Good Samaritan Society Howard
300 West Hazel Avenue, Howard, SD 57349 · Miner County · 45 certified beds · avg 38 residents/day · certified since Mar 1, 1994
Part of chain: GOOD SAMARITAN SOCIETY (92 facilities, chain avg rating 3.0★)
What health inspectors found (on-site government inspections — the most independent evidence available)
Health inspection rating: ★★★★★5/5 · CMS overall rating: 5/5
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 (4)
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 |
|---|---|---|
| May 21, 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. |
| May 21, 2026 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | 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. |
| Jan 30, 2025 | D · Potential for harm, one-off | The facility did not provide treatment and care that follows the doctor's orders and matches the resident's own preferences and goals. |
| Sep 28, 2023 | 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. |
Inspection trend by year
Citations from standard inspections increased between the last two inspection cycles (1 → 2).
| Year | Citations | Serious (G–L) | Worst severity that year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | D |
| 2025 | 1 | 0 | D |
| 2026 | 2 | 0 | D |
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 | South Dakota avg | U.S. avg | Where it stands |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total nurse staffing (hours per resident per day) | 3.63 | 4.32 | 3.95 | bottom 28% in South Dakota; bottom 43% in the U.S. |
| Registered Nurse hours | 0.74 | 0.91 | 0.69 | bottom 36% in South Dakota; top 32% in the U.S. |
| Weekend total nurse staffing | 3.02 | 3.71 | 3.50 | bottom 22% in South Dakota; bottom 32% in the U.S. |
| Weekend RN hours (not acuity-adjusted) | 0.44 | 0.51 | 0.48 | bottom 43% in South Dakota; top 41% in the U.S. |
| Total nursing staff turnover (%) | 53.7 | 48.2 | 45.8 | bottom 38% in South Dakota; bottom 28% in the U.S. |
| RN turnover (%) | 28.6 | 34.7 | 42.9 | top 43% in South Dakota; top 26% 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 3.39, RN 0.69, weekend 2.81. Staffing rating: 3/5.
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: 5/5 · long-stay residents: 5/5 · short-stay residents: —/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 |
| The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society | Organization | 5% or Greater Indirect Ownership Interest | 100% | 01/01/2019 |
| Becker, Jody | Individual | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 02/08/2021 |
| Becker, Jody | Individual | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 02/08/2021 |
| Brown, George | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2025 |
| Brown, George | Individual | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 01/01/2025 |
| DTN Staffing INC | Organization | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 08/02/2024 |
| Dykhouse, Dana | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 05/30/2024 |
| Dykhouse, Dana | Individual | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 05/30/2024 |
| Engbrecht, Wesley | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 05/30/2024 |
| Engbrecht, Wesley | Individual | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 05/30/2024 |
| Fluit, Joel | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 10/01/2022 |
| Fluit, Joel | Individual | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 10/01/2022 |
| Focusone Solutions | Organization | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 03/04/2024 |
| Gassen, William | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 05/30/2024 |
| Gassen, William | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 05/30/2024 |
| Gassen, William | Individual | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 05/30/2024 |
| Grape Tree Medical Staffing LLC | Organization | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 04/13/2018 |
| Gulsvig, Neil | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 05/30/2024 |
| Gulsvig, Neil | Individual | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 05/30/2024 |
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 is your falls rate, and what specific steps do you take to prevent falls and supervise residents at risk?"
- "Who leads your infection prevention program, and how do you make sure staff follow practices like hand hygiene every day?"
- "How do you make sure each resident's care follows the doctor's orders, and what changed after this citation?"
- "When abuse or theft is suspected, who do you notify, how fast, and how do you inform the family?"
- "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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethel Lutheran Home | 20.7 mi | Madison, SD | ★★☆☆☆ | 2/5 | |
| Good Samaritan Society de Smet | 25.4 mi | De Smet, SD | ★☆☆☆☆ | 2/5 | |
| Good Samaritan Society Canistota | 31.2 mi | Canistota, SD | ★★★☆☆ | 3/5 | |
| Firesteel Healthcare Center | 31.6 mi | Mitchell, SD | ★☆☆☆☆ | 1/5 | |
| Diamond Care Center | 31.8 mi | Bridgewater, SD | ★☆☆☆☆ | 1/5 | |
| Avera Brady Health and Rehab | 33.5 mi | Mitchell, SD | ★★★★★ | 5/5 | |
| Prairie View Healthcare Center | 37.3 mi | Woonsocket, SD | ★★★☆☆ | 3/5 |
Compare this facility with the 3 closest →
Facility data as of CMS processing date 2026-08-01. CCN 435075.