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IRCCS ISMETT – UPMC
IRCCS ISMETT – UPMC in Palermo

IRCCS ISMETT – UPMC

ISMETT-UPMC (Istituto Mediterraneo per i Trapianti e le Terapie ad Alta Specializzazione) is an IRCCS (Scientific Institute for Research, Hospitalization and Healthcare) based in Palermo, Italy.

Founded in 1997, ISMETT was established through a pioneering public–private partnership between the Sicilian Regional Government and UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center).

ISMETT-UPMC was created to address a major structural gap in the Italian healthcare system. Prior to its establishment, Sicily and much of Southern Italy lacked structured organ transplant programs, forcing patients to travel to other regions to access life-saving care.
In response to this unmet clinical need, ISMETT-UPMC launched the first liver transplant program in Sicily, laying the foundation for the progressive development of comprehensive solid organ transplant programs.

From an Unmet Clinical Need to a Model of Excellence

Over the years, ISMETT–UPMC has become a national and international reference center for organ transplantation and highly specialized care, playing a key role in reducing healthcare migration and raising standards of care across Southern Italy.

Through its integration within the UPMC network, ISMETT-UPMC has introduced to Sicily:

  • Advanced organizational and management models.
  • Internationally recognized standards for quality and patient safety.
  • A multidisciplinary, patient-centered approach focused on continuity of care.

This evolution has positioned ISMETT–UPMC as a benchmark for healthcare innovation - both clinical and organizational - with a lasting impact on the regional healthcare system.

Clinical and Technological Innovation: Setting New Standards

Since performing the first liver transplant in Sicily in 1997, ISMETT–UPMC has achieved major clinical and technological milestones that confirm its role as a high-complexity center at both national and international level:

  • Development of advanced clinical programs for adult and pediatric patients.
  • Introduction of cutting-edge technologies for organ preservation and reconditioning, significantly expanding transplant opportunities.
  • More than 3,000 solid organ transplants performed.
  • The first robotic cardiac surgery procedure using the Da Vinci® system in Southern Italy.
  • The first heart transplant from a donation after circulatory death (DCD) donor in Sicily, a highly complex procedure available in only a few highly specialized centers worldwide.
  • ISMETT–UPMC is the first hospital in Southern Italy to achieve JCI accreditation (Joint Commission International), the world’s leading international certification for healthcare quality and patient safety.

These achievements have contributed to defining new clinical and technological standards for healthcare in Southern Italy.

A Hub for Advanced Care, Research, and Education

As an IRCCS, ISMETT–UPMC integrates clinical care with scientific research and advanced medical education, promoting the direct translation of innovation from research to bedside.

Today, ISMETT-UPMC represents a center of excellence capable of attracting highly qualified professionals, patients, and national and international collaborations in organ transplantation and advanced specialized medicine.