Celebrating 125 Years

St. Bernards Healthcare has 125 years of growth, service and progress in northeast Arkansas and southeast Missouri.

1900-1950s

picture of St. Bernards first house hospital
July 5, 1900

St. Bernards Opens

St. Bernards opens on July 5, 1900, caring for patients in a two-story, six-bedroom house hospital, located at 224 East Matthews.

Sister Aloysia Unterberger serves as the first hospital superintendent of St. Bernards.
1900

First Hospital Superintendent Of St. Bernards

Sister Aloysia Unterberger served as superintendent of St. Bernards from 1900-1914.

Sister Theodore Roos cares for an African American patient.
1901

St. Bernards Cares For All

St. Bernards welcomes all persons despite racial segregation laws. Here, Sister Theodore Roos cares for an African American patient.

A postcard depicts additions made to St. Bernards in the early 1900s
June 1905

St. Bernards Hospital Expands

A postcard depicts additions made to St. Bernards in the early 1900s, including the chapel, a new 40-bed hospital, the original frame hospital and annex.

St. Bernards Hospital Training School for Nurses begins educating and licensing nurses.
1921

St. Bernards Hospital Begins A Training School For Nurses

“St. Bernards Hospital Training School for Nurses” begins educating and licensing nurses.

members of St. Bernards Dietary Department serve meals for patients
1940's

St. Bernards Dietary Department

Members of the St. Bernards Dietary Department (now Nutritional Services) prepare meals for patients.

nurses care for newborns in nursery
1950's

St. Bernards Nurses Care For Babies In Hospital Nursery 

Sister Thomasine Walterscheid (left) and Sister Alphonse Gains care for two children in the hospital nursery.

1960-2000s

Sister Benedicta Boeckmann (Pastoral Care leader) with patient
1967

St. Bernards Pastoral Care Department Begins Caring for Patients 

Sister Bededicta Boeckmann founds the Pastoral Care Department, minstering physically, emotionally and spiritually to patients of all faiths.

St. Bernards Village groundbreaking
April 1, 1998

St. Bernards Village Opens

St. Bernards village opens its doors, offering premier independent and assisted living community services. 

mobile unit ribbon cutting in front of mammo unit
1998

St. Bernards Mobile Women's Health Unit Starts Traveling

St. Bernards raises support for its Mobile Women's Health Unit, the region's first all-in-one, traveling imaging service for women in surrounding communities.

CrossRidge Community Hospital exterior
1999

Cross Ridge Community Hospital 

On July 1, 1999, St. Bernards begins caring for patients at a second regional hospital, St. Bernards CrossRidge Community Hospital in Wynne.

Dr. Hill in Cath Lab
2000's

St. Bernards Heart Care Center Opens

St. Bernards Heart Care Center opens as a state, national and global leader of premiere heart and vascular services.

Imaging Center exterior view
2005

St. Bernards Imaging Center Opens

St. Bernards Imaging Center opens, offering the latest medical imaging to diagnose and treat patients at St. Bernards.

Phil & Flo Jones Hopsice House grand opening ceremony
2009

Flo and Phil Jones Hospice House at St. Bernards Opens

The Flo & Phil Jones Hospice House at St. Bernards opens as the region's only residential care facility for patients recieving hospice care.

surgeons with davinci robot
February, 2009

Region's First da Vinci Surgery Performed at St. Bernards

St. Bernards physicians begin performing the region's first da Vinci Robotic-Assisted Surgery procedures, improving surgical accuracy and recovery. 

2010s-Now

Dr. Vance and Dr. Conger holding newborns
2010s

St. Bernards Birthcare Services

St. Bernards bolsters its obstetric, prenatal and birthing care services. Here, Drs. Serena Vance (left) and Jacqueline Conger (right) with St. Bernards OB-GYN Associates hold two of their tiniest patients. 

Bishop Anthony Taylor praying over new tower
2010s

Prayer of Blessing Over St. Bernards Medical Center New Tower

Bishop Anthony Taylor of the Diocese of Little Rock offers a prayer of blessing over the foundations of the new surgical and intensive care tower at St. Bernards Medical Center.

doctor holding NICU baby
March 8, 2012

St. Bernards Opens The Only NICU In Eastern Arkansas

St. Bernards opens the only neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in eastern Arkansas, providing care to critically ill and preterm infants delivered as early as 26 weeks.

picture of grand opening of health and wellness
October 2012

St. Bernards Health & Wellness Opens

Amenities such as state-of-the-art equipment, group classes, aquatic center, sauna, personal training, indoor walking track and child care provided - St. Bernards Health & Wellness becomes the fitness destination in Northeast Arkansas. 

St. Bernards Villa Grand Opening
June 9, 2015

St. Bernards Villa Opens

St. Bernards Villa opens, hosting a ceremony in the onsite chapel with the Saint John’s Bible. Today, the Villa offers the region’s most hands-on assisted living and memory care services.

Cancer center remodel ribbon cutting
October 28, 2016

St. Bernards Cancer Center Remodel

St. Bernards Cancer Center completes its remodel, bringing all St. Bernards cancer services within a single facility that includes a new infusion suite and improved patient experience.

Dr. Nair and team taking a pciture celebrating a world's first milestone
November 15, 2018

St. Bernards Heart Team Performs A World's First Procedure

Electrophysiologist Dr. Devi Nair (front, 3rd from left) and team celebrate implanting the world’s first TactiCath Quartz ablation catheter to help patients with atrial fibrillation.

doctor talking on a screen, showcasing our virtual healthcare options
2019

St. Bernards Begins Offering Virtual Healthcare

St. Bernards begins offering virtual healthcare services through proprietary hospital rounders (pictured here) and Web-based home and remote care.

St. Bernards New Tower
December 11, 2019

St. Bernards Medical Center Completes New Tower

St. Bernards Medical Center completes its 245,000-square-foot surgical and intensive care tower in 2019, bringing modern amenities that reflect the hospital’s quality of service.

St. Bernards First Care - Parker Road ribbon cutting
January 22, 2019

St. Bernards Urgent Care Expands Locations 

St. Bernards First Care holds a ribbon cutting ceremony at its Parker Road clinic, expanding access to primary and urgent care services.

junior volunteers practicing with da vinci surgical robot
2020's

St. Bernards Junior Volunteer Program Learns Robotic Surgery Systems

St. Bernards Junior Volunteer Program, a program that began in the early 2000s, actively learn the ins and outs of working in healthcare. Here, they gain hands-on experience with the da Vinci Robotic-Assisted Surgery system.

St. Bernards first ECMO procedure
August 4, 2023

First ECMO Procedure At St. Bernards 

Dr. Bhama and heart team perform the first ECMO procedure done at St. Bernards.

St. Bernards celebrates surgical expansion opening with a ribbon cutting with Jonesboro Chamber
April 23, 2024

St. Bernards Surgical Expansion Opening

St. Bernards celebrates multi-million dollar surgical expansion, opening additional surgical suites servicing 12 specialties with 18 expert surgeons operating. 

picture of newborn baby in nursery close up
2023-2024

St. Bernards Expands Prenatal Services 

St. Bernards expands its footprint to serve 3 additional communities along with a clinic expansion in Jonesboro.

Healing Beyond Medicine

The Christ-like healing provided by the people of St. Bernards goes beyond medicine. Because our commitment—our calling—is our community.

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Nun holding a patient's hand

Our Mission

To provide Christ-like healing to the community through education, treatment and health services.

exterior photo of St. Bernards Medical Center Tower