Fifteen years of transforming end-of-life care

For 15 years, South Texas College and the Aurora House Center Foundation have fostered a groundbreaking partnership, educating more than 4,000 nursing students in hospice and palliative care.

This unique collaboration, one of the few of its kind in the country, provides STC student nurses with exceptional training in compassionate communication and care for individuals facing terminal illnesses and for their families.

“This is a very special program that helps future nurses understand what patients and their families go through. It’s such a rewarding feeling to help people find closure in their lives,” said Dr. Rafael Rodriguez, founder of the Aurora House Foundation. “We cover everything from managing both physical and psychological pain to shedding light on what end-of-life care entails. Even if these students don’t go into hospice care, they will encounter death at some point in their careers, and we want them to be prepared.”

Located in Weslaco, the Aurora House Foundation is a special care facility designed to make patients feel as if they were home. Rodriguez opened the facility 20 years ago when he saw the need for a dignified place for hospice patients to find care and compassion in their final months of life.

“We named it Aurora because it means ‘the dawn’ or ‘the light of a new day,’” added Rodriguez. “This facility is meant to be the light for those who are approaching the end of life, offering dignity, compassion and respect.”

In 2010, when hospice care was not yet a priority in the nursing profession, Rodriguez reached out to STC, seeking to raise awareness and educate nurses from the early stages of their careers. This initiative would, a few years later, become mandatory training across the country.

“We started with a cohort of 45 students who attended a comprehensive seminar and later completed clinical rotations at the facility. The success was so significant that we began offering this program to all our students every semester,” said Jayson Valerio, DNP, STC’s Regional Health Care liaison. “It aligned perfectly because, a few years later, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing mandated that hospice care be included in every nursing school curriculum. We were already ahead of the curve.”

As part of the initiative, the nonprofit organization established a Center for Palliative Care Education, which welcomes an average of 150 STC nursing students every semester, changing the lives of many who discover a calling in hospice care.

For Kaitlyn Ochoa, who is currently in her second semester of the Associate Degree in Nursing program at STC, the experience has inspired her to seek a job in a retirement home.

“We had the opportunity to visit earlier this year and learn from their nurses and listen to their patients, some of whom were completely alone,” she said. “We talked to them and gave them the chance to express their feelings. They deserve all the help and support they need, and it’s important for us to let them know we’re here to provide comfort.”

Set to graduate in December 2025, Ochoa is now inspired to work with the elderly, who often receive palliative care.

“It’s important to take an interest in hospice care and learn how to provide comfort and support during these patients’ struggles. While some may view it as sad, I find it deeply rewarding to be there for them,” she said. “It was a great experience for me because now I know it’s what I want to do when I graduate.”

Rodriguez noted that Ochoa’s story is just one of many that highlight the profound impact of treating patients with terminal illnesses and underscore the significance of the collaboration with STC.

“Not only are we transforming the lives of our patients, but we’re also shaping the careers of future nurses,” he said. “It all began because STC believed in our mission. Together, we spearheaded a movement that would later become a national effort. STC was a pioneer in this field, and we couldn’t be prouder of our ongoing partnership and the positive impact it will continue to have for years to come.”

For more information on STC’s Nursing and Allied Health programs, visit southtexascollege.edu.