Grenada’s General Hospital becomes Mount Sinai International affiliate

The government of Grenada has formalised a groundbreaking 15-year collaboration and licensing agreement with Mount Sinai International, making the General Hospital in St. George’s an official affiliate of the Mount Sinai Health System.

Mount Sinai is a leading New York City–based health system that includes hospitals, the Icahn School of Medicine, and a global arm—Mount Sinai International—which partners with other countries to improve healthcare, education, and research.

The partnership is part of the government’s ambitious “Project Polaris” initiative, which will include the construction of a new research and teaching hospital in the Hopevale area.

Health Minister Phillip Telesford and Dr Szabi Dorotovics, President of Mount Sinai International, signed the agreement during a news conference on Wednesday. As part of the arrangement, Grenada will pay US$2.5 million to Mount Sinai, headquartered in New York.

Andrea St Bernard, the government’s lead representative for Project Polaris, explained that the agreement will enable Grenada to tap into Mount Sinai’s vast network and expertise. “A main component of the agreement is a license to Mount Sinai International for the General Hospital to be known as an affiliate or have an affiliation with Mount Sinai. What that means is that Mount Sinai is committed to working with the Government of Grenada to ensure we raise our standards to internationally recognised levels,” St Bernard said.

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She emphasised that the partnership is both symbolic and practical. “The consequence of losing that agreement is essentially that we will lose the benefit of that collaboration and the benefit of being able to license the general hospital as an affiliation of Mount Sinai. It’s an agreement that signifies collaboration where the 2 partners are working together, maintaining the vision of improving the healthcare service,” St Bernard added.

Dr Dorotovics described the collaboration as a long-term commitment to mutual growth and excellence. “This is a very historic project for your country, and it is a huge and very important undertaking for our health system as well,” he said. “We aim to share our innovations, cutting-edge technology, and knowledge developed over the years with our international partners… This is not a short term commitment, we signed today a 15-year agreement and we are here to stay and we are here to be your partner in a true sense.”

The new hospital, a central feature of Project Polaris, is being developed on 84 acres of land already acquired in Hopevale, St George. The medical complex will include not just a hospital but also a hotel and other supporting facilities. The initiative aligns with recommendations from Grenada’s 2035 National Development Plan and aims to modernise the country’s health and wellness sectors.

The partnership began taking shape in October 2024, when the government first announced an agreement with the Mount Sinai Health System. At the time, a Government Information Service (GIS) release said the collaboration was designed to modernise and improve medical services across the country. That release called it “the beginning of a unique partnership, which will transform Grenada’s healthcare system through the strengthening of the existing Grenada General Hospital in the initial phase.”

“This is a major milestone under Project Polaris,” the release added. “The project includes the development of a state-of-the-art, smart research hospital in Hope Vale, Grenada. Project Polaris is the cornerstone of the transformation and modernisation of the health and wellness sectors in Grenada.”