SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — U.S. News & World Report recently revealed their list of 2026 Best Nursing Homes, which includes 10 Good Samaritan nursing homes with a high performance rating in short-term rehabilitation, long-term care or both.
- High performing short-term rehabilitation and long-term care:
- Good Samaritan Society – Bethany (Brainerd, Minn.)
- Good Samaritan – St. Martin Village (Rapid City, S.D.)
- High performing short-term rehabilitation:
- Good Samaritan Society – Ambassador (New Hope, Minn.)
- Good Samaritan Society – Comforcare (Austin, Minn.)
- Good Samaritan Society – Howard Lake (Howard Lake, Minn.)
- Good Samaritan Society – Maplewood (Maplewood, Minn.)
- High performing long-term care:
- Good Samaritan Society – Augusta Place (Bismarck, N.D.)
- Good Samaritan Society – Pipestone (Pipestone, Minn.)
- Good Samaritan Society – Valley Vista (Wamego, Kan.)
- Good Samaritan Society – Waconia (Waconia, Minn.)
Good Samaritan is committed to strengthening the quality of care seniors in the upper Midwest receive by investing in continuous quality improvement, building a strong and skilled workforce and fostering an environment where every individual is treated with dignity and respect. This summer, Good Samaritan implemented daily SAFE briefings across the organization, strengthening its culture of safety and transparency.
“These daily calls ensure that every Good Samaritan team is connected, aligned and accountable for resident safety in real time,” said Aimee Middleton, Good Samaritan chief operating officer. “Every day, every location and every leader has a voice in protecting residents. And the impact is immediate: we’re learning faster, responding faster and preventing issues before they happen. Our daily SAFE briefings are a reflection of how far we’ve come in building a true culture of safety.”
Over 70% of the residents who call Good Samaritan home live in rural areas. In these communities, the senior care provider is often the largest employer and the only health care provider.
To be recognized as one of the 2026 U.S. News Best Nursing Homes, a facility must have been “High Performing” in short-term rehabilitation, long-term care or both. 19% met those criteria, and 1,000 were recognized as high-performing in both categories.Facilities were evaluated on four pillars including performance data, peer recommendations, accreditations and resident satisfaction, with performance data carrying an increased weight in 2026 to reflect the growing emphasis on clinical quality metrics.
For more information about Good Samaritan, visit www.good-sam.com.
About Good Samaritan
Good Samaritan, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit providers of senior care and services, is committed to transforming the aging experience through innovation, compassion and personalized care. As part of Sanford Health, an integrated nonprofit health system headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Good Samaritan serves 10,000 seniors and offers access to a full continuum of care, including 94 rehabilitation and skilled nursing centers, 56 assisted living and memory care facilities, 44 independent living locations and 37 home health and hospice agencies. The senior care provider delivers services across the upper Midwest, with 70% of residents living in rural communities. Learn more about Good Samaritan’s mission and commitment to delivering high quality senior care in rural America at good-sam.com.
About Sanford Health
Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the United States, is dedicated to transforming the health care experience and providing access to world-class health care in America’s heartland. Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the organization has 53,000 employees and serves over 2 million patients and nearly 425,000 health plan members across the upper Midwest including South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, Iowa, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The integrated nonprofit health system includes a network of 56 hospitals, 288 clinic locations, 147 senior care communities, 4,000 physicians and advanced practice providers and nearly 1,500 active clinical trials and studies. The organization’s transformational virtual care initiative brings patients closer to care with access to 78 specialties. Learn more about Sanford Health’s commitment to shaping the future of rural health care across the lifespan at sanfordhealth.org or Sanford Health News.