FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — Forbes has placed Sanford Medical Center in Fargo and Sanford Medical Center in Bismarck in the top five percent of hospitals in the entire country.

They are the only two medical centers in North Dakota to be recognized as a 5-star facility.

The inaugural Forbes Top Hospitals 2026 list started with a pool of 5,400 hospitals nationwide.

Only 2,500 met criteria for the final list and of those just 253 hospitals earned five stars.

It was compiled to offer consumers unbiased information on which hospitals offer top-notch, high-value medical services.

Sanford Health is the largest rural health system in the U.S.