Sioux Falls Hospitals Among The Best In Federal Quality Rankings

A number of South Dakota hospitals are ranked among the best in America.

The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is out with its annual ranking of medical facilities from across the country. The Overall Hospital Quality Star Rating summarizes a variety of measures across five areas of quality into a single star rating for each hospital:

Mortality
Safety of Care
Readmission
Patient Experience
Timely & Effective Care

Of the 4,609 hospitals evaluated nationwide, 18 South Dakota facilities were included and five hospitals received top five-star marks in 2026:

Avera Heart Hospital - Sioux Falls
Avera St. Benedict - Parkston
Sanford USD Medical Center - Sioux Falls
Veterans Affairs Hospital - Sioux Falls
Veterans Affairs Hospital - Black Hills

Those five were part of a group of just 385 hospitals that received the top ranking. That's 12 percent of the overall list.

Two hospitals in South Dakota were rated 'below average' in 2026 based on a regular review of patient care and medical outcome benchmarks set by the federal government.

The two South Dakota hospitals rated two stars in 2026 were Avera St. Mary's in Pierre and Huron Regional Medical Center.