About Bethesda Health Care
Bethesda Health Care is an independent acute surgical and specialist palliative care hospital situated on the shores of Perth’s Swan River with state-of-the-art facilities and a range of clinical specialties, including a Metropolitan Palliative Care Consultancy Service.
Health care workers, like Bethesda’s, face a unique emotional burden, and often the empathy that draws them to the role makes them the most vulnerable to its effect. This strain doesn’t simply switch off at the end of a shift, leaving workers in need of specialised, always-available care.
The challenge
Bethesda has always invested in their people, but following an internal wellbeing survey, they determined that their workforce needed more than what was currently on offer.
Staff weren’t looking for a service to reach for in a crisis. They needed something that could support them in everyday moments. Whether that was a conversation after a particularly difficult shift, help with a family medical concern in the middle of the night, or peace of mind during a late commute.
Their EAP wasn’t designed for the kind of proactive, ongoing support their people needed. Bethesda employs staff across a wide range of disciplines, all working with the aim to provide excellent patient care which is most often complex in nature. It was found that staff were holding onto their counselling sessions as a last resort, waiting until things became critical before reaching out.
We wanted them to have something that helped them to reflect, but then be able to move on with their day and not ruminate and worry and bring that into the next shift.
Executive Manager Work Health and Safety, Bethesda Health Care
The solution
Bethesda wanted a solution that could meet their people wherever they were, so they turned to Sonder.
In October 2025, Bethesda launched Sonder alongside Safe Work Month and from the start, made a deliberate choice to extend access well beyond their paid workforce. Staff, immediate family members, and volunteers were all included. Extending Sonder to unpaid volunteers signaled how Bethesda values the people who show up for their community. It also acknowledged the ripple effect that the struggles of an employee’s immediate family can have on an individual. Whether that’s the mental toll, or having to take time off to take a family member to a medical appointment.
Bethesda clearly communicated that Sonder was proactive, holistic, and 24/7. Whether it was the nurse finishing a late shift, the employee quietly carrying a financial worry, or the parent with a sick child on a Sunday afternoon, the message was simple: Sonder support doesn’t stop at the end of a shift.
Sonder’s breadth of services quickly resonated. Staff used the platform to debrief after difficult shifts, get on-the-spot medical advice, navigate financial or interpersonal concerns, and check in on their own wellbeing. Features like ‘Share my journey’ and ‘Check on me’ were utilised across the workforce and their families.
They needed assistance in the moment to debrief, and the online chat or call function is really beneficial for our 24/7 workforce.
Executive Manager People and Culture
The results
Six months in, a third of Bethesda’s workforce is actively engaged with Sonder, a figure that continues to rise. But the impact goes beyond the number. It shows up in the moments that matter, including:
- A nurse who called Sonder on a Sunday afternoon, got through to a GP, and had a script for her sick toddler sorted in time for her next shift.
- Staff on the palliative care ward finding a confidential space to decompress after a difficult week.
- Employees feeling calmer, more in control, and a little less alone with whatever they were carrying.
Families have been a meaningful part of the story too. Spouses have spoken to counsellors about difficult situations at home. Teenage children are using ‘Check on me’. Partners are accessing medical support. The care has reached well beyond the workplace, and that hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Some early feedback from employees included:
- “There’s recognition that the employer is really interested in my wellbeing, not just while I’m at work, but also my family.”
- “We know if our workforce is well and taken care of, they’re providing better patient care.”
- “It’s another layer of feedback that they’re feeling looked after.”
For Bethesda, the return on that investment is clear. A workforce that feels genuinely looked after is one that can show up fully, for their colleagues, and for their patients.
Whatever we can do that continues to make Bethesda an attractive place to stay, this is a really big part of that picture.
Executive Manager Corporate Support & Projects, Director of Nursing
Driving activation
To achieve a 33% activation rate in six months, Bethesda took a multi-layered approach:
- Launching on the back of Safe Work Month
- Running internal competitions
- Featuring Sonder in the CEO newsletter
- Connecting the message to awareness moments like R U OK? Day and International Women’s Day.
- Live Sonder demos: The team visited huddles and meetings to show clinical staff exactly how Sonder worked on their own phones. New starters now register at orientation, on the spot. This has been their biggest activation driver.
For a largely clinical workforce who aren’t desk-based, that direct, human approach made all the difference. Ultimately this is a behaviour change — shifting people from “I’ll save this for an emergency” to “I’ve got something in my pocket I can use right now.” That takes time, repetition, and trust. Bethesda is committed to all three.
If you're wanting to look after your health workforce, this is the way to go. It's looking after total wellbeing, 24/7, not just when they’re on shift.
Chief Executive Officer
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Discover how our holistic, 24/7 care model:
- Reduces stigma and drives high support utilisation.
- Turns your safety commitment into tangible wellbeing outcomes.
- Aligns perfectly with the realities of demanding, onsite work.
