Ms. Sandgren oversees nursing and clinical services at Good Samaritan, one of the nation’s largest senior care and services providers. She is responsible for care management, clinical reimbursement, nursing shared governance, admissions, social services, life enrichment and dietary. Under her leadership, Good Samaritan improved clinical outcomes, workforce stability and innovation, transforming care delivery for 10,000 seniors in rural America. In 2024, she drove a 20% increase in applications for national quality awards with strong results. Also in 2024, the long-term care provider achieved resident vaccination rates exceeding industry benchmarks by 15% for Covid-19 and 7% for influenza. As a result of retention and recruitment strategies, the director of nursing vacancy rate dropped from over 20% to under 10% in two years. She shares her best practices nationally through media and speaking engagements, helping elevate standards across healthcare. By stabilizing clinical leadership in its long-term care centers, Good Samaritan is well-positioned to help shape the future of care delivery, leveraging new resources and models such as virtual care, resident-centered technology and automation. Good Samaritan has 94 rehab and skilled nursing centers, 56 assisted living and memory care facilities, 44 independent living locations, and 37 home health and hospice agencies. Good Samaritan is part of Sioux Falls, S.D.-based Sanford Health’s integrated health system, with services in the upper Midwest and 70% of residents living in rural communities.
