▁performing ▁all ▁types ▁of ▁organ ▁trans plant ations , ▁using ▁both ▁dece ased ▁and ▁living ▁don or ▁techniques . ▁IS ME TT ▁has ▁ 7 0 ▁b eds ▁( 1 4 ▁IC U , ▁ 2 1 ▁in ▁semi - int ensive , ▁and ▁ 3 5 ▁in pat ient ), ▁ 7 ▁out pat ient ▁b eds , ▁ 4 ▁operating ▁rooms , ▁a ▁hospital ▁ph arm acy ▁and ▁labor atory ▁analysis , ▁inf ect ious ▁dise ases ▁and ▁path ology ▁in ▁a ▁facility ▁that ▁covers ▁an ▁area ▁of ▁ ▁. ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁idea ▁of ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁Institute ▁stem med ▁from ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁he pat olog ists ▁at ▁a ▁hospital ▁in ▁Pal ermo ▁that ▁proposed ▁to ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Pitts burgh ▁Medical ▁Center ▁( UP MC ) ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁a ▁multi - organ ▁trans plant ▁center ▁to ▁be ▁realized ▁in ▁Sic ily . ▁Its ▁creation ▁was ▁also ▁prompt ed ▁by ▁a ▁ 1 9 9 5 ▁law ▁passed ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁State ▁that ▁c apped ▁the ▁total ▁number ▁of ▁foreign ▁patients ▁that ▁can ▁be ▁placed ▁on ▁a ▁waiting ▁list ▁for ▁trans pl ants ▁at ▁ 5 %. ▁For ▁this ▁reason , ▁trans plant ▁leaders ▁in ▁Pitts burgh ▁began ▁looking ▁toward ▁opportun ities ▁in ▁Europe ▁and ▁participated ▁act ively ▁in ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁a ▁trans plant ▁center ▁in ▁Pal ermo . ▁On ▁May ▁ 2 3 , ▁ 1 9 9 6 , ▁the ▁idea ▁was ▁presented ▁to ▁the ▁Ministry ▁of ▁Health , ▁who ▁wel com ed ▁the ▁project