CMS did not publish an overall star rating for this hospital; hospitals that report too few quality measures are not rated.
Source: CMS Care Compare, July 2026 releaseER figures are medians, not live waitsAbout the data
Visiting Sanford Clear Lake Medical Center
Clear Lake, SD 57226
County: Deuel Directions Apple Maps Call (605) 874-2141
- Photo ID and your insurance, Medicare or Medicaid card
- A list of your medicines, doses and allergies
- Your doctor's name and phone number
- A phone charger
Nearby hospitals
- 20mi Sanford Canby Medical Center Canby, MN · Emergency room · median ER visit 1 hr 46 min Call Sanford Canby Medical Center Directions to Sanford Canby Medical Center (Google Maps) Details for Sanford Canby Medical Center
- 21mi Hendricks Community Hospital Hendricks, MN · Emergency room · median ER visit 1 hr 55 min Call Hendricks Community Hospital Directions to Hendricks Community Hospital (Google Maps) Details for Hendricks Community Hospital
- 24mi Prairie Lakes Hospital Watertown, SD · Emergency room · median ER visit 1 hr 57 min Call Prairie Lakes Hospital Directions to Prairie Lakes Hospital (Google Maps) Details for Prairie Lakes Hospital
Quick answers about Sanford Clear Lake Medical Center
How long is the ER wait at Sanford Clear Lake Medical Center?
CMS doesn't publish live wait times. Over the 12 months CMS reported, patients treated and sent home spent a median of 1 hr 33 min in the Sanford Clear Lake Medical Center emergency room (the average across South Dakota hospitals is 1 hr 54 min). 0% of ER patients left before being seen. For tonight's wait, call (605) 874-2141. In an emergency, call 911.
What is the phone number for Sanford Clear Lake Medical Center?
The main phone number for Sanford Clear Lake Medical Center is (605) 874-2141, from Medicare's hospital records.
Call (605) 874-2141What is the address of Sanford Clear Lake Medical Center?
Sanford Clear Lake Medical Center is at 701 Third Avenue South, Clear Lake, SD 57226.
Directions (opens Google Maps)Does Sanford Clear Lake Medical Center have an emergency room?
Yes. Sanford Clear Lake Medical Center has an emergency department, according to Medicare data.
Quality and performance
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services · data as of July 2026
Patients treated and sent home from the emergency department at Sanford Clear Lake Medical Center spend a median of 1 hour 33 minutes there. That is 21 minutes shorter than the average across South Dakota hospitals (1 hour 54 minutes).
Source: CMS Hospital General Information and Timely & Effective Care. Wait times are a median over a past 12-month reporting period, not live data. Not affiliated with CMS or with Sanford Clear Lake Medical Center. For a medical emergency, call 911.
Compare ER waits across South Dakota · Other Critical Access hospitals in South Dakota · How we source this data · Something wrong on this page? Tell us
What insurance does Sanford Clear Lake Medical Center accept?
Original Medicare: Medicare-certified, so it can bill Original Medicare (Medicare number 431307). Medicare Advantage plans have their own networks, which this section does not cover.
2027 Marketplace plans in South Dakota that list this hospital
| Insurer | Plans in network | Network | Network tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanford Health Plan | 16 of 54 plans | SHPTRUE, SIMPLICITY | Shptrue |
| Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield | 14 of 14 plans | BLUERX-ESSENTIALS | Bluerx-Essentials |
2027 plan year, individual Marketplace (ACA) plans only.Health insurance in South Dakota
Plans that include this hospital: Wellmark Bronze HDHP EPO HSA Qualified, Wellmark Bronze Traditional EPO, Wellmark Gold Traditional EPO, Wellmark Silver Traditional EPO, Wellmark Standard Bronze EPO, Wellmark Standard Gold EPO Compare plans
Adults in South Dakota qualify for Medicaid up to 133% of the poverty line. Ask the hospital which South Dakota Medicaid plans it takes.
What insurance does Sanford Clear Lake Medical Center accept?
In the 2027 HealthCare.gov Marketplace plan data (insurer network files loaded November 4, 2026), Sanford Clear Lake Medical Center is in network for 2 Marketplace insurers in South Dakota: Sanford Health Plan (16 of 54 plans) and Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield (14 of 14 plans). This covers Marketplace (ACA) plans only, not Medicare Advantage, Medicaid or employer plans. Networks differ from plan to plan and can change, so confirm with the insurer before you get care.
Does Sanford Clear Lake Medical Center take Medicare?
Sanford Clear Lake Medical Center is a Medicare-certified hospital (CMS Certification Number 431307), according to CMS hospital data. Medicare Advantage plans have their own networks, which this page does not cover; check with your plan before you get care.
Does Sanford Clear Lake Medical Center accept Sanford Health Plan?
Sanford Clear Lake Medical Center is in network for 16 of 54 plans that Sanford Health Plan sells on the South Dakota Marketplace in 2027, according to Sanford Health Plan's network file loaded November 4, 2026. Not every Sanford Health Plan plan includes it. Networks differ from plan to plan and can change, so confirm with the insurer before you get care.
Does Sanford Clear Lake Medical Center accept Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield?
Sanford Clear Lake Medical Center is in network for 14 of 14 plans that Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield sells on the South Dakota Marketplace in 2027, according to Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield's network file loaded November 4, 2026. Networks differ from plan to plan and can change, so confirm with the insurer before you get care.
Source: the insurers' 2027 machine-readable provider files listed in the CMS Marketplace public use files, loaded November 4, 2026, matched to hospitals by NPI from CMS Hospital Enrollments. How we match networks to hospitals Networks change; confirm with your insurer before you go.
Timely and effective care
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services · all patients unless noted · Oct 2024 – Sep 2025
Sanford Clear Lake Medical Center's emergency department is classed by CMS as low volume.
| Measure | This hospital | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| Typical time in the ER before going homeMedian minutes from arrival to leaving, for ER patients sent home (not counting mental health patients or transfers). Lower is better. 233 patients. | 93 min | 162 min |
| Typical ER time for mental health patients sent homeMedian minutes from arrival to leaving. Lower is better. 18 patients. | 148 min | 257 min |
| Typical ER time for patients transferred to another facilityMedian minutes from arrival to leaving. Lower is better. 24 patients. | 158 min | 287 min |
| Patients who left the ER before being seenLower is better. 506 patients. | 0% | 2% |
| Health care workers vaccinated against fluHigher is better. 75 patients. | 92% | 78% |
CMS publishes these process-of-care measures without a better/worse verdict, so the U.S. figure is shown for context; small differences, or results based on few patients, may not mean much. About the data.
Care after a stay at Sanford Clear Lake Medical Center
Medicare-certified providers near this hospital, with their CMS ratings. A hospital discharge planner can make the referral.
Skilled nursing facilities nearby
- 16mi Estelline Nursing and Care Center Estelline, SD · 60 beds Medicare overall 5 of 5 stars
- 20mi Sanford Health Sylvan Court Canby, MN · 53 beds Medicare overall 5 of 5 stars · Located in a hospital
- 21mi Hendricks Community Hospital Hendricks, MN · 52 beds Medicare overall 2 of 5 stars · Located in a hospital
Skilled nursing ratings and inspections at Nursing Homes In Each State
Dialysis centers nearby See more
- 19mi Sanford Canby DialysisCanby, MN Not rated
- 24mi Prairie Lakes Healthcare SystemWatertown, SD
Home health agencies nearby See more
- 19mi Sanford Canby Medical Center Home CareCanby, MN
- 22mi Hendricks Community Hospital Assn & Retirement HomHendricks, MN Not rated
- 24mi Prairie Lakes Home HealthWatertown, SD · 86% would recommend
Hospice care providers nearby See more
- 22mi Good Shepherd HospiceHendricks, MN Not rated
- 24mi Prairie Lakes HospiceWatertown, SD · 89% would recommend
Source: CMS Care Compare. Distances are approximate.
Doctors at Sanford Clear Lake Medical Center
10 Medicare-enrolled doctors and other clinicians list this hospital as an affiliation, across 7 specialties.
Find doctors in Clear Lake
Medicare-enrolled specialists with a practice in Clear Lake, with addresses, phone numbers and the hospitals they work with.
Size and finances
Medicare cost report · fiscal year ending Dec 2024
As reported by the hospital to CMS; not audited. Operating margin is income from patient care divided by net patient revenue and leaves out investment income and donations. Compare South Dakota hospital finances.
Who owns Sanford Clear Lake Medical Center
Medicare enrollment and ownership records (PECOS)
Medicare lists the hospital's legal name as Sanford Health Network, a non-profit organization, incorporated 1985.
21 doctors and other clinicians list Sanford Clear Lake Medical Center as a hospital affiliation in Medicare's clinician directory.
Organizations with 5% or more ownership (directly or through other companies), partnership interests or operational control, as the hospital reported them to Medicare. Records can lag behind recent sales. Individuals are not listed. Who owns America's hospitals.
The area around Sanford Clear Lake Medical Center
HRSA shortage designations and BLS pay data
Primary care: Deuel is a federally designated health professional shortage area. Highest shortage score 16.
Mental health: Deuel is a federally designated health professional shortage area. Highest shortage score 19.
Nurse pay: registered nurses in South Dakota earn a median $78,060 a year. Healthcare salaries in South Dakota.
Shortage areas are designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration where there are too few primary care, mental health or dental providers for the population; scores run from 0 to 25 for primary and mental health care and 0 to 26 for dental care, higher meaning greater need. South Dakota shortage areas
Closest other hospitals
Healthcare pay in South Dakota
Registered nurses across South Dakota (all employers) earned a median of $78,060 a year (BLS, May 2025).Registered Nurse (RN) salary in South DakotaNurse Practitioner salary in South DakotaRespiratory Therapist salary in South DakotaHealthcare salaries in South Dakota
Cite this data
Writing about Sanford Clear Lake Medical Center? You're welcome to quote these figures. They are free to use under CC BY 4.0: please credit HospitalsInEachState.com and link to this page.