Farewell Speech Upon Retirement After 25 Years of Service at Eurotransplant
Dear Directors, Colleagues, dear Friends,
As I bid farewell to Eurotransplant, I reflect with deep gratitude on the 25 years I’ve spent growing both personally and professionally in the field of donor and transplant medicine, all under the umbrella of this remarkable organization. This moment is bittersweet, and I want to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt thanks for everything I’ve had the privilege to experience and learn.
When I began working with Eurotransplant, I knew I was joining an organization that would not only improve patient health but also contribute to a much broader transformation that would positively impact my and other lives. What I didn’t foresee was the rapid evolution of organ transplantation in Slovenia, nor how, together, we would shape the Slovenian donation and transplant system. Today Slovenian system is recognized for its excellence both in Europe and also internationally.
A prerequisite for collaborating with Eurotransplant was the establishment of the Slovenian national network established by Jasna Vončina, MD in 1998. On this basis Slovenia became a full member of Eurotransplant in September 2000, following the signing of a temporary contract by the University Medical Centre. An invitation by the Ministry of Health to begin establishing national competent organisation Slovenija-transplant Institute followed shortly afterwards. The creation of this institute as the central body for organ donation and transplantation in Slovenia took about a year, culminating in the entering into the first contract between Slovenija-transplant and Eurotransplant in 2002, which was my privilege.
From the outset, the institute has grown steadily in both expertise and interconnectedness. It’s hard to overstate how critical it was to build a team capable of managing the precise processes of international organ exchange while navigating the complexities of participation in Eurotransplant’s bodies. Over time, Slovenija-transplant has expanded its competence, becoming a key player in delegating experts to Eurotransplant and optimizing task coordination.
Maintaining a close relationship with Eurotransplant while nurturing our national progress was crucial. Despite many challenges, our active participation in advisory bodies such as the Advisory Committees, Board, and later the Council of Medicine and Science and the Council for Administration ensured operational continuity and kept us aligned with developments in the field.
I had the honor of serving nearly 10 years on the Council for Medicine and Science, where I contributed to decision-making and discussions with my colleagues in Slovenia. This role provided me with valuable insight into the most critical aspects of our work—the treatment of patients through organ transplantation.
Throughout these years, we set ambitious goals. Our collaboration with Eurotransplant enabled optimal organ matching. Together, we worked tirelessly to ensure the best possible survival chances for those in need of a transplant. I shall emphasize that none of this would have been possible in such a small country without being part of this exceptional organization.
A special part of my work has been my involvement with the Ethical Committee. Ethics has always been my guiding principle. I believe the foundation of a successful national donor program lies in upholding ethical standards, fostering open communication with the media, and engaging with the broader scientific community—philosophers, social scientists, and anthropologists, laywer—to clarify the goals and results of transplantation.
I am deeply grateful to all of you—my colleagues, friends, and mentors—for your support, collaboration, and for making this experience so meaningful. Together, we have achieved significant milestones. In Slovenia, we are ranked among the highest in the world in terms of heart transplants per million inhabitants in the last ten years. We also, surpassed the Eurotransplant average by 14% in five-year kidney transplant survival rates. Based on intensive progression we have also reached 30 deceased donors per million, which is a remarkable achievement.
With a profound sense of belonging to this community I step into the next phase of my life. The work we have accomplished together has not only shaped the present but will continue to influence the future of transplant medicine. I extend my sincere gratitude to all of my colleagues in Slovenia for being part of this journey and for the opportunity to contribute to this incredible mission. A special thanks go to Dr. Gadžijev Andrej who has been the new delegate of CoMS and director of Slovenija- transplant since 2022.
I shall express a special appreciation to Directors Andre Matera and Erwin de Buijzer for inviting me to this final meeting. I wish you all the very best and hope the future brings continued growth and progress. Thank you.
Prim. Danica Avsec, MD
