During his 10 years as a Franciscan monk, Rafael Sciullo developed skills for ministering to the dying. He used them when he later worked as an social worker, and when he assumed leadership in the hospice field as the Chairman of the National Hospice & Palliative Care Association.

Now the former monk and caregiver works in Mt. Lebanon as the president and chief executive officer of Family Hospice & Palliative Care, the largest independent, nonprofit, community-based hospice in Western Pennsylvania.

Next month, the hospice starts taking patients for its new Center for Compassionate Care, a 12-bed facility and education and conference center. The center is located in what was formerly the Ward Home, an orphanage-foster care home, at 50 Moffett St.

The center will also be headquarters for the group's administrative offices. While 92 percent of the hospice's care is provided in-home, it also owns five sites in Western Pennsylvania that provide inpatient care. The hospice also services patients in skilled nursing facilities and hospitals, caring for an average of 370 patients a day in 11 counties. It operates with more than 280 volunteers, outnumbering the 215 paid staff members.

The hospice bought the former Ward Home in Mt. Lebanon in 2005. The 48,000-square-foot, U-shaped building was built in 1955 as an outreach ministry of the Methodist Church to serve as a home for neglected children. By 1990, the residential part of the home closed, as foster care limited the need for institutions.

Ground was broken for the center in October 2005. The 3¹/₂ story, red brick building has been completely renovated to serve its new function.

In addition to office and conference space, the center will provide a full range of inpatient and outpatient hospice services, including extras like massage, art and pet therapy. It will also offer a pediatric palliative care program.

The first floor holds a spacious reception area, educational facilities and a large kitchen. Upstairs are private patient rooms with a nearby meditation room. A small cafe sits among the patient rooms for family members. A library offers resource materials and an overnight room accommodates out-of-town family.

The building is intended to foster a sense of closeness to nature. Outdoor European-style gardens and porches provide quiet places for small groups to sit, while the interior is decorated to bring the calm of nature indoors. Windows allow natural light to flood the rooms and provide residents with expansive views. Details like stained-glass windows, chandeliers, artwork, French doors, fountains and garden rocking chairs suggest the comforts of home.

A strong separation is kept between the serene surroundings of the patient area and the busy offices of the administration. Because of the shape of the building, however, administrators will be able to see the courtyard and patients.

The educational programming is what makes the center unique among hospices. Through an association with both UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh Medical School, the hospice anticipates bringing medical students and health care providers to its conference center for educational opportunities.

Dr. Gail Gazelle, an assistant clinical professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School who specializes in hospice and palliative care, said that education is at the forefront of issues in hospice care.

Historically, medical schools have not instructed students on how to best care for the dying.

"Providers are very hungry for this kind of knowledge," she said.

The Mt. Lebanon center also plans to offer special classes for families to learn the skills to deal with their loved one's condition. Mr. Sciullo believes the hospice is the first in the nation to offer this opportunity.

Jon Radulovic, of the National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization in Washington, D.C., said that programs like these make the South Hills center one of the nation's leaders in providing hospice care.

Since Medicare began paying for hospice care approximately 25 years ago, the number of patients served by hospice in the United States has grown from 158,000 in 1985 to 1.2 million in 2005, according to statistics from the National Hospice & Palliative Care Organization.

While Medicare pays in the range of $135 to $150 a day for hospice care, covering the costs of services is still challenging, Mr. Sciullo said.

Medicare reimbursement pays for 82 percent of patient care at the hospice, with the remainder coming from Medicaid and commercial insurance. The hospice does not refuse anyone due to an inability to pay.

To pay for its new facility, the hospice has run a capital campaign to raise $4 million. To date, it has raised $2.2 million.

Bob Butter, whose mother, Rosemarie Butter, died recently at the age of 71, said that the hospice brought calmness and compassion in a time that was a nightmare for his family.

Ms. Butter was diagnosed with lung cancer in February 2006. Her medical condition was complicated by the fact that she had had a liver transplant in 2000 at UPMC Presbyterian. Staff at the Hillman Cancer Center referred her to the hospice.

A nurse regularly visited Ms. Butter at her home in McKees Rocks as her conditioned worsened.

Her son explained that his mother "absolutely fell in love with the nurse." The nurse would share stories and words of encouragement with Ms. Butter, creating a strong sense of trust. She ordered a hospital bed when that became necessary, and helped set it up. The nurse coordinated other professionals, like social workers, to offer counseling at difficult times.

Ms. Butter was able to die at home, as she wished. When the nurse heard of the death, she drove to Ms. Butter's home to support the family. While the family grieved, the nurse quietly made calls to have the medical equipment removed from the home. She made an appearance at the services for Ms. Butter, and the staff of the hospice continues to check in on the Butter family.

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