About St. Gerard's Community of Care

Owned and operated by the Sisters of St. Francis, St. Gerard’s offers a cheerful 34-bed skilled nursing home, an independent living wing, child care services, and a preschool program, located in the lovely rural setting of Hankinson, ND, where residents, family, and staff are well known to one another. Every new face at St. Gerard’s quickly becomes a part of our family.

St. Gerard’s is a vital part of the Hankinson community as well as the surrounding areas, with a staff of nearly 70 full-time and part-time employees. Our residents and families find it comforting that we offer a strong spiritual services program with a resident Chaplain available. There is a Catholic mass as well as regular services for other denominations in the facility.

Our commitment to high‑quality care is reflected in consistently strong outcomes on both Federal and State regulatory surveys. St. Gerard’s is proud to maintain a 5‑star overall rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, demonstrating our dedication to excellence in resident care and safety.

St. Gerard’s delivers a professional level of comprehensive therapy services and skilled nursing care, supporting both short‑term rehabilitation and long‑term care needs. We also offer an on‑site Certified Nurse Assistant training program, along with a variety of additional educational opportunities that promote continued growth and excellence within our caregiving team.

The purpose of this Catholic nursing home, St. Gerard’s Community of Care, is to create an environment of living and sharing the gospel message for the well being of the spiritual and physical, the psychological, social and emotional needs of the elderly and the community we serve, in accordance with the ethical, moral and religious directives for Catholic health care facilities as promulgated by the United States Catholic Conference and the local Bishop.

St. Gerard’s Community of Care was named in 1952  in honor of Msgr. Gerard Bierens, then pastor of St. Philip’s Parish, and for St. Gerard Majella, the patron of expectant mothers. In those years Hankinson had no nearby hospital and many families were growing. Fargo’s Bishop Leo Dworshak asked the Sisters to begin and staff a hospital for these families.

St. Gerard was born at Muro, Italy, in 1726 and joined the Redemptorists at the age of 23, becoming a professed lay brother in 1752. His charity, obedience, and selfless service as well as his ceaseless mortification for Christ, made him the perfect model of lay brothers. He was afflicted with tuberculosis and died in 1755 at the age of twenty-nine. This great saint is invoked as a patron of expectant mothers as a result of a miracle effected through his prayers for a woman in labor.

St. Gerard’s Community of Care partners with a team of trusted local healthcare professionals who support the quality of care we provide. These experienced providers collaborate closely with our staff to ensure residents receive comprehensive, attentive, and compassionate care. If you have any questions about our providers or the services they offer, please don’t hesitate to reach out!