Good Samaritan Society Nursing Homes: Chain Profile, Ownership, and CMS Record

Who Is Good Samaritan Society?

The Good Samaritan Society — formally The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society — is a faith-based nonprofit senior-care organization founded in 1922. It is one of the largest nonprofit providers of skilled nursing and senior care in the United States, operating across the Upper Midwest and Great Plains. Since a 2019 combination, it has been affiliated with Sanford Health, an integrated nonprofit health system.^[6]

By number of CMS-affiliated skilled nursing facilities, the organization is the twelfth-largest nursing home chain in the United States.^[3]

What Kind of Chain Is Good Samaritan Society?

Good Samaritan Society operates nonprofit skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and other senior-care services. Skilled nursing facilities care for patients who need 24-hour nursing care and are rated on the federal CMS five-star scale.^[1]

Who Owns Good Samaritan Society?

Good Samaritan Society is a nonprofit organization; within the CMS data its facilities are operated as non-profit entities rather than for-profit.^[1] It is part of Sanford Health following their 2019 combination, so the responsible entities are nonprofit health-system affiliates rather than private investors.^[6] CMS tracks some Sanford Health facilities as a separate chain.^[3]

How Big Is the Good Samaritan Society Nursing Home Chain?

Good Samaritan Society by the Numbers

Federal CMS data describes the operation's scale:

Facility, state, and bed counts are from the CMS Nursing Home Chain Performance Measures dataset (most recent 2026 release).^[3]

• The most recent federal CMS chain-level data affiliates 92 nursing homes across Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska, and South Dakota with the chain (CMS chain ID 726) — ranking it #12 of the 611 chains CMS tracks by number of facilities.^[3]
• The affiliated homes hold about 5,883 certified beds.^[3]

Good Samaritan Society CMS Ratings and Staffing Data

The figures below are reported by CMS for the chain in the most recent CMS Nursing Home Chain Performance Measures release. CMS five-star ratings are relative, point-in-time measures calculated against other facilities nationally; they do not guarantee the quality of care any individual resident receives, and serious harm can occur at a facility regardless of its rating.

• The chain-average overall star rating was about 3.1 of 5 (the national chain average is 3.0). The chain-level component averages CMS publishes were 2.9 for health inspections, 4.0 for staffing, and 2.8 on the quality measure rating, which is largely self-reported.^[3]
• CMS data reports 16 of 89 facilities (18.0%) with a one-star ("much below average") overall rating (national rate 20.5%) and 5 facilities (5.4%) carrying a CMS abuse icon (national rate 9.7%).^[3]
• Average total nurse staffing was about 3.7 hours per resident per day (national 3.9), and reported nursing-staff turnover was about 42.8% (national 45.8%).^[3]
• CMS records show 87 fines totaling about $2.19 million and 6 Medicare payment denials across the chain in the most recent three-year window.^[3][2]

These chain-level averages describe the group as a whole and say nothing about any specific facility or any specific resident's experience. Conditions and ratings vary from home to home and change over time.

Good Samaritan Society Nursing Home Facilities

The table below is the complete roster of the Good Samaritan Society-affiliated nursing facilities (CMS chain ID 726) in the federal CMS Provider Information dataset (May 2026 release), which listed 92 facilities. It lists each facility's name, city and state, street address, and phone number, along with any current CMS quality flag. The chain-level totals cited above reflect the most recent CMS Nursing Home Chain Performance Measures release; this per-facility roster is the May 2026 provider-level snapshot and will be refreshed when CMS posts the corresponding provider-level file.^[1]

The "CMS Flag" column marks homes that CMS has identified as a Special Focus Facility, a Special Focus Facility Candidate, behind on inspections ("Delayed inspection"), or carrying an abuse icon. Rows shaded gold indicate a current Special Focus designation or candidacy.^[1]

Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Provider Data Catalog, Nursing Home "Provider Information" dataset (NH_ProviderInfo_May2026.csv), filtered to Good Samaritan Society, chain ID 726. Inclusion on this list reflects CMS chain-affiliation data and does not by itself indicate that any particular facility committed wrongdoing.^[1]

Special Focus Facilities and SFF Candidates in Good Samaritan Society

The Special Focus Facility (SFF) program is run by CMS to identify nursing homes with a history of serious quality problems; CMS describes these facilities as among the poorest-performing nursing homes in the country. A "Special Focus Facility Candidate" is a home with a history of serious quality issues that has not yet been formally placed in the program.^[4]

According to the most recent CMS Nursing Home Chain Performance Measures release, Good Samaritan Society had 2 Special Focus Facilities and 2 Special Focus Facility Candidates at the chain level.^[3] The CMS Provider Information dataset (May 2026 release) flagged 5 facilities with a Special Focus designation or candidacy and 7 facilities carrying an abuse icon at that point in time; these designations are reassessed by CMS monthly and can change.^[1]

Good Samaritan Society Special Focus Facility Candidates (May 2026)

• Good Samaritan Society - Liberal — Liberal, KS
• St Vincent's - a Prospera Community — Bismarck, ND
• Good Samaritan Society - Larimore — Larimore, ND
• Sunset Drive - a Prospera Community — Mandan, ND
• Souris Valley Care Center — Velva, ND

Good Samaritan Society Facilities With a CMS Abuse Icon (May 2026)

• Good Samaritan - Indianola — Indianola, IA
• Good Samaritan Society - Liberal — Liberal, KS
• St Vincent's - a Prospera Community — Bismarck, ND
• Good Samaritan Society - Bottineau — Bottineau, ND
• Sunset Drive - a Prospera Community — Mandan, ND
• Good Samaritan Society - Oakes — Oakes, ND
• Good Samaritan Society Sioux Falls Center — Sioux Falls, SD

Good Samaritan Society Facilities With a Delayed CMS Inspection (May 2026)

• Good Samaritan Society - Valley Vista — Wamego, KS
• The Preserve at Fairfield Glade — Crossville, TN

Good Samaritan Society Fines, Lawsuits, and Regulatory Record

The items below are drawn from federal CMS enforcement data.

Federal Civil Money Penalties and Payment Denials

CMS enforcement records show that, across the chain, CMS imposed 87 fines totaling about $2.19 million and 6 Medicare payment denials in the most recent three-year window reflected in the data. These are regulatory penalties recorded by CMS and reflect the chain's inspection and compliance history.^[2][3]

Litigation

As with any large senior-care organization, individual Good Samaritan facilities have been named in civil lawsuits alleging resident injury or neglect. The resolution of any individual case depends on its own facts, and the existence of a lawsuit is not a finding of liability. The sources reviewed for this page do not reflect a recent major federal False Claims Act settlement against the organization; this statement is limited to the sources cited here.^[1]

How Michael Hill Trial Law Investigates Claims Against Good Samaritan Society

Michael Hill Trial Law focuses exclusively on nursing home abuse and neglect. The firm has handled more than 1,000 cases against nursing home operators and has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for clients, including a $26 million verdict in Ohio.^[5]

Thin staffing and high staff turnover are among the conditions that can contribute to preventable harm in a nursing home, because residents depend on consistent, adequate staffing for basic care. A facility's overall CMS rating does not determine whether a particular resident was harmed, and serious injuries can occur at facilities with average or above-average ratings. When we investigate a claim against a Good Samaritan Society facility, we identify the specific entities that owned, operated, and managed the home, compare the home's CMS staffing and inspection history against what happened to the resident, and obtain the facility's care records and any available documentation. The kinds of injuries and claims our firm investigates include:

• Bedsores and pressure injuries
• Falls and fractures
• Malnutrition and dehydration
• Infections and sepsis
• Medication errors
• Elopement (wandering away from a facility)
• Understaffing and neglect
• Physical or sexual assault
• Wrongful death

We are investigating claims against facilities operated under the Good Samaritan Society name. If your loved one was injured or died in a Good Samaritan Society nursing home, the public record on this page may be relevant to your situation. Our firm serves families nationwide.

Frequently Asked Questions About Good Samaritan Society

Who owns Good Samaritan Society?

The Good Samaritan Society is a faith-based nonprofit founded in 1922, formally The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society. Since a 2019 combination it has been affiliated with Sanford Health, a nonprofit health system. It is a nonprofit rather than an investor-owned company.

How many nursing homes does Good Samaritan Society operate?

Federal CMS data affiliates about 92 skilled nursing facilities with the organization across nine states in the Upper Midwest and Great Plains, ranking it the twelfth-largest nursing home chain in the United States by number of facilities.

Is Good Samaritan Society for-profit or nonprofit?

It is a nonprofit organization. Within the CMS data, its skilled nursing facilities are operated as non-profit entities.

How is Good Samaritan Society rated by Medicare?

According to the most recent CMS chain data, its average overall star rating is about 3.1 of 5 (national average 3.0), with staffing rated 4.0 of 5. About 18.0% of its facilities carry a one-star overall rating and 5.4% carry a CMS abuse icon. CMS star ratings are relative, point-in-time measures and do not guarantee the care any individual resident receives.

What should I do if a loved one was harmed at a Good Samaritan facility?

Michael Hill Trial Law investigates abuse and neglect claims against nursing home operators nationwide, including nonprofit operators such as the Good Samaritan Society. You can contact the firm for a confidential review of your situation.

Sources

1. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Provider Data Catalog, Nursing Home "Provider Information" dataset (NH_ProviderInfo_May2026.csv), filtered to Good Samaritan Society, chain ID 726 (facility counts, addresses, phone numbers, bed counts, ownership type, star ratings, abuse icons, Special Focus status, delayed inspections). https://data.cms.gov/provider-data/dataset/4pq5-n9py
2. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Provider Data Catalog, Nursing Home "Penalties" file (May 2026 release) (fine amounts and payment denials). https://data.cms.gov/provider-data/
3. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Provider Data Catalog / data.gov, "Nursing Home Chain Performance Measures" (Affiliated Entity Performance Measures) dataset, most recent 2026 release, filtered to Good Samaritan Society (CMS chain ID 726): affiliated-facility count, states, bed count, chain-average star ratings, one-star share, abuse-icon share, Special Focus Facilities and candidates, fines, payment denials, staffing hours, and turnover. https://data.cms.gov/provider-data/ ; dataset listing: https://catalog.data.gov/dataset/nursing-home-chain-performance-measures
4. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, "Special Focus Facility (SFF) Program" overview and monthly candidate/participant lists. https://www.cms.gov/medicare/health-safety-standards/certification-compliance/special-focus-facility
5. Michael Hill Trial Law. https://protectseniors.com/
6. The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society history and Sanford Health affiliation (founded 1922; 2019 combination with Sanford Health). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Evangelical_Lutheran_Good_Samaritan_Society ; https://www.good-sam.com/

This page is for general informational purposes and is not legal advice. It is attorney advertising. Ratings, fines, and Special Focus data are from federal CMS records and reflect inspection findings and regulatory penalties, not court judgments. CMS star ratings are relative, point-in-time measures and do not guarantee the care any individual resident receives. Facility data and corporate ownership change over time; verify current details before relying on them. Last reviewed: October 26, 2026.