SMP Health Ave Maria addition ahead of schedule in Jamestown

SMP Health - Ave Maria’s new private room addition was moving ahead of schedule, bringing more care space to 501 19th St. NE in Jamestown sooner for people recovering after a hospital stay and for residents who need long-term care.

The project adds private rooms to the not-for-profit, faith-based facility, which serves Jamestown and surrounding communities with post-acute rehabilitation and long-term care services. For Stutsman County families, that means more room for patients who need a quieter recovery setting, and more capacity for residents whose needs range from short-term rehabilitation to end-of-life care.

The expansion had been in the public eye for months. SMP Health - Ave Maria held an informational open house on Dec. 19, 2024, with a social hour and a session led by Dr. Tonie Stoen, the facility’s CEO, to show plans and answer questions. A groundbreaking for the private room project followed on May 23, 2025.

The addition carried added weight because Ave Maria remained part of the county’s care network through the pandemic era, when long-term care facilities, including Ave Maria Village, operated under no-visitor restrictions during the coronavirus response. That experience underscored how important the Jamestown facility remained for seniors, rehabilitation patients and families facing difficult medical decisions.

The project’s progress comes as the facility continues to serve a visible role in local care. Recent obituaries and public records have shown that residents have died at Ave Maria in 2024 and 2025, a reminder that the building is not just a care center, but also a place where many local families spend some of life’s most serious moments. The work ahead of schedule means those private rooms, and the added breathing room they bring for staff and residents, will arrive sooner for a community that has long relied on the facility.