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SNF Global Health Initiative

New SNF University Pediatric Hospital of Thessaloniki

New SNF University Pediatric Hospital of Thessaloniki Discover the Hospital

Strengthening the National Center for Emergency Care’s (EKAV) air ambulance services

Strengthening the National Center for Emergency Care’s (EKAV) air ambulance services Read More

New SNF General Hospital of Sparta

New SNF General Hospital of Sparta Discover the Hospital

New SNF General Hospital of Komotini

New SNF General Hospital of Komotini Discover the Hospital

A $1 billion-plus SNF initiative organized around five main pillars

Carried out with exclusive support from SNF, the Foundation’s $1 billion-plus Global Health Initiative (GHI) seeks to strengthen physical and mental health by improving the quality of care for all, expanding access, and empowering providers on the front lines. The initiative is founded on collaboration: extensive public-private partnership in Greece and collaboration with international research institutions.

Our pillars of activity

SNF hosts town halls on the three new SNF hospitals with local communities

Aerial photograph of works in progress at the site of the new SNF General Hospital of Sparta.
Aerial photograph of works in progress at the site of the SNF General Hospital of Komotini
In keeping with our commitment to open communication with the local communities as construction continues on the new SNF University Pediatric Hospital of Thessaloniki, SNF General Hospital of Komotini, and SNF General Hospital of Sparta, we are organizing another round of public town hall discussions in those localities, the eighth held since the inception of the projects. Speakers will include representatives from SNF, the Ministry of Health, project manager Hill International, and contractor AVAX Group, as well as Deputy Minister of Health Marios Themistocleous and Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Co-President Andreas Dracopoulos, who will make remarks via livestream.

Setting the bar for future hospitals globally

A rendering of the SNF General Hospital of Sparta with a tree-lined terrace emerging from a hilltop forest
Rendering of the SNF General Hospital of Komotini with a prominent overhanging canopy seen through trees in a verdant landscape
In 2017, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) and Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW) in collaboration with Betaplan embarked on a common vision to create and deliver to the Greek National Health System hospitals for the future. The SNF General Hospitals of Komotini and Sparta, and the SNF University Pediatric Hospital of Thessaloniki will be three, state-of-the-art public hospitals located in underserved healthcare peripheries of Greece providing equitable, universal and quality medical care for all. With completion and delivery of the new SNF General Hospital of Komotini and the SNF University Pediatric Hospital of Thessaloniki scheduled for the end of 2026 and of the new SNF General Hospital of Sparta for the end of 2027, the three hospitals envision to bring about a new standard in public healthcare in Greece and beyond.

4 aircraft, 3 years of flights, 1,900 patient transports

In 2021, to help ensure safe air transport for sick and injured patients from remote areas of Greece to treatment centers across the country and Europe, the SNF supported the procurement and delivery of four medevac aircraft to the National Center for Emergency Care (EKAV) as part of the SNF Global Health Initiative (GHI). In the span of three years, they have carried out 1,500 missions and completed 3,600 hours of flight, transporting more than 1,900 patients.