Home / South Dakota / Howard
300 West Hazel Avenue, Howard, SD 57349 · Miner County · (605) 772-4481
45 certified beds, about 38 residents a day · Non profit - Corporation · Medicare and Medicaid since 1994
CMS Care Compare ratings, data as of September 1, 2026 · CCN 435075 · See it on Medicare.gov · Compare with other homes
At its most recent standard inspection, on May 21, 2026, inspectors cited 2 health deficiencies (the South Dakota average is 6.7, the national average 9.2).
None of its 4 health citations since September 2023 was rated as actual harm or immediate jeopardy.
CMS lists no fines against this home in the last three years.
Nurses and nurse aides worked 3.39 hours per resident per day, against 3.79 across South Dakota and 3.86 nationally. Registered nurses accounted for 0.69 of those hours.
53.7% of nursing staff left within the year CMS measured (South Dakota average 48.2%).
CMS links it to Good Samaritan Society, an affiliated group of 92 nursing homes.
Federal rules call for a standard inspection at least every 15 months, plus a visit whenever a complaint is filed. Each mark below is one citation, colored by how serious inspectors rated it. How to read a citation.
Under each citation, the quoted text is the inspector's own summary from the federal statement of deficiencies (CMS form 2567), word for word apart from a privacy scrub; CMS removes residents' and staff names before it publishes the text. The full notes are on Medicare.gov.
CMS rates every citation by how much harm it caused (rows) and how many residents it touched (columns). The count in each box is this home's, across all 4 health citations on file.
Inspectors wroteBased on interview, observation, record review, and policy review, the provider failed to ensure an environment free from accident hazards for one of one sampled resident (24) with a diagnosis of hemiplegia (paralysis effecting one side of the body) following cerebral infarction (a stroke) who, while reaching for his call light, fell, hit his head, and sustained a laceration (a deep cut) to his left arm when left unattended in his bathroom, seated on the toilet, with a stand aid (a manual lift used to assist a person from a seated to a standing position) positioned in front of him, without the staff ensuring that the lift brakes were locked and that his call light was within his reach.
Inspectors wroteBased on observation, interview, and policy review, the provider failed to ensure the staff followed standard infection prevention and control practices related to one of two certified nursing assistant (CNA) (I) who wore two pairs of gloves during one of one sampled resident's (30) cares and did not remove potentially soiled gloves before touching the resident's wardrobe and clean clothes.
Inspectors wroteBased on observation, interview, record review, call light report review, resident council meeting, and policy review the provider failed to ensure that two of seven sampled residents (1 and 5) had their call lights answered in a timely manner.
Inspectors wroteBased on record review, interview, and policy review the provider failed to ensure one of one sampled resident (37) who had an injury of unknown origin was thoroughly investigated and reported to the South Dakota Department of Health (SDDOH).
8 fire safety citations on file: 2 on May 21, 2026, 2 on January 30, 2025, 4 on September 28, 2023.
CMS lists no fines or payment denials against this home in the last three years. The national average is 0.9 fines per home.
Hours of care per resident per day, from the payroll records every home sends CMS. Higher means more staff time with each resident.
| Measure | This home | South Dakota | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| All nursing staff (RN, LPN and aides) | 3.39 | 3.79 | 3.86 |
| Registered nurses | 0.69 | 0.80 | 0.69 |
| All nursing staff on weekends | 2.81 | 3.26 | 3.42 |
| Nurse aides | 2.34 | ||
| Licensed practical nurses | 0.35 | ||
| Nursing staff turnover (share who left in a year) | 53.7% | 48.2% | 45.8% |
| Registered nurse turnover | 28.6% | 34.7% | 42.9% |
| Administrators who left | 0 |
CMS expects 3.57 hours a day for residents as sick as this home's (its case-mix figure). The staffing star compares the two.
Every nursing home sends CMS its staff hours for each day (the Payroll Based Journal). Here they are added up by quarter. The latest quarter is the one behind the figures above. In January to March 2026, nursing staff hours per resident were 3.62 on weekdays and 2.81 on weekends, 22% lower on weekends (nationally, weekends ran 15% lower). Contract or agency staff worked 7.5% of nursing hours, against 5.3% nationally. Total nursing hours per resident went from 3.59 in April to June 2025 to 3.39 in January to March 2026.
| Quarter | All nursing staff | Registered nurses | Weekdays | Weekends | Contract staff share | Days with no RN hours | Residents a day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan to Mar 2026 | 3.39 | 0.69 | 3.62 | 2.81 | 7.5% | 0 of 90 | 38 |
| Oct to Dec 2025 | 3.33 | 0.83 | 3.52 | 2.84 | 2.6% | 0 of 92 | 37 |
| Jul to Sep 2025 | 3.56 | 0.83 | 3.78 | 3.01 | 3.9% | 0 of 92 | 36 |
| Apr to Jun 2025 | 3.59 | 0.78 | 3.82 | 3.02 | 4.6% | 0 of 91 | 36 |
| United States, Jan to Mar 2026 | 3.75 | 0.62 | 3.92 | 3.33 | 5.3% | 0.5% of days | |
| South Dakota, Jan to Mar 2026 | 3.76 | 0.79 | 3.97 | 3.25 | 9.1% | 1.1% of days |
Hours per resident per day: staff hours in the quarter divided by resident days (the daily census CMS derives from resident assessments). Registered nurses include the director of nursing and RNs with administrative duties; aides include nurse aides in training and medication aides, as in CMS's own staffing measure. How these are calculated.
Staff pay reports
No staff pay figure for this home has passed review yet. A figure appears only after at least 5 reports from at least 3 different people, sent over at least 60 days, have passed review.
| Job | Median | Middle half | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota, all employers | |||
| CNAs (nursing assistants) | $18.65 | $17.71 to $21.12 | 6,860 |
| LPNs and LVNs | $25.36 | $23.88 to $29.47 | 2,050 |
| Registered nurses | $37.53 | $31.29 to $40.52 | 14,710 |
| United States, nursing care facilities | |||
| CNAs (nursing assistants) | $20.67 | $17.91 to $22.55 | 534,270 |
| LPNs and LVNs | $33.86 | $30.05 to $37.40 | 188,210 |
| Registered nurses | $41.11 | $37.85 to $47.68 | 142,270 |
Hourly wages; the middle half runs from the 25th to the 75th percentile. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. BLS has no separate estimate for medication aides. These are survey estimates for whole occupations, not figures for any one home.
The measures CMS uses for the quality star. Lower is better for every one of them.
| Measure | This home | South Dakota | US |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose need for help with daily activities has increased Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 13.1 | 21.4 | 13.9 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a catheter inserted and left in their bladder Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 0.8 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a urinary tract infection Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 1.6 | 2.9 | 1.6 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents experiencing one or more falls with major injury Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 4.6 | 5.5 | 3.2 |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who newly received an antipsychotic medication Short Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 1.6 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose ability to walk independently worsened Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 7.5 | 19.4 | 14.1 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with pressure ulcers Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 0.0 | 4.6 | 4.6 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antipsychotic medication Long Stay residents, 2025Q2-2026Q1 | 14.3 | 24.6 | 15.4 |
For a stay to recover after a hospital visit, these are the results CMS publishes for Good Samaritan Society Howard's Medicare short-stay residents. On returning residents home or to the community, CMS rates it no different from the national rate (44.0% of residents, after adjusting for how sick they were). How to read these, and what Medicare pays for.
44.0% this home
No different from the national rate
US median of homes 51.5% · South Dakota: 7 better, 10 worse
Rate of successful return to home or community from a SNF (risk-standardized discharge to community rate). Higher is better. October 2022 to September 2024. 35 eligible stays.
10.5% this home
No different from the national rate
US median of homes 10.7% · South Dakota: 0 better, 0 worse
Rate of potentially preventable hospital readmissions 30 days after discharge from a SNF (risk-standardized rate). Lower is better. October 2022 to September 2024. 33 eligible stays.
Not reported
CMS note: The number of residents or resident stays is too small to report. Call the facility to discuss this quality measure.
US median of homes 7.1% · South Dakota: 0 better, 0 worse
Percentage of infections residents got during their SNF stay that resulted in hospitalization (risk-standardized rate). Lower is better. October 2023 to September 2024. 23 eligible stays.
Not reported
CMS note: The number of residents or resident stays is too small to report. Call the facility to discuss this quality measure.
Median of homes: South Dakota52.7% · US 56.6%
Percentage of residents who are at or above an expected ability to care for themselves and move around at discharge. Higher is better. October 2024 to September 2025. 17 residents counted.
5.0% this home
Median of homes: South Dakota1.1% · US 0.0%
Percentage of SNF residents who experience one or more falls with major injury during their SNF stay. Lower is better. October 2024 to September 2025. 20 residents counted.
0.0% this home
Median of homes: South Dakota2.5% · US 1.7%
Percentage of residents with pressure ulcers or pressure injuries that are new or worsened (adjusted rate). Lower is better. October 2024 to September 2025. 20 residents counted.
Not reported
CMS note: The number of residents or resident stays is too small to report. Call the facility to discuss this quality measure.
Median of homes: South Dakota100.0% · US 98.7%
Percentage of residents where the SNF provided a current medication list to the resident, family, and/or caregiver at final discharge. Higher is better. October 2024 to September 2025. 7 residents counted.
Source: CMS Skilled Nursing Facility Quality Reporting Program - Provider Data, released 2026-09-30. Better, no different and worse are CMS's own comparisons with the national rate, after adjusting for how sick residents were. Medians of homes and the state counts are worked out by us from the same file.
Legal business name: THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN GOOD SAMARITAN SOCIETY. CMS links this home to Good Samaritan Society, a group of 92 nursing homes averaging 3.1 stars overall.
| Name | Role | Type | Share | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanford | 5% or greater direct ownership interest | Organization | 100% | 01/01/2019 |
| The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society | 5% or greater indirect ownership interest | Organization | 100% | 01/01/2019 |
| Brown, George | Corporate director | Individual | 01/01/2025 | |
| Dykhouse, Dana | Corporate director | Individual | 05/30/2024 | |
| Engbrecht, Wesley | Corporate director | Individual | 05/30/2024 | |
| Gassen, William | Corporate director | Individual | 05/30/2024 | |
| Gulsvig, Neil | Corporate director | Individual | 05/30/2024 | |
| Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie | Corporate director | Individual | 05/30/2024 | |
| Lundeen, Mark | Corporate director | Individual | 05/30/2024 | |
| McCausland, Maureen | Corporate director | Individual | 01/01/2025 | |
| Molbert, Lauris | Corporate director | Individual | 05/30/2024 | |
| North, Andrew | Corporate director | Individual | 05/30/2024 | |
| Schieffer, Kevin | Corporate director | Individual | 01/01/2025 | |
| Shulkin, David | Corporate director | Individual | 05/30/2024 | |
| Teiken, Brent | Corporate director | Individual | 05/30/2024 | |
| Ventling-Herrmann, Marnie | Corporate director | Individual | 05/30/2024 | |
| Wenzel, Thomas | Corporate director | Individual | 01/01/2025 | |
| Fluit, Joel | Corporate officer | Individual | 10/01/2022 | |
| Gassen, William | Corporate officer | Individual | 05/30/2024 | |
| Middleton, Aimee | Corporate officer | Individual | 01/27/2022 | |
| Olson, Nicholas | Corporate officer | Individual | 04/08/2024 | |
| Schema, Nathan | Corporate officer | Individual | 01/01/2022 | |
| Becker, Jody | Operational/managerial control | Individual | 02/08/2021 | |
| Liscano, Benjamin | Operational/managerial control | Individual | 08/28/2017 | |
| Morrison, Tony | Operational/managerial control | Individual | 01/01/2019 | |
| Sandgren, Deeandra | Operational/managerial control | Individual | 07/16/2023 | |
| Dtn Staffing Inc | Adp of the SNF | Organization | 08/02/2024 | |
| Focusone Solutions | Adp of the SNF | Organization | 03/04/2024 | |
| Grape Tree Medical Staffing LLC | Adp of the SNF | Organization | 04/13/2018 | |
| Sanford | Adp of the SNF | Organization | 11/20/2025 | |
| The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society | Adp of the SNF | Organization | 01/01/2019 | |
| Becker, Jody | Adp of the SNF | Individual | 02/08/2021 | |
| Brown, George | Adp of the SNF | Individual | 01/01/2025 | |
| Dykhouse, Dana | Adp of the SNF | Individual | 05/30/2024 | |
| Engbrecht, Wesley | Adp of the SNF | Individual | 05/30/2024 | |
| Fluit, Joel | Adp of the SNF | Individual | 10/01/2022 | |
| Gassen, William | Adp of the SNF | Individual | 05/30/2024 | |
| Gulsvig, Neil | Adp of the SNF | Individual | 05/30/2024 | |
| Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie | Adp of the SNF | Individual | 05/30/2024 | |
| Liscano, Benjamin | Adp of the SNF | Individual | 08/28/2017 | |
| Lundeen, Mark | Adp of the SNF | Individual | 05/30/2024 | |
| McCausland, Maureen | Adp of the SNF | Individual | 01/01/2025 | |
| Middleton, Aimee | Adp of the SNF | Individual | 01/27/2022 | |
| Molbert, Lauris | Adp of the SNF | Individual | 05/30/2024 | |
| Morrison, Tony | Adp of the SNF | Individual | 01/01/2019 | |
| North, Andrew | Adp of the SNF | Individual | 05/30/2024 | |
| Olson, Nicholas | Adp of the SNF | Individual | 04/08/2024 | |
| Sandgren, Deeandra | Adp of the SNF | Individual | 07/16/2023 | |
| Schema, Nathan | Adp of the SNF | Individual | 01/01/2022 | |
| Schieffer, Kevin | Adp of the SNF | Individual | 01/01/2025 | |
| Shulkin, David | Adp of the SNF | Individual | 05/30/2024 | |
| Teiken, Brent | Adp of the SNF | Individual | 05/30/2024 | |
| Ventling-Herrmann, Marnie | Adp of the SNF | Individual | 05/30/2024 | |
| Wenzel, Thomas | Adp of the SNF | Individual | 01/01/2025 |
As listed in the CMS ownership file, which names owners with a 5% or greater stake and the people and companies with operational or managerial control.
Chosen from this home's own inspection record.
These are the official offices in South Dakota. NursingHomeClear cannot take or act on complaints.