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Short-term acute care hospital · Watertown, South Dakota · 81 beds · CMS certification number 430005

Sanford Watertown Medical Center

Its Medicare cost reports, read cell by cell. Latest filing: fiscal year ended May 31, 2025, settled, stamped by CMS September 9, 2026. 29 years on file, every one shown below.

Fiscal 2025 at a glance

Net patient revenue
$162.4M
$162,395,283 · G-3 line 3
Operating expenses
$168.5M
$168,480,440 · G-3 line 4
Result from patient care
−$6.1M
−$6,085,157 · G-3 line 5
Margin on patient care
−3.8%
line 5 ÷ line 3, same filing

What stands out

  • Net patient revenue rose from $29.2M in its first year on file (1997) to $162.4M in 2025.
  • Its result from patient care: −$12.1M (2023), −$8.1M (2024), −$6.1M (2025).
  • 4 of the 5 short-term acute care hospital peers below with a margin on file also report a loss on patient care for fiscal year 2025.
  • Medicaid paid for 12.7% of its inpatient days and Medicare for 38.9%.
  • SANDFORD HEALTH holds 100% of it, on its Medicare enrollment.

Every statement is drawn from figures on this page; nothing is estimated.

29 years of filings

Net patient revenue against operating expenses, each year as filed.

Net patient revenueOperating expenses
1997
settled
$29.2M
$27.2M
1998
settled with audit
$30.0M
$28.1M
1999
settled
$31.4M
$28.8M
2000
settled with audit
$33.8M
$30.3M
2001
reopened
$35.8M
$33.8M
2002
settled
$36.4M
$33.9M
2003
settled
$38.5M
$36.1M
2004
reopened
$42.1M
$39.4M
2005
reopened
$47.3M
$44.3M
2006
settled
$55.1M
$51.2M
2007
settled
$63.6M
$55.8M
2008
settled
$69.0M
$60.5M
2009
settled
$68.7M
$64.1M
2010
as submitted
$72.0M
$68.0M
2011
settled
$77.4M
$70.7M
2012
settled
$78.9M
$69.6M
2013
settled
$77.5M
$70.3M
2014
reopened
$79.9M
$76.5M
2015
settled
$79.8M
$75.8M
2016
settled
$82.9M
$80.7M
2017
settled
$97.1M
$89.3M
2018
settled
$95.7M
$92.1M
2019
settled
$98.5M
$96.7M
2020
settled
$99.0M
$102.6M
2021
settled
$114.9M
$109.6M
2022
settled
$146.1M
$124.0M
2023
settled
$123.9M
$136.0M
2024
settled
$138.2M
$146.3M
2025
settled
$162.4M
$168.5M

Beside its peers

Hospitals of the same type (short-term acute care hospital), nearest in size, from South Dakota first; each on fiscal year 2025.

HospitalBedsNet patient revenueOperating expensesMargin
Sanford Watertown Medical Center81$162,395,283$168,480,440−3.8%
Avera Heart Hospital of South Dakota, Sioux Falls53$194,545,088$182,324,8456.3%
Avera McKennan Hospital and University Health Center, Sioux Falls563$1,708,179,427$1,838,210,780−7.6%
Avera St. Luke's, Aberdeen50$198,110,631$211,154,077−6.6%
Monument Health Rapid City Hospital, Rapid City416$830,101,200$959,218,702−15.6%
Sanford Usd Medical Center, Sioux Falls450$1,440,768,904$1,614,679,139−12.1%

Patients and payers

Discharges
2,390
S-3 line 14, col 15
Inpatient days
9,118
S-3 line 14, col 8
Beds in use, on an average day
25.0
days ÷ days in year
Occupancy
30.8%
days ÷ bed days
Medicare share of days
38.9%
S-3 cols 6 ÷ 8
Medicaid share of days
12.7%
S-3 cols 7 ÷ 8

Who owns it

  • SANDFORD HEALTH100%
  • SANFORD100%
  • SANFORD HEALTH NETWORK100%

Other hospitals with the same owner: Sanford Sheldon Medical Center (IA), Sanford Worthington Medical Center (MN), Sanford Bemidji Medical Center (MN), Sanford Westbrook Medical Center (MN), Sanford Tracy Medical Center (MN), Sanford Wheaton Medical Center (MN), Sanford Jackson Medical Center (MN), Sanford Bagley Medical Center (MN).

Type of control on its cost report: voluntary nonprofit, other.

Owners of 5% or more, from CMS’s hospital ownership file (Medicare enrollment, October 1, 2026).

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Figures: CMS Healthcare Cost Report Information System, file HOSP10FY2024.ZIP, form CMS-2552-10, filed under CMS certification number 430005. Patients and payers: worksheet S-3 Part I of the same filing. Ownership: CMS Hospital All Owners and Hospital Enrollments.

How this page was built: the CMS Medicare cost report, file HOSP10FY2024.ZIP, read September 9, 2026.