Local coordinators in donor hospitals play key role in donation. There is only few such coordinators in Poland, while there are about 400 hospitals with ICU's. This situation will change, when in every hospital there will be coordinator appointed. Coordinators must be professional in organization, legal issues, donor identification and evaluation, brain death diagnosis, family approach, donor care, allocation and distribution, quality and safety standards. These skills coordinators acquire during Transplant Coordinators Postgraduate Studies in Warsaw Medical University. The project, initiated by Polish Union for Transplantation Medicine began in 2007. Seminars and exercises (99 hours, 6
weekends) are run by experienced experts. Studies end with an examination and diploma. The cost of training of one participant is 1000 Euro, the trainee should pay 25 Euro, and the remaining amount comes from the Ministry of Health. The main criterion of acceptance for candidate is employment in a key department in process of donor detection. The aim of the studies is to educate coordinator for each hospital in the country. Until now 4 editions were completed; 123 graduates, 71 persons (60%) employed in strategical departments of 48 hospitals. Graduates' Activity - preliminary results Activity in donor detection was compared in the time before the course (2005-2006) and in the period during the course (2007-2008) in hospitals, where graduates were and where not employed. In the years 2007-2008 overall transplant activity in Poland dropped to 79% of the 2005-2006. This ratio for hospitals with graduates was 82% and in hospitals without - 76%. Of the 48 hospitals that employ the graduates: marked improvement in donation was observed in 14 hospitals, in 12 hospitals in both periods there were no donations at all, in 11 hospitals the number of donations was much lower (>20%), in 5 hospitals the number of donors were the same, in 6 it was lower but in line with the national trend.