What are the achievements that you are most proud of?
To be serving a community for our 34th year as a NPO, is something we are very proud of. It has not been easy to sustain the organisation but the challenges are worth it.
We are also very proud of our relationship with Walter Sisulu University’s Medical Department, who always send their final year Medical Doctor students to us for practical palliative care exposure. It is an honour that our staff’s expertise is noted.
What are the obstacles that you may have had to overcome to achieve these?
Drastic changes in funding landscapes that threaten sustainability.
The unfortunate closure of our IPU in 2014 presented a significant challenge, as the community mistakenly associated it with the complete shutdown of St Bernard’s Hospice. It took considerable time for people to adjust to the Home Care model and to recognize that St Bernard’s Hospice remained active and thriving, providing care to more patients than ever before.
The inability to offer our staff salaries aligned with market standards, despite their remarkable expertise, presents a challenge in retaining talent. Therefore, we deeply value and celebrate those individuals who are genuinely passionate about their work and resilient enough to navigate the challenges inherent in the NPO sector.
What would you still like to achieve?
We aim to ensure the community understands that, while we provide our services at no cost and reach even the most remote rural areas, this does not diminish the professionalism or the high standard of care we deliver.
St Bernard’s Hospice is the leading provider of palliative care in our area. Our primary objective is that within the next two years, all medical referral services in our city, as well as the general public, will recognise and trust this.
What assistance would assist you in achieving this?
Continuous promotion of hospices as the top referral choice, with a commitment to consistently meeting this standard.
We are in the process of refreshing our brand and gearing up for a “re-launch,” which will involve updates to our marketing strategy and, ideally, set us on the path to achieving our objectives successfully.
Ensuring continued access to subsidised training programs to keep staff equipped with the latest skills and knowledge.
