Good Samaritan - Estherville
1646 Fifth Avenue North, Estherville, IA 51334 · Emmet County · 62 certified beds · avg 45 residents/day · certified since Dec 1, 1993
Part of chain: GOOD SAMARITAN SOCIETY (92 facilities, chain avg rating 3.0★)
2/5
Health inspection rating (on-site)
0
Serious findings on record
$0
Fines, last 3 years
3.85
Nurse hours/resident/day (adjusted)
What health inspectors found (on-site government inspections — the most independent evidence available)
Health inspection rating: ★★☆☆☆2/5 · CMS overall rating: 2/5
The health inspection star above is graded on a curve within each state — a set share of each state's facilities gets each star level — so a facility can have few citations and still rate 2–3 stars if others in its state did even better. The overall rating combines that inspection score with staffing and self-reported quality measures.
All citations in the current public record (26)
CMS publishes roughly the last three inspection cycles plus recent complaint investigations. Older surveys drop out of the record as new ones are completed.
| Date | Severity | What the facility was cited for |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 15, 2026 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | The facility did not get its food from approved, safe sources, or did not store, prepare, and serve food according to professional food safety standards. |
| Jan 15, 2026 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility gave residents unnecessary mind-altering (psychotropic) medications, or used drugs in a way that restrained residents by dulling their ability to think, move, or function. |
| Jan 15, 2026 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not develop or follow a complete care plan for each resident — the written roadmap covering all of a resident's needs, with measurable goals and timelines. |
| Jan 15, 2026 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility provided care that did not meet professional standards of quality — the accepted standards that nurses and other clinicians are expected to follow. |
| Jan 15, 2026 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not keep the environment free of accident hazards, or did not provide enough supervision to prevent accidents like falls. |
| Nov 10, 2025 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft to the proper authorities quickly enough, or did not report the results of its investigation. · from a complaint |
| Oct 31, 2024 | F · Potential for harm, facility-wide | The facility did not electronically submit complete and accurate staffing information to the government, based on payroll and other verifiable records. |
| Oct 31, 2024 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | The facility did not serve food and drinks that were appetizing, attractive, and at a safe and pleasant temperature. |
| Oct 31, 2024 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | The facility did not get its food from approved, safe sources, or did not store, prepare, and serve food according to professional food safety standards. |
| Oct 31, 2024 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not treat residents with dignity and respect, or did not honor their rights to make their own decisions and communicate freely. This is one of the most fundamental resident rights. · from a complaint |
| Oct 31, 2024 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not develop a resident's complete plan of care within 7 days of the full assessment, or the plan wasn't prepared, reviewed, and updated by a team of health professionals as required. |
| Nov 30, 2023 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | The facility did not have enough nursing staff each day to meet every resident's needs, or did not have a licensed nurse in charge on each shift. Adequate staffing is one of the strongest predictors of good care. · from a complaint |
| Nov 30, 2023 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | The facility's menus did not meet residents' nutritional needs, or were not prepared in advance, followed as written, kept up to date, or reviewed by a dietician. · from a complaint |
| Nov 30, 2023 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | The facility did not serve meals and snacks at times that fit residents' needs, preferences, and requests, or did not offer nourishing alternatives for residents who want to eat outside scheduled meal times. · from a complaint |
| Nov 30, 2023 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not have enough support staff to safely and effectively run its food and nutrition service. · from a complaint |
| Aug 30, 2023 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | The facility did not honor residents' right to voice complaints without discrimination or retaliation, or did not have a working complaint process that resolves issues promptly. · from a complaint |
| Aug 30, 2023 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | The facility did not develop a resident's complete plan of care within 7 days of the full assessment, or the plan wasn't prepared, reviewed, and updated by a team of health professionals as required. |
| Aug 30, 2023 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | The facility did not serve food and drinks that were appetizing, attractive, and at a safe and pleasant temperature. · from a complaint |
| Aug 30, 2023 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | The facility did not prepare and serve food in a form that meets each resident's individual needs — for example, chopped, pureed, or softened food for residents with chewing or swallowing problems. · from a complaint |
| Aug 30, 2023 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | The facility did not get its food from approved, safe sources, or did not store, prepare, and serve food according to professional food safety standards. · from a complaint |
| Aug 30, 2023 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | The facility's quality committee — the internal group responsible for finding and fixing care problems — did not have the required members or did not meet at least every three months. |
| Aug 30, 2023 | E · Potential for harm, repeated | The facility did not have or follow an effective program to prevent and control infections — such as proper hand washing, cleaning, and isolation practices. This is the most commonly cited deficiency nationwide. |
| Aug 30, 2023 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not accurately assess a resident's health and needs. Assessments are the foundation for all the care a resident receives. |
| Aug 30, 2023 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not coordinate resident assessments with the state's pre-admission screening program for mental illness and intellectual disabilities, or failed to refer residents for the special services they need. |
| Aug 30, 2023 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not provide the care needed to maintain or improve residents' movement and flexibility — such as range-of-motion exercises — leading to avoidable decline. |
| Aug 30, 2023 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not try to gradually reduce doses of mood- and mind-altering medications or use non-drug approaches first, as required, or used 'as needed' psychiatric drugs without proper limits. |
Inspection trend by year
Citations from standard inspections stayed about the same across the last two inspection cycles (5 → 5).
| Year | Citations | Serious (G–L) | Worst severity that year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 15 | 0 | E |
| 2024 | 5 | 0 | F |
| 2025 | 1 | 0 | D |
| 2026 | 5 | 0 | E |
Counts reflect the current CMS public record (~3 inspection cycles plus complaint investigations); years with no surveys show no row. Inspection frequency varies, so compare severity as well as counts.
Fines and enforcement (last 3 years)
No fines or payment denials in the published 3-year window.
Nurse staffing (from payroll records, adjusted for how much care residents need)
| Measure | This facility | Iowa avg | U.S. avg | Where it stands |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total nurse staffing (hours per resident per day) | 3.85 | 4.37 | 3.95 | bottom 29% in Iowa; top 46% in the U.S. |
| Registered Nurse hours | 1.01 | 0.85 | 0.69 | top 26% in Iowa; top 15% in the U.S. |
| Weekend total nurse staffing | 3.25 | 3.86 | 3.50 | bottom 20% in Iowa; bottom 45% in the U.S. |
| Weekend RN hours (not acuity-adjusted) | 0.47 | 0.51 | 0.48 | top 47% in Iowa; top 36% in the U.S. |
| Total nursing staff turnover (%) | 49.1 | 44.0 | 45.8 | bottom 34% in Iowa; bottom 39% in the U.S. |
| RN turnover (%) | 53.8 | 42.1 | 42.9 | bottom 33% in Iowa; bottom 30% in the U.S. |
Hours are per resident per day, case-mix adjusted by CMS so facilities caring for sicker residents can be compared fairly (same basis as the CMS staffing star). "Top X%" means better than most facilities: more staffing hours, or lower turnover. Raw (unadjusted) reported hours: total 3.57, RN 0.94, weekend 3.01. Staffing rating: 4/5.
Self-reported quality measures
Note: these ratings are based on data the facility reports about itself to CMS. They are not independently verified by inspectors, and can look better than inspection findings. Give more weight to the inspection results above.
Quality measures rating: 2/5 · long-stay residents: 2/5 · short-stay residents: 1/5
Who owns this facility
Non profit - Corporation
| Owner / manager | Type | Role | Stake | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanford | Organization | 5% or Greater Direct Ownership Interest | 100% | 01/01/2019 |
| Berry, Patrick | Individual | W-2 Managing Employee | NOT APPLICABLE | 12/02/2018 |
| Cain, James | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 05/30/2024 |
| Dykhouse, Dana | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 05/30/2024 |
| Engbrecht, Wesley | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 05/30/2024 |
| Fluit, Joel | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 10/01/2022 |
| Gassen, William | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 05/30/2024 |
| Gassen, William | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 05/30/2024 |
| Gulsvig, Neil | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 05/30/2024 |
| Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 05/30/2024 |
| Lundeen, Mark | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 05/30/2024 |
| Middleton, Aimee | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/27/2022 |
| Molbert, Lauris | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 05/30/2024 |
| Morrison, Tony | Individual | W-2 Managing Employee | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2019 |
| North, Andrew | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 05/30/2024 |
| Olson, Nicholas | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 04/08/2024 |
| Rogers, Michael | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 06/13/2022 |
| Schema, Nathan | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2022 |
| Shulkin, David | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 05/30/2024 |
| Tangen, Lorraine | Individual | Contracted Managing Employee | NOT APPLICABLE | 12/01/2023 |
Questions to ask on your visit
Generated from this facility's actual citation record — bring them to a tour and ask the administrator directly.
- "What did your most recent kitchen inspection find, and can I see how food is stored and prepared?"
- "What percentage of your residents are on antipsychotic or sedating medications, and how do you work to reduce that?"
- "Can you show me an example care plan, and how are families included when it's created and updated?"
- "Can you tell me what this citation involved and what steps you took to bring care back up to standard?"
- "What is your falls rate, and what specific steps do you take to prevent falls and supervise residents at risk?"
- "When abuse or theft is suspected, who do you notify, how fast, and how do you inform the family?"
- "How do your actual daily staffing levels compare to what's reported on Medicare's Care Compare website?"
- "Could I join residents for a meal to see the food quality and temperature for myself?"
- "What is your current ratio of nursing staff to residents on day, evening, and weekend shifts?"
- "Can I see the results and plan of correction from your most recent state inspection?"
Nearby facilities (within 20 miles)
| Facility | Distance | City | Overall | Inspection | Flags |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estherville Community Care Center | 0.4 mi | Estherville, IA | ★★☆☆☆ | 2/5 | |
| Accura Healthcare of Spirit Lake | 15.0 mi | Spirit Lake, IA | ★★☆☆☆ | 2/5 | |
| Valley Vue Care Center | 16.9 mi | Armstrong, IA | ★★★★★ | 4/5 | |
| Good Samaritan Society - Jackson | 17.4 mi | Jackson, MN | ★★★★☆ | 3/5 | |
| Accura Healthcare of Milford | 17.8 mi | Milford, IA | ★★★★☆ | 5/5 | |
| Ruthven Community Care Center | 19.4 mi | Ruthven, IA | ★★★★☆ | 4/5 |
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Facility data as of CMS processing date 2026-08-01. CCN 165192.