About Us
A Legacy of Compassion
St Bernard’s was born from a dream of love, loss, and hope.
In the late 1980s, Dr Betty Bennett was part of the oncology team serving the Buffalo City (East London) community. During this time, she worked closely with Dr Ben Navid of the Bloch & Navid Radiology practice. What began as professional respect grew into a deep personal connection that led to marriage and many years of shared service to the people of Buffalo City.
Tragically, Dr Ben Navid—who had dedicated his life to caring for cancer patients—lost his own battle with the same illness. His passing ignited a vision in Dr Betty: to honour his legacy by bringing compassionate care to others facing similar journeys.
In 1991, she gathered a small group of caring friends over tea at the home of Sally Fletcher—including Biddy Brathwaite, Pat Stent, Louise Oats, Iris Hartley, and Joan Barrow. Together, they planted the seed that would become St Bernard’s.
The Meaning Behind
Our Name
The name St Bernard’s was chosen with intention and heart. Inspired by Bernard of Menthon, who founded the first hospices in the Alps during the 10th century to rescue lost travellers, it symbolises our mission-to guide and comfort people through life’s final journey with compassion, dignity, and care.
Just as St Bernard dogs became famous for saving lives in the mountains, we aim to bring hope and help where it’s needed most.
From Humble Beginnings
The newly formed team secured a small house at 44 St Mark’s Road, which remains our home to this day. With no furniture but plenty of passion, early meetings were held sitting on the floor. Slowly, through the generosity of the community, the empty house filled-with furniture, supplies, laughter, and love.
Led by founding members Dr Betty Bennett and Isobel Lindsay, and supported by volunteers such as Chairlady Jenny Schnell and her husband Dr Paul Schnell (our first volunteer doctor), St Bernard’s began offering a weekly day care programme. Terminally ill patients could spend a day in fellowship, prayer, and shared meals -while their caregivers received a well-earned break.
Every volunteer underwent specialised palliative care training. guided by respected nurses Maree Sobotta, Ruth Fismer, Anne Webster, and coordinated by Sister Genevieve, who went on to become our first professional nurse. Her dedication laid the foundation for the hospice’s full-time clinical care team.
Adapting and Growing
In 2012, changing funding realities forced the closure of our In-Patient Unit-a difficult but defining moment. Rather than diminish our mission, it transformed it. We expanded our reach through home-based palliative care, bringing professional, compassionate support directly to patients and their families across the Buffalo City Metro.
Still Guided by Love
We remain dedicated to:
- Affirming life and dignity, even in its final stages
- Providing comfort and care at home
- Supporting families through grief and beyond
Every visit, every volunteer, every act of kindness continues the legacy that began with one woman’s promise: to ensure no one walks their final journey alone.
Our Team
A dedicated family of professionals and volunteers bring our mission to life through:
- Board & Management teams
- Patient Care Team
- Charity Shop Team
Our Vision & Mission
At the core of our organisation is a clear and compassionate vision: to affirm life—even in its most vulnerable moments. Our mission is to promote quality in life, dignity in death, and support in bereavement for residents of Buffalo City Metro facing life-threatening illnesses. We do this by delivering person-centred holistic palliative and hospice care through a range of quality, compassionate services.
This mission is underpinned by key organisational values. We commit to a culture of Excellence, always holding ourselves to the highest standards. We emphasise Respect for the worth and dignity of each person involved in the treatment process. Compassion guides our actions, ensuring we remain in trusted and supportive relationships. We strive for Integrity in everything we do, and we embrace Inclusivity, ensuring equal access to services. Integrity shapes our ethical behaviour and in Advocacy drives us to be strong voices on behalf of patients, their families, and our organisation.
Together, our vision, mission, and values reflect our commitment to meaningful, person-centred care.
Our Credentials
Border Hospice Association, trading as St Bernard’s Hospice is a: Not for Profit Company: Registration Number 91/002129/08 Section 18A Public Benefit Organisation:Registration Number 130003162 (Section 18A receipts entitles individual and corporate taxpayers to deduct annually donations of their taxable income as per SARS regulations). Non-profit Organisation:Registration Number 004-127 NPO Registered medical practice site:Practice Number 7900236
Our Position on Palliative Care and End-of-Life Decisions
St Bernard’s remains steadfast in our commitment to the core values of palliative care: alleviating suffering, preserving dignity, and enhancing the quality of life for patients and their families.
Discussions surrounding medically assisted dying should be considered within the broader framework of palliative and hospice care. Our specialised services focus on symptom management, compassionate communication, and advanced care planning to ensure patients receive holistic support.
While we recognise the complexity of end-of-life decisions, medically assisted dying falls outside the scope of palliative and hospice care. As such, APCC (The Association of Palliative Care Centres) members do not currently take a position on these matters. Our priority remains advocating for equitable access to comprehensive, high-quality palliative care, ensuring that all patients facing life-threatening illnesses receive the dignity, comfort, and support they deserve.
Please reach out to us if you have any questions about our palliative services.
Why Our Work Matters
Every day, St Bernard’s stands in the gap for those who are often unseen — the sick, the frail, and the families who care for them.
But our work reaches far beyond patient care. It helps to build a healthier workforce, promotes innovative, sustainable care, and drives equity in healthcare across Buffalo City and beyond.
In doing so, we directly contribute to South Africa’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals — creating a lasting impact for individuals, families, and communities.
Building a Healthier Workforce
South Africa faces a critical shortage of healthcare workers — especially those trained in palliative care, the specialised support given to patients with life-limiting illnesses.
At St Bernard’s, we’re helping close that gap by:
- Training and empowering caregivers: To date, we’ve trained 93 patient care workers — 64 of whom now serve in communities across Buffalo City and the Amathole District, caring for people living with AIDS and other serious illnesses.
- Supporting local employment: We currently employ 30 dedicated staff, with nearly two-thirds forming our frontline healthcare team. Many of our trainees have gone on to build sustainable careers in care, spreading compassion and skill throughout the region.
- Educating families: We teach patient families basic caregiving skills — giving them confidence to look after their loved ones and strengthening care within entire communities.
- Shaping the next generation of doctors: Through our partnership with Walter Sisulu University, 4th and 5th-year medical students join our nurses on home visits to learn the practice of compassionate, patient-centred care.
To date, 15 of our professional nurses have completed a nationally recognised Palliative Care qualification, ensuring our patients receive care rooted in skill, empathy, and excellence.
When you support St Bernard’s, you’re helping to build a stronger, healthier, more compassionate healthcare system — one caregiver, one family, one student at a time.
Leading with an Innovative Care Model
In 1995, we pioneered the Integrated Community Home Care (ICHC) model — a simple but powerful idea:
Bring quality care to the patient’s home, where comfort, family, and dignity can thrive.
This model has since been replicated across South Africa and proven to save both lives and resources.
Studies show that if just half of South Africans who need palliative care were treated at home instead of in hospitals, the country could save R3.3 billion per year — and avoid over 88,000 hospitalisations annually.
Our home-based approach is:
- Cost-effective— reducing hospital strain and costs
- Holistic— caring for the patient’s body, mind, and spirit
- Community-driven — using all available local resources and professionals
This is healthcare that’s both compassionate and sustainable — and it works.
Advancing Equity in Healthcare
Access to palliative care is not a privilege. It’s a human right – yet in South Africa, only 18% of those who need it ever receive it. For children, the picture is even starker: fewer than 5% of over 800,000 children in need of palliative care each year can access it.
In the Eastern Cape, the challenges are compounded by unemployment, poverty, and a health system stretched beyond its limits. Many families face the heartbreak of watching loved ones suffer without pain relief, emotional support, or guidance.
St Bernard’s is working to change that – one patient at a time. By delivering free, high-quality palliative care at home, we bring relief, dignity, and compassion to those who would otherwise be forgotten.
Together, We Can Make the Difference
When you support St Bernard’s, you’re doing more than funding healthcare. You’re training caregivers, shaping future doctors, easing pain, and restoring dignity to those in their most vulnerable moments.
Every donation, partnership, and act of kindness helps us extend care to more homes, more families, and more lives.
Because no one should face life’s final journey alone.