Forbes names Sanford one of best employers in SD, ND, WI

Sept. 11, 2025

Contact:
Paul Heinert
Sanford Health Media Relations
605-366-2432 / Paul.Heinert@sanfordhealth.org

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Sanford Health has been named one of America’s Best-In-State Employers 2025 by Forbes in South Dakota, North Dakota and Wisconsin.

“Our Sanford family has grown in the last year as we have expanded our mission to care, comfort and cure in more communities throughout the upper Midwest. Every day, I am filled with immense gratitude for our remarkable teams who provide world-class care and service to our patients, residents and health plan members,” said Bill Gassen, president and CEO of Sanford Health. “To be recognized once again as one of the best employers across the region speaks to the healthy work culture we have created that is shared and embraced throughout our organization.”

To create the seventh annual list, Forbes partnered with an independent research firm to survey more than 160,000 employees who work for a company of at least 500 people within the United States. Sanford Health has 53,000 team members.

Survey respondents were asked how likely they were to recommend their employer on a scale of zero to 10 and were asked to evaluate their workplace based on criteria including wage parity, work culture, paths to professional advancement and whether the employer takes action on serious issues. Participants were also asked to evaluate their previous employers (within the last two years) and organizations they knew within their industry or through friends or family who work there.

In 2024, Sanford Health was also honored on the Forbes’ list of Best Employers for Veterans.

About Sanford Health
Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the United States, is dedicated to transforming the health care experience and providing access to world-class health care in America’s heartland. Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the organization has 53,000 employees and serves over 2 million patients and nearly 425,000 health plan members across the upper Midwest including South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, Iowa, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The integrated nonprofit health system includes a network of 56 hospitals, 288 clinic locations, 147 senior care communities, 4,000 physicians and advanced practice providers and nearly 1,500 active clinical trials and studies. The organization’s transformational virtual care initiative brings patients closer to care with access to 78 specialties. Learn more about Sanford Health’s commitment to shaping the future of rural health care across the lifespan at sanfordhealth.org or Sanford Health News.

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