Italy’s National Transplant Centre at the Istituto Superiore di Sanità hosted the 53rd edition of its National Course for Organ and Tissue Donation and Procurement Coordinators — a benchmark training programme in the field of organ procurement. In 2026, the course adopted a blended-learning format running from 6 May to 4 June. Accredited with 27 CME credits and held under the scientific direction of Giuseppe Feltrin, the programme brought together more than thirty faculty members and tutors from Italy’s leading hospital and regional transplant centres. It also featured the notable participation of the DTI Foundation, the institution behind the TPM (Transplant Procurement Management) methodology used as the course’s educational framework.

The programme was structured into three progressive phases: online preparatory sessions, a two-day residential workshop in Pomezia, and a final online session. This hybrid design combined the flexibility of virtual learning with the depth of hands-on workshops, during which participants completed eight practical modules focused on brain death diagnosis, intensive donor management, donation after circulatory death — both controlled and uncontrolled — and machine perfusion techniques.

The curriculum also addressed medico-legal and family communication aspects, clinical donor evaluation according to international organ safety standards, and transplant outcomes by organ — heart, liver, lung and kidney — offering a comparative perspective between the Italian and Spanish procurement models. The involvement of Chloë Ballesté Delpierre as co-didactic coordinator and faculty member further reinforced the programme’s international dimension and highlighted the enduring influence of the Spanish donation and procurement model as a European benchmark.

At a time when organ shortage remains the principal barrier to transplantation worldwide, investment in the specialised training of hospital donation coordinators is critical. These professionals serve as the essential link between clinical teams, donor families and transplant organisations, and play a decisive role in converting potential donors into effective donations. The 53rd National TPM Course reaffirms Italy’s commitment to quality, standardisation and continuous professional development within a system that, year after year, contributes to saving thousands of lives.