Recently published May 2024 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that there were over 1,310,000 nursing assistants employed in the USA.  Approximately 136,000 of those nursing assistant jobs were in the seven-state Great Plains region of the country. Although Minnesota ranked in the top 15 nationally for nursing assistant pay, the BLS data shows the Great Plains region to be a relatively weak one for nursing assistant pay, with annual mean wage levels in five of the remaining six states in the region falling below the national average for nursing assistants.  BLS data from May 2024 reveals the following about nursing assistant pay in the Great Plains region of the U.S.:

Nursing Assistant Pay in the Great Plains Region

State	# Employed	Annual Mean Wages	Wage Rank*
IA	22,970	$35,120	27th
KS	23,950	$33,490	34th
MN	26,970	$42,480	12th
MO	32,650	$32,760	41st
NE	16,490	$35,020	26th
ND	6,920	$38,200	21st
SD	6,520	$32,330	37th
U.S.	1,338,510	$41,173	-------

(*) annual mean wage ranking among the 50 states and the District of Columbia

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES. Data extracted on April, 3, 2026

Patient surveys conducted by the CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) aim to gauge user satisfaction with recent stays at hospitals that treat Medicare and Medicaid enrollees. The CMS survey solicits feedback from recent patients about their inpatient stays, then aggregates those responses into a unified patient satisfaction rating on a 1 to 5-star scale, with 5-stars being the scale's best score.  Based on the most current CMS patient surveys, only three Utah hospitals earned a five-star rating from patients.  Listed alphabetically, here are the hospitals in Utah that rated as five-stars for patient experience according to CMS surveys (as of March 30, 2026):

Utah Hospitals Rated Five-Star in CMS Patient Surveys

1. Cache Valley Hospital
   Location:  North Logan
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2. Cedar City Hospital
   Location:  Cedar City
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3. Intermountain Health Heber Valley Hospital
   Location:  Heber City
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The CMS also rates the quality of care delivered at Medicare and Medicaid participating hospitals.  While only three Utah hospitals rated five-stars with patients, nine earned five-star ratings for quality from the CMS.  For a look at which Utah hospitals rate high for quality, check out Five Star Quality Acute Care Hospitals in Utah.