St. Francis Home Reimagining
September 07, 2026
This article appears in the August Issue of Reflections and Connections
SSM Health is excited to announce plans to build a new state-of-the-art senior living community off Highway 23 on Fond du Lac’s east side to better meet the growing needs of seniors in the surrounding area. The complex will feature independent living apartments, assisted living, memory care, and high-need assisted living.
“We are delighted to be developing a modern campus with beautiful surroundings to offer seniors a welcoming, supportive home environment that promotes independence, enhanced quality of life and provides personalized care,” said Denise Gloede, SSM Health President of Continuum of Care. “Its thoughtful design will improve workflows so that caregivers can even more efficiently focus on providing for residents’ needs.”
The project has generous support from the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes (CSA) who gifted the land to SSM Health. The new community will be owned by SSM Health and is being developed in partnership with and will be managed by ElderSpan Management, a family-operated company based in Madison, Wisconsin.
ElderSpan manages a number of senior living communities in Wisconsin, including a longstanding joint venture with SSM Health for the communities of Meadow Ridge and Meadow View Senior Living in Baraboo. ElderSpan also manages the Catholic Charities’ All Saints Neighborhood in Madison and several other assisted living communities across southern Wisconsin.
ElderSpan has strong expertise in developing and managing senior living residences that offer a continuum of care and together we are designing a beautiful campus with a welcoming, supportive home environment that will promote independence, enhance quality of life and provide the personalized care residents may need.
SSM Health plans to break ground for the new $42 million, 180,000-square-foot complex in early 2027. The CSA Sisters, residents of SSM Health St. Francis Home, the current senior living facility on the SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital - Fond du Lac campus, and members of the caregiving team will be offered the opportunity to transition to the new community.
“With the creation of this new community, SSM Health has the opportunity to evaluate how the vacated space on the hospital campus can be used to enhance health care services in meeting the evolving needs of the community,” said Shane Smith, SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital President.
The new campus joins SSM Health’s Hospice Home of Hope and nearby Villa Rosa community in Mt. Calvary in serving the care needs for seniors in the area. The new community is expected to open to residents in 2028.