Italian Health Minister Lorenzin at IRCSS ISMETT

On May 2, IRCCS ISMETT hosted a meeting entitled “IRCCS ISMETT: Challenges and Opportunities for Research and Treatment of End-Stage Organ Failure.” The meeting was attended by Beatrice Lorenzin, Italian Health Minister (by videoconference); Rosario Crocetta, President of the Sicilian Region; Francesco Bevere, Director General of the National Agency for Regional Health Services (AGENAS); Baldo Gucciardi, Regional Health Councilor; Leoluca Orlando, Mayor of Palermo; Giuseppe Remuzzi, Research Coordinator at the Istituto Mario Negri of Bergamo; Maria Novella Luciani, Ministry of Health General Direction for Scientific Research and Health Innovation; Camillo Ricordi, Chairman of the Board of IRCCS ISMETT; Bruno Gridelli, Executive Vice President of UPMC International; Angelo Luca, Director of ISMETT; and Laura Raimondo, Managing Director of UPMC Italy.

The meeting focused on topics such national and international research projects at IRCCS ISMETT, the impact of ISMETT research and care, organ transplantation and the state of the art, and future goals. The changes and innovations in terms of patient care, research and development over the past years, and the current situation of health care and research in Sicily were also discussed.

“ISMETT is an example of quality and excellence, and works thanks to a public-private partnership,” said Minister Lorenzin. “It is above the national average for all measurable parameters. Now it must become a driving force for regional health care, and an example of excellence. We need to establish a systematic approach to improving the national network.”
The meeting was also an opportunity to celebrate ISMETT’s accreditation, on September 12, 2014, as an Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) in the field of “End-stage organ failure treatment and research.”

ISMETT was the first hospital in southern Italy to receive Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation, considered one of the most advanced accreditation systems for assessing the quality and safety of hospital facilities. JCI accreditation confirms ISMETT’s top standards of patient care and patient safety, and its commitment to continual improvement of clinical outcomes, management, reception, and training programs that every year involve nurses, physicians, technicians, and administrative staff.