Brookings Hospital Named to New Forbes Top Hospitals by State List

  • August 03, 2026
Brookings Hospital was recently named to the new Forbes Top Hospitals by State 2026 list, one of five South Dakota hospitals to earn the honor. Forbes methodology focused on patient outcomes, hospital best practices, value and patient experience. Pictured are members of Brookings Hospital’s inpatient care team who help deliver the care the honor recognizes. From left, standing: Camryn Schmidt, RN; Dr. Prakash Shah, MD; Nikole Hemish, PA; Sara Sheeley, RN; and Inpatient Care/Case Management Director Austin Hoerner, RN. Seated: Elizabeth Campbell, RN; Inpatient Care Tech Carley Landmark and Inpatient Care Tech Drew Strokes.
Brookings Hospital was recently named to the new Forbes Top Hospitals by State 2026 list, one of five South Dakota hospitals to earn the honor. Forbes methodology focused on patient outcomes, hospital best practices, value and patient experience. Pictured are members of Brookings Hospital’s inpatient care team who help deliver the care the honor recognizes. From left, standing: Camryn Schmidt, RN; Dr. Prakash Shah, MD; Nikole Hemish, PA; Sara Sheeley, RN; and Inpatient Care/Case Management Director Austin Hoerner, RN. Seated: Elizabeth Campbell, RN; Inpatient Care Tech Carley Landmark and Inpatient Care Tech Drew Strokes. 

Brookings Hospital was recently named to Forbes Top Hospitals by State 2026, one of five listed South Dakota hospitals. It is the highest rated South Dakota hospital across all five quality measures. 

“Every patient matters at Brookings Health System,” said Brookings Health System’s President and CEO Jason Merkley. “Our team implements best practices and focuses on service to deliver the top outcomes and experiences for patients at the best possible value. That dedication consistently earns our team unsolicited accolades like these.”

The new Top Hospitals by State 2026 list is a subset of Forbes Top Hospitals 2026 national list and rating system, which Brookings Hospital was named to last December. Forbes assessed acute care hospitals across the nation based on healthcare quality measures from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Forbes’ methodology focused on patient outcomes, hospital best practices, value and patient experience. It also adjusted for the demographics and socioeconomics of the communities surrounding the hospitals. 

Earlier this year Brookings Health System was named a Top 20 Rural Community Hospital for the ninth time by the National Rural Health Association as well as a Top 100 Rural & Community Hospital by The Chartis Center for Rural Health. The health system was also recognized with a ninth consecutive Performance Leadership Award. To learn more about Brookings Health System’s high-quality care, please visit brookingshealth.org/Quality.

About Brookings Health System

Brookings Health System, located in Brookings, South Dakota, includes a 49-bed hospital, the 79-bed The Neighborhoods at Brookview nursing home, Brookhaven Estates senior living apartments, Yorkshire Eye Clinic & Optical, and medical clinics in Arlington, White and Volga, South Dakota. It is a non-profit, municipal health system that offers the community a full range of inpatient, outpatient, emergency and extended care services. Brookings Hospital provides local access to doctors in Brookings and offers robotic da Vinci surgery and Mako robotic-arm assisted procedures, making it one of the premier rural community hospitals in South Dakota. For more information about the services offered at Brookings Health System, please call (605) 696-9000 or visit us on the Web at brookingshealth.org.