Complications & Deaths Measures
20
CMS-tracked
North Dakota · Acute Care
Sanford Medical Center Fargo
According to PlainHospital's CMS star-rating ranking (CMS Hospital Compare overall stars), Sanford Medical Center Fargo ranks #1069 of 3182 rated US hospitals by overall star rating (highest = #1).
- 4★
- CMS overall rating
- Top 42%
- national star rank
- #1069 of 3182
- Corpus placement
- 20
- Quality measures
- 6
- Infection types
Data currency: Hospital quality, safety, and patient-experience measures from the CMS Care Compare program (published quarterly), last refreshed May 2026. See our methodology for source dates. Spot a figure that looks wrong? Report a correction.
801 Broadway North, Fargo, ND 58122 · Cass County · (701) 234-2000
The verdict
According to PlainHospital's CMS star-rating ranking (CMS Hospital Compare overall stars), Sanford Medical Center Fargo ranks #1069 of 3182 rated US hospitals by overall star rating (highest = #1). That corpus rank reflects an above-median CMS star rating nationally, with 8 quality measures beating the national benchmark.
- Top 42%
- CMS star rating vs 3,182 rated US hospitals
- #1069 of 3182
- rated-hospital corpus placement
- 8
- measures better than national of 26 compared
- Yes
- emergency department on site
Since the last CMS release
This hospital held its 4-star rating across the May 2026 and August 2026 CMS releases.
CMS replaces its file at each release rather than publishing a changelog, so this comparison exists only because the earlier release is kept on file. See what changed nationally.
Where Sanford Medical Center Fargo sits among rated US hospitals
4 Higher than most higher than 58% of 3,182 rated hospitals
CMS star rating (1–5 stars), bucketed by value
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more rated hospitals. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source CMS Hospital Compare, overall hospital rating · 2026-08-14
Sanford Medical Center Fargo vs. North Dakota and the nation
- Sanford Medical Cent…
Sanford Medical Center Fargo
4 stars
- North Dakota avg
North Dakota state average
3.3 stars
- US avg
National average
3.2 stars
What this shows At 4 stars, Sanford Medical Center Fargo rates above the North Dakota average of 3.3 and above the national average of 3.2.
Type
Acute Care Hospitals
Ownership
Voluntary non-profit - Private
Emergency Services
Yes
Birthing Friendly
Yes
Patient Experience
17
HCAHPS domains
Infection Types
6
CDC NHSN
CMS Overall Star Rating 80.0%
4 of 5 stars
Better-than-national profile for Sanford Medical Center Fargo
Mortality 8 measures
Safety of care 7 measures
Readmission 11 measures
Better than national Same as national Worse than national
Quality Measures
| Measure | Score | vs. National |
|---|---|---|
| Abdominopelvic accidental puncture or laceration rate | 1.96 | Worse than National |
| CMS Medicare PSI 90: Patient safety and adverse events composite | 1.07 | Same as National |
| Death rate among surgical inpatients with serious treatable complications | 187.76 | Same as National |
| Death rate for CABG surgery patients | 1.8 | Same as National |
| Death rate for COPD patients | 8.9 | Same as National |
| Death rate for heart attack patients | 11.2 | Same as National |
| Death rate for heart failure patients | 9.6 | Same as National |
| Death rate for pneumonia patients | 11.4 | Better than National |
| Death rate for stroke patients | 13 | Same as National |
| Hybrid Hospital-Wide All-Cause Risk Standardized Mortality Rate | 3.7 | Same as National |
| Iatrogenic pneumothorax rate | 0.2 | Same as National |
| In-hospital fall-associated fracture rate | 0.26 | Same as National |
| Perioperative pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis rate | 3.26 | Same as National |
| Postoperative acute kidney injury requiring dialysis rate | 2.32 | Same as National |
| Postoperative hemorrhage or hematoma rate | 3.26 | Same as National |
Patient Experience (HCAHPS)
Experience profile vs. the national average
Source: CMS Hospital Compare, HCAHPS patient survey star ratings.
| Survey Question | Star Rating |
|---|---|
| Cleanliness - linear mean score | N/A |
| Cleanliness - star rating | 2 |
| Communication about medicines - linear mean score | N/A |
| Communication about medicines - star rating | 2 |
| Discharge information - linear mean score | N/A |
| Discharge information - star rating | 3 |
| Doctor communication - linear mean score | N/A |
| Doctor communication - star rating | 2 |
| Nurse communication - linear mean score | N/A |
| Nurse communication - star rating | 2 |
| Overall hospital rating - linear mean score | N/A |
| Overall hospital rating - star rating | 3 |
| Quietness - linear mean score | N/A |
| Quietness - star rating | 4 |
| Recommend hospital - linear mean score | N/A |
| Recommend hospital - star rating | 4 |
| Summary star rating | 3 |
Safety & Infections
| Measure | Score | vs. National |
|---|---|---|
| Catheter Associated Urinary Tract Infections (ICU + select Wards) | 0.108 | Better than National |
| Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infection (ICU + select Wards) | 0.191 | Better than National |
| Clostridium Difficile (C.Diff) | 0.255 | Better than National |
| MRSA Bacteremia | 0.545 | Same as National |
| SSI - Abdominal Hysterectomy | N/A | Not Available |
| SSI - Colon Surgery | 1.093 | Same as National |
Staffing & Spending
Unplanned Visits & Readmissions
| Measure | Score | vs. National |
|---|---|---|
| Acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) 30-Day Readmission Rate | 12.5 | Same as National |
| Heart failure (HF) 30-Day Readmission Rate | 19.1 | Same as National |
| Hospital return days for heart attack patients | -16 | Fewer Days Than Average per 100 Discharges |
| Hospital return days for heart failure patients | -20.2 | Fewer Days Than Average per 100 Discharges |
| Hospital return days for pneumonia patients | -28.1 | Fewer Days Than Average per 100 Discharges |
| Hybrid Hospital-Wide All-Cause Readmission Measure (HWR) | 14.6 | Same as National |
| Pneumonia (PN) 30-Day Readmission Rate | 13.9 | Same as National |
| Rate of emergency department (ED) visits for patients receiving outpatient chemotherapy | 5.1 | Same as National |
| Rate of inpatient admissions for patients receiving outpatient chemotherapy | 12.3 | Same as National |
| Rate of readmission after hip/knee replacement | 3.8 | Same as National |
| Rate of readmission for CABG | 11.8 | Same as National |
| Rate of readmission for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients | 17.9 | Same as National |
| Rate of unplanned hospital visits after colonoscopy (per 1,000 colonoscopies) | 11.3 | Same as National |
| Ratio of unplanned hospital visits after hospital outpatient surgery | 1 | Same as National |
Medicare Spending
| Measure | Score |
|---|---|
| Medicare hospital spending per patient (Medicare Spending per Beneficiary) | 1.04 (Above average) |
Maternal Health
CMS maternal-care measures reported for this facility. The Hospital Compare maternal extract lists measure names and reporting windows; it does not publish numeric scores or sample sizes in the corpus we ingest, so those columns are omitted rather than filled with N/A.
| Measure |
|---|
| Cesarean Birth |
| Maternal Morbidity Structural Measure |
| Risk Adjusted Severe Obstetric Complications (All) |
| Risk Adjusted Severe Obstetric Complications (excluding blood-transfusion-only cases) |
Nationwide hospitals with similar CMS profiles
Peer sets for Sanford Medical Center Fargo outside North Dakota, keyed to the strong better-than-national share.
Similar CMS star rating
Nearest overall stars outside ND (4/5 here).
Similar mortality outcomes
Nearest mortality measures rated better than national, outside ND (1 better here).
Nearby Hospitals in North Dakota
Other Medicare-certified hospitals in North Dakota.
One of 46 Medicare-certified hospitals in North Dakota, 6 are shown here.
Altru Hospital
Grand Forks, ND
3/5
Acute Care Hospitals
Ashley Medical Center
Ashley, ND
No rating Critical Access Hospitals
Carrington Health Center
Carrington, ND
No rating Critical Access Hospitals
Cavalier County Memorial Hospital Association
Langdon, ND
No rating Critical Access Hospitals
CHI Mercy Health
Valley City, ND
5/5
Critical Access Hospitals
CHI Oakes Hospital
Oakes, ND
No rating Critical Access Hospitals
What to do with Sanford Medical Center Fargo
Use this page's CMS-sourced figures as a starting filter, not a final verdict.
- See how every North Dakota hospital compares on star rating and the same quality measures. North Dakota hospitals
- Compare Sanford Medical Center Fargo directly against another hospital, measure by measure. Compare hospitals
- Check whether a device used in your care has a reported FDA adverse-event history. Search devices
CMS Hospital Compare figures are informational only, not medical advice; always consult your care team.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Sanford Medical Center Fargo compare to other hospitals on CMS star rating?
According to PlainHospital's CMS star-rating ranking, Sanford Medical Center Fargo ranks #1069 of 3182 rated US hospitals by overall star rating (highest = #1). That ordinal matches our top-rated hospital listing (star_rating DESC). See /methodology#corpus-placement.
What is the CMS star rating for Sanford Medical Center Fargo?
Sanford Medical Center Fargo has an overall CMS star rating of 4 out of 5 (high-band), above the 3.2-star national average.
How does Sanford Medical Center Fargo perform on quality measures?
8 of 26 compared mortality, safety, and readmission measures rate better than the national average at Sanford Medical Center Fargo (strong better-share tercile); 0 rate worse (quiet).
What do patients say about Sanford Medical Center Fargo?
Sanford Medical Center Fargo reports 17 HCAHPS patient-experience domain scores. Star ratings range from 2 to 4 out of 5.
What are the infection rates at Sanford Medical Center Fargo?
Sanford Medical Center Fargo tracks 6 healthcare-associated infection types (CDC NHSN). 3 are better than the national benchmark, 0 are worse, and 2 are at the national average.
Does Sanford Medical Center Fargo have emergency services?
Yes, Sanford Medical Center Fargo provides emergency services.
What type of hospital is Sanford Medical Center Fargo?
Sanford Medical Center Fargo is a Acute Care Hospitals facility with Voluntary non-profit - Private ownership, located in Fargo, ND. This facility has received the CMS Birthing-Friendly designation.
How much does Medicare spend at Sanford Medical Center Fargo?
1 Medicare spending category is on file for Sanford Medical Center Fargo, per episode vs. the national median.
Does Sanford Medical Center Fargo offer maternal health services?
Yes, Sanford Medical Center Fargo reports 4 maternal health measures. This facility has been designated as Birthing-Friendly by CMS.