorrell (corporate officer); Dierdra D Sorrell (runs it (operational or managerial control)); Majonica Drake (other role (CMS gives no detail)); Maxine A Briggs (corporate officer); Allen Ditch (other role (CMS gives no detail)); Leeann Short (other role (CMS gives no detail)); Sadie Hall (other role (CMS gives no detail)); David Daut (other role (CMS gives no detail)); Halsey Bagg (other role (CMS gives no detail)); Thomas H Carman (other role (CMS gives no detail)); Thomas Sauter (other role (CMS gives no detail)).
- 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 7 hospitals CMS lists in St. Lawrence County, 1 has an overall star rating from CMS: 1 rated 2 of 5.
- CMS gives this hospital no overall star rating to compare.
CMS, Hospital General Information. Released Aug 13, 2026. Updated quarterly.
| Place | Overall star rating |
|---|---|
| Canton-Potsdam Hospital | 2 |
| Gouverneur Hospital | Not given |
| Slhs Massena, Inc. | Not given |
| Carthage Area Hospital, Inc. | Not given |
| St Lawrence Psychiatric Center | Not given |
| Claxton-Hepburn Medical 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.
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.