Kirkwood by the River is a congregate assisted living facility (ALF) at 3605 Ratliff Road in Birmingham, Jefferson County, licensed by the Alabama Department of Public Health under ID D3704 for 46 beds. Its license status on ADPH's directory export of October 30, 2026 is regular.
What does Kirkwood by the River's Alabama license cover?
ADPH classes Kirkwood by the River as a congregate facility (17 or more residents); its 46 licensed beds make it larger than the 38-bed median across the area's licensed assisted living and memory care. No numeric staffing ratio applies to a regular Alabama ALF; the rule asks for enough staff around the clock.
| License detail | ADPH record |
|---|---|
| ADPH license ID | D3704 |
| License class (ADPH) | Congregate Assisted Living Facility |
| Licensed beds | 46 |
| License status | Regular |
| Licensee type | Nonprofit Corporation |
| Administrator on file | Jeff Burchfield |
| Phone on file | (205) 956-2184 |
| Same address | Kirkwood by the River Specialty Care (Congregate SCALF, 34 beds); Kirkwood by the River (Skilled nursing facility, 61 beds) |
How did Kirkwood by the River do on its newest ADPH survey?
ADPH's newest posted statement of deficiencies for Kirkwood by the River covers a licensure survey completed February 11, 2020 and cites 1 deficiency tag. Surveyors recorded a census of 21 in 60 beds, about 35% full.
| Tag | Rule cited |
|---|---|
| A614 | 420-5-4-.06 (5)(f)(g)(6)(7)(a)-(i) Care of |
The citations cluster in care of residents (1). Compared with the area's 5-tag median it sits at or lower. Read the findings and plan of correction in the original ADPH report.
How many ADPH survey reports exist for Kirkwood by the River?
ADPH lists 8 posted survey reports for Kirkwood by the River, from 2009 to 2021; the newest is dated October 7, 2021, about 5.1 years ago, against a 2.4-year median for the area's licensed assisted living.
| Survey date | Category | Survey type |
|---|---|---|
| 10/7/2021 | HPS Clinical Deficiencies | Recertification |
| 2/11/2020 | HPS Clinical Deficiencies | Not labeled |
| 3/7/2018 | HPS Clinical Deficiencies | Not labeled |
| 5/14/2016 | Life Safety Code Deficiencies | Follow Up |
| 4/14/2016 | Life Safety Code Deficiencies | Follow Up |
| 2/24/2016 | Life Safety Code Deficiencies | Recertification |
| 9/10/2014 | HPS Clinical Deficiencies | Not labeled |
| 11/18/2009 | HPS Clinical Deficiencies | Not labeled |
Earlier reports we read: March 7, 2018, 4 tags, census 21.
Survey types on file: not labeled (4), recertification (2), follow up (2).
How does Kirkwood by the River compare with places nearby?
Apart from its own campus, the nearest license on ADPH's roster is Fair Haven - Assisted Living in Birmingham, a Congregate ALF with 76 beds in the same ZIP code.
| Facility | License class | Miles away | Licensed beds | Newest posted ADPH survey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair Haven - Assisted Living | Congregate ALF | same ZIP | 76 | March 5, 2025 |
| St. Martins in the Pines Assisted Living Facility | Congregate ALF | same ZIP | 71 | None posted |
| Fair Haven - Specialty Care | Congregate SCALF | same ZIP | 64 | March 5, 2025 |
| St. Martin's-In-The-Pines Specialty Care Assisted Living Facility | Congregate SCALF | same ZIP | 51 | January 31, 2025 |
Which hospitals are near Kirkwood by the River?
Kirkwood by the River is in Birmingham, ZIP 35210, in Jefferson County; the closest general hospital on ADPH's roster is UAB St. Vincent's East, about 5.3 miles away.
Next is Birmingham VA Medical Center at roughly 8.0 miles. Distances run between ZIP-code centers, so drive times will differ.
Free help for Jefferson County families comes from United Way Area Agency on Aging of Jefferson County (UWAAA) ((205) 458-3330), which also runs the long-term care ombudsman who can visit residents here.
What does Kirkwood by the River's record suggest asking?
Start with the record: ask what changed in care of residents after the February 11, 2020 survey, and to see the plan of correction.
- Ask where residents usually go when dementia progresses, since this license cannot secure the doors.
- Ask who helps with medications and whether a nurse is on staff or only aides assisting with self-administration.
- Ask whether a move to the Congregate SCALF at the same address is handled as an internal transfer.
- Ask for the rate sheet and how care-level charges are assessed.
