About Us
Fondazione Maugeri is
a non-profit, Care and Research Institute. According to the Italian
legislation, this is a special status recognised by law (DPR N°991,
15.6.1965). This status implies that the Administrative Board is
composed of Members of the Ministry of Health and of the Region
(Lombardia Region), in order to ensure proper audit on the
financial report and on the activities. The status should be
confirmed every 4 years based on the results of research activities
(publications, guidelines, etc). Fondazione's main mission is
rehabilitation (pulmonary, heart and neuro-muscular
rehabilitation).Fondazione is composed of 15 Centres spread all
over the Country (Lombardia, Piemonte, Veneto, Liguria, Puglia,
Campania, Sicilia). The core clinical units are represented by
pulmonology, cardiology and neuro-muscular rehabilitation. Overall,
Fondazione offers a network of over 2,000 beds.
Public Health and Prevention services are also available in
Fondazione, particularly in monitoring and preventing air pollution
and occupational-related diseases.
As a research Institution, Fondazione has published in 2004 over
514 articles, 90 books and 20 guidelines.
The
Central Institution (HQ) is placed in Pavia. Each Institution is
largely autonomous, although can benefit from the network services
(bio-engeneering/informatics; central drug purchaising, etc). To
better co-ordinate planning and research activities, the different
units had been grouped into departments (e.g. Pneumonology,
Cardiology, ect.).
Each Institution (e.g., the Tradate Centre of Fondazione) is
equipped with:
1. training center (room equipped for multimedia presentations and
video-conference. Regular meeting of the different Departments
(e.g. Pneumonology, Cardiology, Radiology, etc) are managed through
video-conference, as well as consultations on different
activities.
2. laboratory, performing basic examinations to serve the clinical
Departments as well as research activities. All Laboratories of
Fondazione are connected as a network (at least twice a week
samples are sent from one lab to the others, where specific
high-tech/research test are performed);
3. library/documentation centre- connected with other libraries of
Fondazione and with the Regional Network of libraries. Access to
published literature is rapid and easy, for both Fondazione staff
and external individuals accessing one of the libraries. In each
library a staff is in charge of managing request for documents/
articles/etc.
4. Quality Assurance Office. Fondazione is certified by ISO 9000;
Each local Office is connected with the Central Quality Assurance
Office of Fondazione.
5. Scientific Office and Secretariat, supporting research and
documentation activities in each centre, constantly connected with
the Central Scientific Office and Secretariat. The Central
Scientific Office is part of the network of Italian Scientific
Institutes (in Italian called IRCCS, Care and Research
Institutions). This network had been established by the MOH to
define and implement priority activities within the National Health
Plan.
Additional information is available at the home
page:
www.fsm.it.
Within Fondazione, placed in Centre of Tradate, the WHO
Collaborating Centre is a unit dealing with international TB
control and training activities.
The WHO Collaborating Centre had been recognized by the Italian
Ministry of Foreign Affairs as one of three Centres of Excellence
for international TB control
activities.
The
other two Centres of Excellence (University of Brescia and Istituto
Superiore di Sanità, technical branch of Ministry of Health)
strictly collaborate with the WHO Collaborating Centre both at the
national and international level.
The WHO Collaborating Centre uses the facilities belonging to the
Institution (Fondazione S. Maugeri).
The WHO Collaborating Centre for TB and Lung Diseases has created,
in collaboration with Sondalo Hospital, a special residential
training centre, where international WHO training Course had been
carried out since 2001 (1 in 2001, 1 in 2002, 3 in 2003, 5 in 2004,
5 in 2005, 9 done abroad, Russia and Ethiopia in collaboration with
other Agencies). The Morelli Hospital in Sondalo, Italy, a former
tuberculosis sanatorium (the largest in Europe, originally guesting
over 3,000 TB patients), is presently a general hospital acting as
the national Reference Hospital for MDR, TB/HIV and other severe
cases. The training centre is located in a special building,
recently renovated. It is equipped with 20 good quality standard
rooms with bathroom and shower (17 double) at floor 1 and 2 (a
third floor has been recently completed and will be activated in
2005), TV room (satellite connection), prayer room,
breakfast/coffee break room and training facilities (class with
video-projection, secretariat, 2 internet rooms, toilets, 3 rooms
for group-activities). Meals are served in the hospital restaurant.
If needed, access to the Mycobacteriology laboratory (part of the
National Network of Reference Laboratories) and to the TB/HIV wards
is possible. The training centre, situated in a quiet and rather
isolated setting facilitating learning and exchange of experience,
allows to manage courses at a low cost.