Sanford Health named to Fortune’s list fourth year in a row
Contact:
Jon Berg
Sanford Health Media Relations
605-366-2432 / Jon.Berg@sanfordhealth.org
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — For the fourth consecutive year, Fortune has named Sanford Health to its list of “America’s Most Innovative Companies.” The 2026 list recognizes 300 U.S.-based companies for leadership in fostering creativity, advancing technology and driving transformational change.
Sanford Health is the only company headquartered in South Dakota or North Dakota to earn a place on the list, which includes some of the world’s most recognized brands including Microsoft, Apple, Nvidia, Nike, Amazon, Netflix and The Walt Disney Company. Among the 300 honorees, Sanford Health is one of just 20 health systems nationwide to be recognized, joining organizations such as Cleveland Clinic, Houston Methodist, Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Fortune identified Sanford Health’s culture as its strongest dimension, reflecting a commitment to systemwide transformation through technology-enabled care that enhances the patient experience and strengthens the workforce.
“This recognition is a testament to our caregivers and employees, whose ideas and dedication are driving meaningful innovation across our organization,” said Bill Gassen, president and CEO of Sanford Health. “Together, we are reimagining how care is delivered – deploying technologies like AI to expand access, support our workforce, improve affordability and deliver better outcomes for the patients and communities we serve, especially across rural America.”
Fortune’s ranking is based on three equally weighted dimensions: product innovation, process innovation and innovation culture. The list was developed in partnership with Statista.
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 55,000 employees and serves more than 2 million patients and nearly 415,000 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 58 hospitals, 289 clinic locations, 145 senior care communities, 4,500 physicians and advanced practice providers and 1,100 active clinical trials and studies. The organization’s transformational virtual care initiative brings patients closer to care with access to nearly 80 specialties. More than 400 residents and fellows are trained each year through graduate medical education with Sanford Health fully funding and supporting 29 of the 40 available programs. Sanford Health also includes Lewis Drug, a pharmacy and retail chain with 60 locations in three states and nearly 190 pharmacists. 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.
