Good Samaritan Society Howard
300 WEST HAZEL AVENUE, Howard, SD 57349
Howard, South Dakota · CMS verdict
CMS places Good Samaritan Society Howard in the above-average range on the federal scale, and above the South Dakota average of 2.9.
The rating and the PlainElderCare Index below summarize federal inspection, staffing, and outcome data, they measure specific, documented dimensions of this facility, not a holistic verdict on the care your family member would receive. Visit in person, talk with staff and current residents' families, and weigh your family member's specific needs before choosing.
Good Samaritan Society Howard in Howard, South Dakota holds a CMS overall rating of 5 of 5 stars and a PlainElderCare Quality & Compliance Index of 80 of 100 (grade B). Its CMS inspection record lists a limited number of deficiencies. Figures are from CMS Nursing Home Compare.
Quality & Compliance Index (thinner bed book)
Its certified bed capacity sits in the lower U.S. bed tercile (≤80). A transparent composite of this facility's CMS Care Compare sub-ratings and its federal inspection record. It complements, and does not replace, the official CMS overall star rating shown at the top of the page. How this is calculated.
How the 80 is built
Each segment is a dimension's weighted points toward the score, summing to 80.
Weights: health inspections 30%, staffing 25%, quality measures 25%, inspection record 20%; any dimension CMS has not published drops out and its weight redistributes (no silent deflation). Inspection record is benchmarked against all rated US nursing homes. Source: CMS Nursing Home Compare.
Good Samaritan Society Howard's thinner certified-bed book
Quality ratings
On Care Compare (data as of April 2026), the overall star is a roll-up of three separately tracked sub-ratings: health inspection, staffing, and quality measures. The comparison chart below shows where each one sits relative to South Dakota.
What each sub-rating measures
The health inspection rating reflects on-site surveyor findings from the last three cycles. The staffing rating compares case-mix-adjusted nurse hours per resident day to national benchmarks, and quality measures aggregate 15 clinical indicators including pressure ulcers, falls with injury, and long-stay antipsychotic use.
Size and setting
Located in Howard, South Dakota. Bed capacity and average daily census, where CMS reports them, are in Facility details below. Its ownership type, listed in Facility details, can influence staffing patterns, reinvestment decisions, and admissions policy. Occupancy of about 80% puts this facility in normal territory for a stabilized operation, neither unusually full nor unusually empty.
Same-ownership peers
Within South Dakota, Good Samaritan Society Howard is one of 50 non profit - corporation nursing homes CMS rates. Its 5-star overall rating sits above the non profit - corporation-segment average of 3.0 stars, ahead of roughly 78% of same-ownership peers in the state. Peer comparisons within the same ownership type are more apples-to-apples than a state-wide average, since for-profit, non-profit, and government operators tend to differ systematically in staffing and reinvestment.
Inspection record
On the regulatory side, federal and state surveyors have documented a limited number of deficiencies at this facility; the counts are in Facility details below. CMS has levied no enforcement penalties over the equivalent window. A handful of documented findings is common even among well-run facilities; the F-tag scope and severity codes on the full report distinguish isolated paperwork issues from resident-harm findings.
Where these figures come from
Figures above come from CMS Nursing Home Compare (Care Compare, data as of April 2026) with state cost medians from the CareScout 2025 Cost of Care Survey. See our methodology for vintage.
How Good Samaritan Society Howard's upper-tercile stars compare to South Dakota
CMS five-star sub-ratings (0–5) for this facility against the South Dakota facility-weighted average. Source: CMS Care Compare.
Bar = this facility's rating · vertical marker = South Dakota state average. Higher is better on all four CMS measures.
Where Good Samaritan Society Howard ranks in South Dakota
Among the 95 CMS-rated nursing homes in South Dakota, Good Samaritan Society Howard’s 5-star overall rating is higher than 80% of them. The bars show how all South Dakota homes spread across the CMS 1-to-5 scale; this facility’s band is highlighted.
19 South Dakota homes share this 5-star rating. Source: CMS Nursing Home Compare.
Facility details
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Beds | 45 |
| Residents | 36 |
| Ownership | Non profit - Corporation |
| County | Miner |
| Penalties | 0 |
| Deficiencies | 2 |
Source: CMS Care Compare Nursing Homes (data as of April 2026)
What do families ask most?
What is the quality rating for Good Samaritan Society Howard? ▾
Good Samaritan Society Howard has an overall CMS quality rating of 5 out of 5 stars. The health inspection, staffing, and quality measures sub-ratings behind it are compared with the South Dakota average in the chart on this page.
How much does a nursing home cost per month in South Dakota? ▾
CareScout's 2025 survey puts South Dakota's median semi-private nursing home rate at $9,444 per month ($113,333 per year), with private rooms averaging $10,190 per month.
What services does Good Samaritan Society Howard offer? ▾
CMS classifies Good Samaritan Society Howard as a skilled nursing facility. Care Compare does not itemize the services on offer; the facility itself is the source for that, and its capacity, census, and ownership are listed in Facility details above.
Does Good Samaritan Society Howard have any deficiencies or penalties? ▾
Good Samaritan Society Howard has few deficiencies and no penalties recorded by CMS; the counts are in the Facility details table. Small counts like this show up even at strong facilities; ask the facility directly what each finding involved and how it was resolved.
What are the alternatives to a nursing home in South Dakota? ▾
In South Dakota, alternatives include assisted living ($4,900/mo), home health aides ($8,437/mo), and adult day care (N/A/mo).
Keep reading
Also see the South Dakota elder-care overview and highest-rated states. Provider ID: 435075.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.