Naples – The 4x4 training project, an advanced program dedicated to organ donation and transplants, begins on Monday, September 7th at the School of Specialization in Anesthesia and Resuscitation at the Federico II University of Naples.
The initiative, implemented in collaboration with the Campania Regional Transplant Center, the Italian National Institute of Health (ISS), and the National Transplant Center (CNT), involves 28 medical residents and 15 trainers in an interactive, experiential teaching model, networked with leading national institutions.
Objectives: "departmental" skills and impact on the hospital network
The core of the project is to train doctors to independently and safely manage donation and transplant procedures directly in the hospitals where they work, strengthening the connection between universities, the regional network, and the national system.
Teaching is up-to-date, multidisciplinary, and based on best practices, with the aim of promoting integrated and transversal knowledge, in line with the contemporary approach to transplant medicine.
The four phases: simulation, field observation, online, and internship in Rome
The program is divided into four phases, combining practical training, clinical observation, e-learning, and national comparison:
First phase (7–11 September, Naples): practical training at the University Simulation Centre of the Federico II School of Medicine and Surgery, with sessions led by trainers selected in collaboration with CRT and CNT.
Second phase: field observation of a real case among the possible transplant scenarios, to anchor the theory in hospital practice.
Third phase: online module on medico-legal and organizational aspects, with active discussion of cases studied/observed by specialists from the four schools involved.
Phase four: Selection of 10 representatives for national in-person training at the CNT-ISS in Rome, where they will summarize the process through clinical case presentations.
The protagonists: CNT, ISS, Federico II and CRT Campania
Among others, the following will participate in the initiative:
Dr. Giuseppe Feltrin, director of the CNT and scientific director of the project, supported by ISS collaborators;
Prof. Giuseppe Servillo, director of the Specialty School and coordinator of the on-site project;
Dr. Pierino Di Silverio, regional transplant coordinator, who is collaborating in identifying trainers for the first phase together with Dr. Sara Mascarin, CNT representative;
a panel of national trainers selected by the CNT as experts in the field, in collaboration with the Specialty School and the CRT.
Why it matters for Campania
The project comes at a time of intense interest in transplants: in 2025, Italy recorded a historic record with 4.678 transplants. The challenge for the coming years will be to contain opposition, ensure regional consistency in access to transplants, and strengthen heart-dead donation programs.
For Campania, training a new group of specialists capable of independently managing the donation and transplant processes means consolidating the regional network, reducing hospital bottlenecks, and further shortening the time between donor identification and transplant activation.
