The Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) “Health Initiative” includes seven (7) new individual grants, with the aim to further support the Health Sector in Greece. The total budget for the initiative is expected to exceed $290 million.
The Health Initiative embraces three major infrastructure interventions across Greece, each designed by the internationally renowned architectural firm Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW), the reinforcement of the National Center for Emergency Care (EKAV) air ambulance services, the procurement of new medical equipment, as well as the establishment of educational programs. Τhe SNF has invited Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Medicine International (USA), long-term partners of the Foundation, to contribute in an advisory capacity throughout the implementation of the initiative.
From an early stage, the SNF has committed to providing regular quarterly updates on the initiative's progress for the timely and comprehensive information of all citizens. The 1st update was published on June 20th, 2018, and included the preliminary design approaches for the infrastructure projects, prepared by the architectural firm Renzo Piano Building Workshop (RPBW).
Since then, there has been progress in the following areas:
On September 20th, 2018, the related Grant Contract between the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) and the Greek State, was ratified under law by the Greek Parliament. The Grant Contract defines the contractual framework, the general terms and the conditions under which the SNF will implement this Initiative. At the same time, the individual Grant Contract, pertaining to the procurement and installation of equipment at “Evangelismos” Hospital, was ratified under law. Detailed information on this grant is provided in this announcement. Ιndividual grant contracts will specify the terms of implementation for each project separately.
Upon the ratification of the Grant Contract, the nonprofit Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) “Health Initiative SA” (Greek: Πρωτοβουλία για την Υγεία Α.Ε.) was established. The company will operate as an implementing body, undertaking the coordination, management and implementation of the projects, until their completion and delivery to the Greek State. The SPV is run by an independent Board of Directors, which currently consists of seven (7) members, representatives of the SNF, designated exclusively by the Foundation. Upon delivery of the projects to the Greek State, the SPV will conclude its scope of work and cease to exist, since the projects will be exclusively and in totality under the ownership of the Greek State.
The 1st meeting of the Special Advisory Committee for the Health Initiative took place on September 27th, 2018. The Committee comprises of representatives of the Office of the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Environment and Energy, the Ministry of Infrastructure, Transport, and Networks, the National Center for Emergency Care (EKAV), the Nursing Department of the School of Health Sciences of the University of Athens, Hill International, which has undertaken the project management of infrastructure projects, and the SNF.
The establishment of the Special Advisory Committee aims to safeguard the effective partnership between all stakeholders, by giving participants the opportunity to be updated on the development of the overall project, to manage issues relating to the progress of works in a timely manner, to exchange information, highlight topics of concern and provide suggestions. Similar to this one, a Special Advisory Committee between the Greek State and the SNF was also established and regularly convened during the development and up until the completion and delivery of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center (SNFCC) to the Greek State, safeguarding the effective partnership between all parties involved.
Work progress for individual grants
> General Hospital of Komotini
The grant relates to the design, construction and outfitting of a new building for the General Hospital of Komotini. To date, all the necessary data on the clinical and building program for the new Hospital has been collected by the Greek State's Project Team. The data has also been shared with the SNF.
At the same time, the program has been updated by the healthcare architectural design consultants of Llewelyn Davies, and evaluated by the team of scientists from Johns Hopkins. The detailed work program is due to be presented for approval to the Ministry of Health in the coming quarter.
The building for the new General Hospital of Komotini will be erected on land owned by the Greek State.
> Children’s Hospital of Thessaloniki
The grant relates to the design, construction and outfitting of a Children’s Hospital in Thessaloniki, which will be established to serve the fundamental medical care provision for people of Northern Greece and beyond. For the optimal execution of the program, the Llewelyn Davies team is proceeding with an initial analysis of the requirements of the specific region, taking into account the plan implemented by the Ministry of Health.
The Hospital will be erected in the area of Filyro on land owned by the Greek State.
> Nursing Department of the School of Health Sciences of the University of Athens – General Hospital “Evangelismos”
The grant relates to the design, construction and outfitting of a new building to be erected in the current location of Sisters’ House and Nursing Sisters’ buildings on the premises of the General Hospital “Evangelismos”, in Athens. According to the Grant Contract that was ratified under law by the Greek Parliament on September 20th, the new building will serve as the Chair of the University’s Faculty of Nursing. The Llewelyn Davies team, in collaboration with the Nursing School, has prepared an initial inventory of the operational needs of the space which will permanently host the Nursing Department of the University of Athens. The necessary procedures that will permit the use of the space for the appropriate studies to be completed, are not yet in place.
The architectural firm RPBW is working in collaboration with the Greek architectural firm, Betaplan, and a plethora of other local associates, including Helli Pangalou’s landscape architecture firm, H. Pangalou & Associates. The architectural firm RPBW is also collaborating with the British firm Llewelyn Davies, which specializes in healthcare architectural design and will contribute its experience with large-scale projects in the healthcare sector.
Τhe Ministry of Infrastructure, Transport and Networks, and the Ministry of Environment and Energy have undertaken the responsibility of ensuring the optimal coordination for the timely provision of all necessary infrastructure networks to allow for the seamless development of the works.
> Procurement and installation of equipment for the General Hospital “Evangelismos”
This grant is already under implementation. The individual Grant Contract was ratified under law by the Greek Parliament on Thursday, September 20th, as an Annex to the principal Grant Contract. The medical equipment includes, inter alia, hospital beds, surgical equipment, laparoscopic towers, equipment for the radiodiagnostic department, the ENT department, the maxillofacial department, endoscopic equipment, gurneys, patient monitors, respirators, defibrillators, and more. The procurement of equipment is expected to be completed within 2019. The Llewelyn Davies team will be involved in the process of drafting technical specifications, evaluating the technical bids by suppliers, and the overall procedures of supply and installment of equipment.
> Procurement of new equipment and maintenance of existing equipment for the National Center for Emergency Care’s (EKAV) air ambulance services
Following discussions with the National Center for Emergency Care (EKAV) and the Ministry of Health, that illustrated the specific needs, the grant relates to the maintenance of three AGUSTA A109E “Power” helicopters that will serve for the provision of emergency medical aid and the transmission of patients that require immediate hospitalization, as well as to the procurement of two new airplanes that will be able to provide advanced medical care to patients during the flight (the exact specifications and type of vehicle are currently being researched). The Project Team of the Greek State has submitted a comprehensive grant proposal listing the necessary data for evaluation, which will also be reviewed by the Johns Hopkins team. It is expected that within the next three months the evaluation process and the timetable for implementation of the grant will be completed, and the individual contract will be ratified by law, in order to proceed to the implementation stage.
> Procurement and installation of special medical equipment (PET) across Greece
The grant relates to the procurement and installation of special medical equipment (Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and radiopharmaceutical production units) in selected public medical institutions across the country. The Project Team of the Greek State has submitted a comprehensive grant proposal for this specific project. Based on this proposal, the equipment is currently planned to be installed in selected public hospitals of Greece, in the regions of Thessaloniki, Crete, Larissa and Ioannina. It is expected that in the next three months, the evaluation process and the timetable for implementation of the grant will be completed, and the individual contract will be ratified by law in order to proceed to the implementation stage.
> Creation and Implementation of Educational Programs
This specific grant consists of two individual educational programs, addressing medical science fields of high importance fields on a global level. Specifically, one pertaining the treatment of trauma and the other the treatment of in-hospital infections. In addition to the initial program planning for the treatment of trauma, the program extends to further areas (Orthopedics, General Surgery), offering an integrated training program for Medical Schools throughout Greece. The grant includes the design of individual training programs, the procurement of the appropriate equipment, and the implementation of the programs for the next five (5) years. It is expected that in the next three months, the evaluation process and the timetable for implementation of the grant will be completed, and the individual contract will be ratified by law, in order to proceed to the implementation stage.
Regarding the educational program for the treatment of in-hospital infections, we expect to receive a proposal from the Project Team of the Greek State.
The SNF’s Health Initiative is a long-term project, embracing multiple individual projects, that aims to strengthen the Public Health sector in Greece. This grant is representative of the philosophy and mission of the SNF to support programs contributing to public-private partnerships, with the exclusive goal to effectively support activities serving the common good.
The Stavros Niarchos Foundation will be publishing regular updates by the end of each quarter, in line with its mission to provide timely and comprehensive information on the progress of this large initiative to all citizens.
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SNF Health Initiative Milestones
September 6, 2017: Announcement of the Health Initiative by the SNF
March 21, 2018: Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the SNF and the Greek State
June 20, 2018: Presentation of preliminary plans by Renzo Piano at the Maximos Mansion
September 20, 2018: Ratification under law by the Greek Parliament of the Grant Contract for the Health Initiative
September 27, 2018: 1st Meeting of the Special Advisory Committee for the Health Initiative