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Several Good Samaritan Society nursing homes, including Austin’s own Comforcare, were named to the 2024 Best Nursing Homes list by U.S. News & World Report.

U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in health care rankings and consumer advice, recently revealed the list, which includes 14 Good Samaritan Society nursing homes with a high performance rating in short-term rehabilitation, long-term care or both.

Out of the more than 15,000 nursing homes evaluated by U.S. News, less than 20% met the criteria for ‘best nursing homes’. Of those 1,918 homes were High Performing in short-term rehabilitation, including:

• Good Samaritan Society – Ambassador, New Hope

• Good Samaritan Society – Comforcare, Austin

• Good Samaritan Society – Maplewood, St. Paul

• Good Samaritan Society – Denton Village, Denton, Texas

• Good Samaritan Society – Lake Forest Village, Denton, Texas

• Good Samaritan Society – Hot Springs Village, Hot Springs Village, Arkansas

• Good Samaritan Society – Prescott Valley, Prescott Valley, Arizona

1,353 homes were High Performing in long-term care, including:

• Good Samaritan Society – Albert Lea

• Good Samaritan Society – Windom

• Good Samaritan Society – Manson, Iowa

• Good Samaritan Society – Olathe, Kansas

• Good Samaritan society – Syracuse, Nebraska

467 were High Performing in both, including:

• Good Samaritan Society – Fairfield Glade, Crossville, Tennessee

“We applaud our locations recognized on this list. Across the Good Samaritan Society, our staff take the utmost pride in caring for our nation’s seniors,” said Heather Herlyn, director of quality and safety for the Good Samaritan Society. “From the nurses and nurse aides to housekeeping and dietary, our team members go above and beyond every day to ensure residents receive the best quality of life. It’s that sense of calling and the family-like connection that makes our culture so unique and special.”

The latest data from U.S. News reveals that fewer than 5% of evaluated nursing homes meet both existing staffing requirements and newly proposed staffing requirements by the Biden administration. With respect to the proposed staffing mandate, the CLA report confirms that 94% of nursing homes do not currently meet at least one of the three proposed requirements. However, 95% of nursing homes are meeting current staffing requirements to provide “sufficient nursing staff.”

“At the Good Samaritan Society, our staff tell us it’s a calling to care for residents who are like family to them,” said Nate Schema, Good Samaritan Society president and CEO. “Our families tell us it’s the trusting relationships that staff build with their loved ones that leaves a truly lasting impact. Our residents tell us it’s all of the little things staff do to make every day special to them. This is what quality is all about. A one-size-fits-all staffing requirement falls short of meeting the comprehensive needs of our nation’s seniors.”

To be recognized as one of the 2024 US News Best Nursing Homes, a facility must have been “High Performing” in short-term rehabilitation, long-term care, or both. The U.S. News methodology factors in data such as data on resident care, safety, outcomes and other aspects of quality. Both short- and long-term ratings include data on nurse staffing, use of antipsychotic drugs and success in preventing ER and hospital visits.