UPMC
Location
Palermo, Italia
Year
2020 – ongoing
Use
Activity
Design: Renzo Piano Building Workshop, Architects in collaboration with Progetto CMR
The new hospital in Carini (Palermo), Ismett 2, is set to significantly expand the region’s access to highly specialized healthcare services. The facility will be fully integrated with the Biomedical Research and Biotechnology Center (BRBC) of the Ri.MED Foundation, currently under construction in the same area.
This strategic biomedical hub is designed to accelerate progress in biomedical research and foster the creation of high-value spin-off companies. Its main goal is to transform patient care while also providing a substantial boost to Sicily’s economy.
Jointly funded by the regional and national governments, the new hospital and the BRBC will be managed by UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center), a global leader that has successfully managed Ismett—a center of excellence in transplants and highly specialized therapies in Palermo—for over 20 years.
Ismett 2 will continue and enhance the extensive transplant programs and highly specialized therapies, serving an average of over 2,500 patients per year. The new facility will introduce advanced clinical programs, further expanding the range of treatments available to Sicilian citizens.
In line with the current Ismett, the new hospital will be part of the regional network for cardiovascular emergencies, providing crucial care for time-sensitive conditions such as heart attacks and strokes.
Building on experience gained during the Covid-19 pandemic, Ismett 2 has been designed with exceptional operational flexibility, allowing for the rapid conversion of standard hospital beds into intensive and sub-intensive care units. This ensures best practices in infection control and the safe, separate management of patients with chronic and infectious diseases, guaranteeing maximum patient safety.
Technological innovation is a core pillar, replicating the successful model of Ismett and other UPMC facilities in Italy. The new site will feature:
• Electronic Health Records (EHR).
• Digital administrative and accounting systems interconnected across all departments.
• Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS) powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning.
Thanks to UPMC’s expertise in Pittsburgh, these systems will assist clinicians in delivering the right care at the right time, with a strong focus on information security and patient data privacy. The entire IT infrastructure is also designed to actively support the integration of translational research directly into patient care—a key factor in advancing personalized medicine.
