Pioneer Memorial Nursing Home
315 North Washington St, Viborg, SD 57070 · Turner County · 46 certified beds · avg 42 residents/day · certified since Apr 1, 2004
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.
Most serious findings (actual harm or immediate jeopardy)
▲ Immediate jeopardy, one-off · Oct 31, 2023 · F-0600
The facility did not protect residents from abuse or neglect. This covers physical, mental, and sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect, by anyone — staff, other residents, or visitors.
Why it matters: Abuse and neglect cause direct physical and emotional harm and are among the most serious failures a nursing home can have.
Severity (J): Inspectors found a situation that put a resident's life or safety in immediate danger, affecting one or a few residents. The facility must fix it immediately — these citations often come with large fines.
Corrected: Nov 22, 2023 (Deficient, Provider has date of correction)
▲ Immediate jeopardy, one-off · Oct 31, 2023 · F-0609
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.
Why it matters: When incidents aren't reported promptly, abusers may continue harming residents and outside authorities can't step in.
Severity (J): Inspectors found a situation that put a resident's life or safety in immediate danger, affecting one or a few residents. The facility must fix it immediately — these citations often come with large fines.
Corrected: Nov 22, 2023 (Deficient, Provider has date of correction)
All citations in the current public record (3)
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 21, 2025 | 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, 2023 | ▲ J · Immediate jeopardy, one-off | The facility did not protect residents from abuse or neglect. This covers physical, mental, and sexual abuse, physical punishment, and neglect, by anyone — staff, other residents, or visitors. |
| Oct 31, 2023 | ▲ J · Immediate jeopardy, 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
| Year | Citations | Serious (G–L) | Worst severity that year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2 | 2 | J ▲ |
| 2025 | 1 | 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)
1 fine totaling $32,536.
| Date | Type | Amount / length |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 31, 2023 | Fine | $32,536 |
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) | 5.05 | 4.32 | 3.95 | top 21% in South Dakota; top 13% in the U.S. |
| Registered Nurse hours | 0.64 | 0.91 | 0.69 | bottom 22% in South Dakota; top 43% in the U.S. |
| Weekend total nurse staffing | 4.72 | 3.71 | 3.50 | top 12% in South Dakota; top 9% in the U.S. |
| Weekend RN hours (not acuity-adjusted) | 0.25 | 0.51 | 0.48 | bottom 7% in South Dakota; bottom 21% in the U.S. |
| Total nursing staff turnover (%) | 52.0 | 48.2 | 45.8 | bottom 43% in South Dakota; bottom 32% 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 3.91, RN 0.50, weekend 3.66. 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: 4/5 · long-stay residents: 4/5 · short-stay residents: —/5
Who owns this facility
Non profit - Corporation
| Owner / manager | Type | Role | Stake | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pioneer Memorial Hospital & Health Services | Organization | 5% or Greater Direct Ownership Interest | 100% | 04/01/2004 |
| Christensen, Paul | Individual | Managing Control - Governing Body | NOT APPLICABLE | 03/10/2004 |
| Christensen, Paul | Individual | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 12/05/2024 |
| Christiansen, Anne | Individual | W-2 Managing Employee | NOT APPLICABLE | 08/10/1992 |
| Christiansen, Anne | Individual | Corporate Officer | NOT APPLICABLE | 08/10/1992 |
| Christiansen, Anne | Individual | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 12/05/2024 |
| Christiansen, Anne | Individual | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 12/17/2024 |
| Gerdes, Issac | Individual | W-2 Managing Employee | NOT APPLICABLE | 06/30/2024 |
| Gerdes, Issac | Individual | Corporate Director | NOT APPLICABLE | 06/30/2024 |
| Gerdes, Issac | Individual | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 12/05/2024 |
| Gerdes, Issac | Individual | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 12/17/2024 |
| Johnson, Gabriel | Individual | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 12/17/2024 |
| Johnson, Gabriel | Individual | ADP of the SNF | NOT APPLICABLE | 12/17/2024 |
| Larsen, Kimberly | Individual | Managing Control - Governing Body | NOT APPLICABLE | 03/26/2018 |
| Larsen, Kimberly | Individual | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 12/05/2024 |
| Lee, Troy | Individual | Managing Control - Governing Body | NOT APPLICABLE | 03/28/2016 |
| Lee, Troy | Individual | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 12/05/2024 |
| Nyhaug, Connie | Individual | Managing Control - Governing Body | NOT APPLICABLE | 03/01/2024 |
| Nyhaug, Connie | Individual | Operational/Managerial Control | NOT APPLICABLE | 12/05/2024 |
| Parsons, Melanie | Individual | Managing Control - Governing Body | NOT APPLICABLE | 03/01/2002 |
Questions to ask on your visit
Generated from this facility's actual citation record — bring them to a tour and ask the administrator directly.
- "Tell me about this abuse or neglect citation — what happened, and what specific changes did you make afterward?"
- "When abuse or theft is suspected, who do you notify, how fast, and how do you inform the family?"
- "What did your most recent kitchen inspection find, and can I see how food is stored and prepared?"
- "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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunset Manor Avera Health | 7.3 mi | Irene, SD | ★★☆☆☆ | 2/5 | abuse |
| Centerville Care and Rehab Center INC | 7.5 mi | Centerville, SD | ★☆☆☆☆ | 1/5 | abuse |
| Wakonda Heritage Manor | 11.7 mi | Wakonda, SD | ★★★★★ | 4/5 | |
| Bethesda of Beresford | 16.4 mi | Beresford, SD | ★★☆☆☆ | 2/5 | |
| Tieszen Memorial Home | 19.5 mi | Marion, SD | ★★★★☆ | 3/5 |
Compare this facility with the 3 closest →
Facility data as of CMS processing date 2026-08-01. CCN 435120.