Good Shepherd Health Center
302 Second Street NE, Mason City, IA 50401
Mason City, Iowa · CMS verdict
CMS rates Good Shepherd Health Center at 2 of 5 stars overall - below-average on the federal scale, and below the Iowa average of 3.1.
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 Shepherd Health Center in Mason City, Iowa holds a CMS overall rating of 2 of 5 stars and a PlainElderCare Quality & Compliance Index of 35 of 100 (grade F). The 180-bed facility operates where a semi-private nursing-home room in Iowa runs a median of $9,277 per month. Figures are from CMS Nursing Home Compare.
Quality & Compliance Index (larger bed book)
At 180 certified beds, this facility sits in the upper U.S. bed tercile (>120). 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 rating of 2 of 5 stars. How this is calculated.
How the 35 is built
Each segment is a dimension's weighted points toward the score, summing to 35.
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 Shepherd Health Center's larger certified-bed book
Quality ratings
On Care Compare (data as of April 2026), Good Shepherd Health Center carries an overall CMS quality rating of 2 out of 5 stars. That figure rolls up three sub-ratings tracked separately: health inspection (2/5), staffing (3/5), and quality measures (2/5).
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 Mason City, Iowa, this facility operates 180 certified beds with an average daily census of roughly 156 residents - an occupancy rate of about 87%. The facility is classified under non profit - corporation ownership, a designation that can influence staffing patterns, reinvestment decisions, and admissions policy. At about 87% occupancy, this facility's bed usage looks steady and consistent with a stabilized operation.
Same-ownership peers
Within Iowa, Good Shepherd Health Center is one of 128 non profit - corporation nursing homes CMS rates. Its 2-star overall rating sits below the non profit - corporation-segment average of 3.3 stars, ahead of roughly 12% 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 multiple deficiencies at this facility (27 total). CMS has levied 1 enforcement penalty - civil money penalties or denials of payment, during the same window. This is a high deficiency count relative to most facilities; requesting the full survey report directly is the only way to see whether these are concentrated in one area or spread across the facility's operations.
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 Shepherd Health Center's lower-tercile stars compare to Iowa
CMS five-star sub-ratings (0–5) for this facility against the Iowa facility-weighted average. Source: CMS Care Compare.
Bar = this facility's rating · vertical marker = Iowa state average. Higher is better on all four CMS measures.
Where Good Shepherd Health Center ranks in Iowa
Among the 388 CMS-rated nursing homes in Iowa, Good Shepherd Health Center’s 2-star overall rating is higher than 21% of them. The bars show how all Iowa homes spread across the CMS 1-to-5 scale; this facility’s band is highlighted.
63 Iowa homes share this 2-star rating. Source: CMS Nursing Home Compare.
Facility details
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Beds | 180 |
| Residents | 156 |
| Ownership | Non profit - Corporation |
| County | Cerro Gordo |
| Penalties | 1 |
| Deficiencies | 27 |
Source: CMS Care Compare Nursing Homes (data as of April 2026)
What families ask about Good Shepherd Health Center's larger facility
What is the quality rating for Good Shepherd Health Center? ▾
CMS rates Good Shepherd Health Center at 2 out of 5 stars overall. The three sub-ratings behind that number: health inspection 2/5, staffing 3/5, quality measures 2/5.
How much does a nursing home cost per month in Iowa? ▾
In Iowa, a semi-private nursing home room runs a median $9,277/month ($111,325/year) per the CareScout 2025 survey; private rooms average $10,038/month.
What services does Good Shepherd Health Center offer? ▾
With 180 beds with approximately 156 current residents, Good Shepherd Health Center is a skilled nursing facility. It operates under non profit - corporation ownership, and CMS's inspection record shows 27 deficiencies and 1 penalties.
Does Good Shepherd Health Center have any deficiencies or penalties? ▾
Good Shepherd Health Center has multiple deficiencies (27 total) and 1 penalties recorded by CMS. A count this high is above what most facilities post; ask the facility directly for its plan of correction on the largest findings.
What are the alternatives to a nursing home in Iowa? ▾
In Iowa, alternatives include assisted living ($5,381/mo), home health aides ($7,836/mo), and adult day care ($1,614/mo).
Keep reading
Also see the Iowa elder-care overview and highest-rated states. Provider ID: 165072.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.