Each year Catholic Healthcare recognises and celebrates the outstanding contribution their employees make every day with the Golden Dove Awards.

This year the Orange Catholic Healthcare St Francis Aged Care came away with a big win, The Home of the Year Award, and the staff and residents were all thrilled with the news.

Sharon Hesse, Residential Manager at St Francis Aged Care said, “To win an award like this doesn’t take 12 months, it takes a lifetime of everybody that works here. I would like to acknowledge David Coles who invested a lot of himself here and his heart still beats here.

“St Francis is a jigsaw, and nobody is more important than anyone in this place and we all have a role to play. If one piece of the jigsaw is missing, we have an incomplete picture”.


Andrew Kinkade, General Manager Residential Care added, “This award is unlike any other award as all the other awards are based on nominations. This award looks at everything that the home has achieved throughout the year. It is about delivering great care to residents, a great place to work for our staff and excellence in operation.

“We are here to celebrate you all. The ‘Home of the Year’ award isn’t about a building or location, it is about the people I see in front of me, the residents and the staff.

“Some of the feedback we have received include; I love how we all work as a team, I enjoy working with compassionate people, I feel supported by management, I love the happy and safe workplace surrounding me and there is always plenty of chatter and laughter”.

Congratulations to everybody as the Orange Catholic Healthcare St Francis Aged Care on such a wonderful achievement!