Federal inspection record · CMS data as of October 1, 2026
Good Samaritan - Estherville
1646 Fifth Avenue North, Estherville, IA · (712) 362-3522
- Certified beds
- 62
- Residents per day
- 48
- Ownership
- Non-Profit
- Chain
- Good Samaritan Society
- Medicare / Medicaid
- Medicare + Medicaid
- Certified since
- December 1, 1993
1
How this home got 3 stars
The overall rating isn't an average. CMS starts from the inspection rating and nudges it at most two steps. Here is the arithmetic for this home, using CMS's own rules.
-
Health inspections
★★★★★starting point
Everything starts from what state inspectors found on site. This is a ranking against other homes in Iowa.
-
Staffing
★★★★★no change
Only a 5-star staffing rating adds a star, and only a 1-star rating removes one. Ratings of 2 to 4 change nothing.
-
Quality measures
★★★★★no change
Same rule: 5 stars adds one, 1 star takes one away. These measures are mostly reported by the home itself.
-
Overall
★★★★★3 of 5
Matches the rating CMS publishes on Care Compare.
2
Where it sits among Iowa homes
Good Samaritan - Estherville carries 38 inspection points. That is fewer than 45% of Iowa's 385 rated homes.
Inspectors' citations earn points by how serious and how widespread they were (the grid below). CMS then ranks every home in Iowa: the 10% with the fewest points get 5 stars, the 20% with the most get 1 star, and the middle 70% split evenly into 2, 3 and 4.
- 5★ 0–7 pts
- 4★ 7–21 pts
- 3★ 21–41 pts
- 2★ 41–86.5 pts
- 1★ over 86.5 pts
Bars show every rated home in Iowa by its weighted inspection score. CMS recalibrates the cut points monthly but holds a home's rating until its own score changes, so a home can sit just outside today's band.
3
What inspectors found
26 health citations on record since 2023. Each one gets a letter: the row says how badly residents were affected, the column how many.
Immediate jeopardyResidents at risk of serious injury or death
Actual harmA resident was hurt
Potential for harmNo one was hurt, but could have been
Minimal harmPaperwork-level problems
Read the rows, not the total. Most citations nationwide are a D: one problem, nobody hurt. Rows G–I mean a resident was harmed; J–L mean inspectors found residents in immediate danger of serious injury or death.
Small numbers in each cell are the inspection points CMS assigns per citation. Those points are what the state curve above ranks.
No citation on record at the harm or immediate-jeopardy level.
Everything else, by area of care
Nutrition and Dietary9E
- E
Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
- E
Ensure food and drink is palatable, attractive, and at a safe and appetizing temperature.
- E
Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
- E
Ensure menus must meet the nutritional needs of residents, be prepared in advance, be followed, be updated, be reviewed by dietician, and meet the needs of the resident.
- E
Ensure meals and snacks are served at times in accordance with resident’s needs, preferences, and requests. Suitable and nourishing alternative meals and snacks must be provided for residents who want to eat at non-traditional times or outside of scheduled meal times.
- D
Provide sufficient support personnel to safely and effectively carry out the functions of the food and nutrition service.
- E
Ensure food and drink is palatable, attractive, and at a safe and appetizing temperature.
- E
Ensure each resident receives and the facility provides food prepared in a form designed to meet individual needs.
- E
Procure food from sources approved or considered satisfactory and store, prepare, distribute and serve food in accordance with professional standards.
Resident Assessment and Care Planning6E
- D
Develop and implement a complete care plan that meets all the resident's needs, with timetables and actions that can be measured.
- D
Ensure services provided by the nursing facility meet professional standards of quality.
- D
Develop the complete care plan within 7 days of the comprehensive assessment; and prepared, reviewed, and revised by a team of health professionals.
- E
Develop the complete care plan within 7 days of the comprehensive assessment; and prepared, reviewed, and revised by a team of health professionals.
- D
Ensure each resident receives an accurate assessment.
- D
Coordinate assessments with the pre-admission screening and resident review program; and referring for services as needed.
Freedom from Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation2D
- D
Prevent the use of unnecessary psychotropic medications or use medications that may restrain a resident's ability to function.
- D
Timely report suspected abuse, neglect, or theft and report the results of the investigation to proper authorities.
Quality of Life and Care2D
- D
Ensure that a nursing home area is free from accident hazards and provides adequate supervision to prevent accidents.
- D
Provide appropriate care for a resident to maintain and/or improve range of motion (ROM), limited ROM and/or mobility, unless a decline is for a medical reason.
Administration2F
- F
Electronically submit to CMS complete and accurate direct care staffing information, based on payroll and other verifiable and auditable data.
- E
Have the Quality Assessment and Assurance group have the required members and meet at least quarterly
Resident Rights2E
- D
Honor the resident's right to a dignified existence, self-determination, communication, and to exercise his or her rights.
- E
Honor the resident's right to voice grievances without discrimination or reprisal and the facility must establish a grievance policy and make prompt efforts to resolve grievances.
Nursing and Physician Services1E
- E
Provide enough nursing staff every day to meet the needs of every resident; and have a licensed nurse in charge on each shift.
Infection Control1E
- E
Provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.
Pharmacy Service1D
- D
Implement gradual dose reductions(GDR) and non-pharmacological interventions, unless contraindicated, prior to initiating or instead of continuing psychotropic medication; and PRN orders for psychotropic medications are only used when the medication is necessary and PRN use is limited.
Inspection history
2026-01-15
6 health deficiencies · 5 fire-safety deficiencies
Top issue: Freedom from Abuse and Neglect and Exploitation (2 deficiencies)
2024-10-31
5 health deficiencies · 10 fire-safety deficiencies
Top issue: Nutrition and Dietary (2 deficiencies)
2023-08-30
15 health deficiencies · 3 fire-safety deficiencies
Top issue: Nutrition and Dietary (6 deficiencies)
4
Nursing time per resident, per day
Each resident here gets about 3 h 17 min of nursing staff time a day, 54 min of it from a registered nurse.
This home
3 h 17 min
Iowa average
3 h 52 min
U.S. average
3 h 54 min
- Registered nurse
- Licensed practical nurse
- Nurse aide
Turnover: 58% of nursing staff and 67% of registered nurses left in the past year.
Reported hours from payroll data the home submits to CMS, divided by its daily resident count. Not adjusted for how sick residents are.
5
Resident outcomes
Quality measures compared with state and national averages. Most come from assessments the home itself reports.
| Measure | This home | State | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of hospitalizations per 1000 long-stay resident days0.6 pts better | 0.8 | 1.4 | 1.8 |
| Number of outpatient emergency department visits per 1000 long-stay resident days1.6 pts worse | 3.5 | 1.9 | 1.7 |
| Percentage of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine21.6 pts worse | 72.6% | 94.2% | 93.7% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine0.1 pts worse | 95.7% | 95.8% | 95.3% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents experiencing one or more falls with major injury1.5 pts worse | 5.4% | 3.9% | 3.2% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who have depressive symptoms4.2 pts better | 0.0% | 4.2% | 13.5% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who lose too much weight0.6 pts worse | 5.0% | 4.4% | 5.1% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antianxiety or hypnotic medication2.8 pts better | 18.2% | 21.0% | 19.5% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who received an antipsychotic medication1 pts better | 18.8% | 19.8% | 15.4% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents who were physically restrained0.2 pts better | 0.0% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose ability to walk independently worsened3.1 pts better | 12.1% | 15.2% | 12.7% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents whose need for help with daily activities has increased3.8 pts worse | 20.4% | 16.6% | 13.5% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a catheter inserted and left in their bladder2 pts worse | 3.4% | 1.4% | 0.7% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with a urinary tract infection0.8 pts better | 1.6% | 2.4% | 1.5% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with new or worsened bowel or bladder incontinence1.1 pts better | 23.9% | 25.0% | 18.3% |
| Percentage of long-stay residents with pressure ulcers3.1 pts better | 1.0% | 4.1% | 4.5% |
| Percentage of short-stay residents assessed and appropriately given the pneumococcal vaccine64.9 pts worse | 19.1% | 84.0% | 82.3% |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who newly received an antipsychotic medication3.2 pts worse | 5.3% | 2.1% | 1.5% |
| Percentage of short-stay residents who were assessed and appropriately given the seasonal influenza vaccine37.7 pts worse | 36.7% | 74.4% | 80.1% |
·
Who owns and runs it
23 owners and managers reported to CMS. The last column counts how many nursing homes each one is tied to.
Show ownership list
| Name | Role | Share | Homes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanford | 5% Or Greater Direct Ownership Interest · Organization | 100% | 89 facilities |
| Berry, Patrick | W-2 Managing Employee · Individual | 0% | 2 facilities |
| Cain, James | Corporate Director · Individual | 0% | 20 facilities |
| Dykhouse, Dana | Corporate Director · Individual | 0% | 85 facilities |
| Engbrecht, Wesley | Corporate Director · Individual | 0% | 89 facilities |
| Fluit, Joel | Corporate Officer · Individual | 0% | 87 facilities |
| Gassen, William | Corporate Director · Individual | 0% | 89 facilities |
| Gassen, William | Corporate Officer · Individual | 0% | 89 facilities |
| Gulsvig, Neil | Corporate Director · Individual | 0% | 89 facilities |
| Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie | Corporate Director · Individual | 0% | 86 facilities |
| Lundeen, Mark | Corporate Director · Individual | 0% | 89 facilities |
| Middleton, Aimee | Corporate Officer · Individual | 0% | 87 facilities |
| Molbert, Lauris | Corporate Director · Individual | 0% | 89 facilities |
| Morrison, Tony | W-2 Managing Employee · Individual | 0% | 89 facilities |
| North, Andrew | Corporate Director · Individual | 0% | 89 facilities |
| Olson, Nicholas | Corporate Officer · Individual | 0% | 87 facilities |
| Rogers, Michael | Corporate Director · Individual | 0% | 18 facilities |
| Schema, Nathan | Corporate Officer · Individual | 0% | 87 facilities |
| Shulkin, David | Corporate Director · Individual | 0% | 85 facilities |
| Tangen, Lorraine | Contracted Managing Employee · Individual | 0% | 1 facilities |
| Teiken, Brent | Corporate Director · Individual | 0% | 89 facilities |
| The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society | Operational/Managerial Control · Organization | 0% | 87 facilities |
| Ventling-Herrmann, Marnie | Corporate Director · Individual | 0% | 90 facilities |
·
Fire safety
18 life-safety citations (sprinklers, exits, alarms). These don't count toward the star rating.
Smoke10F
- F
Ensure that special areas are constructed so that walls can resist fire for one hour or have an approved fire extinguishing system.
- F
Ensure that waiting areas, nurse’s stations, gift shops, and cooking facilities, open to the corridor are properly protected.
- F
Install corridor and hallway doors that block smoke.
- F
Ensure that special areas are constructed so that walls can resist fire for one hour or have an approved fire extinguishing system.
- F
Provide properly protected cooking facilities.
- F
Have approved installation, maintenance and testing program for fire alarm systems.
- E
Install corridor and hallway doors that block smoke.
- F
Provide properly protected cooking facilities.
- F
Have approved installation, maintenance and testing program for fire alarm systems.
- F
Properly select, install, inspect, or maintain portable fire extinguishes.
Miscellaneous4F
- F
Have simulated fire drills held at unexpected times.
- F
Provide a written emergency evacuation plan.
- F
Have simulated fire drills held at unexpected times.
- F
To conduct inspection, testing and maintenance of fire doors by qualified individuals.
Gas, Vacuum, and Electrical Systems2F
- F
Ensure that testing and maintenance of electrical equipment is performed.
- F
Ensure that testing and maintenance of electrical equipment is performed.
Emergency Preparedness1F
- F
Develop and maintain an Emergency Preparedness Program (EP).
Egress1F
- F
Keep aisles, corridors, and exits free of obstruction in case of emergency.
·
Other homes nearby
-
Estherville Community Care Center
Estherville, IA
★★★★★- Worst citation, 3 yrs
- G
- Nursing / resident / day
- 3 h 21 min
- Fines
- $18,900
-
Accura Healthcare of Spirit Lake
Spirit Lake, IA · Accura Healthcare
★★★★★- Worst citation, 3 yrs
- K
- Nursing / resident / day
- 3 h 35 min
- Fines
- $34,567
-
Valley Vue Care Center
Armstrong, IA · Legacy Healthcare
★★★★★- Worst citation, 3 yrs
- D
- Nursing / resident / day
- 3 h 36 min
- Fines
- $0