St. David, Grenada – In a historic move to transform its healthcare system, the Government of Grenada has signed a landmark 15-year licensing agreement with the prestigious Mount Sinai Health System in New York. The partnership, formalised on May 14, is a centrepiece of Project Polaris, Grenada’s most ambitious healthcare initiative to date, and will see the construction of a 250-bed, state-of-the-art teaching hospital.

Set to break ground in 2026 on an 84-acre medical campus in Hope Vale, the hospital will be a Mount Sinai International affiliate and a flagship institution for secondary and tertiary care. Its design, including determining the clinical services plan and the technical requirements to ensure its construction as a smart facility, will be guided by Mount Sinai Health System. Importantly, Mount Sinai will assist Grenada in ensuring the hospital operates at the highest internationally accepted standards as it sets its eyes on acquiring Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation.

JCI assesses an organisation’s compliance with established rigorous standards for quality and safety. It signals to patients that an organisation has undergone a thorough performance assessment and meets high standards in patient safety and quality of care.

“While the government maintains responsibility for oversight and management of the hospital, Mount Sinai’s role in the operation will be to ensure that our policy standards and safety are at the highest internationally accepted levels. Ultimately, we will embark on a journey toward JCI accreditation, and we will be relying on the guidance, expertise and experience of Mount Sinai to help guide us through that journey,” said Andrea St. Bernard, the Project Sponsor and lead government representative for Project Polaris.

St. Bernard, whose role was instrumental in forging the strategic partnership between the Mount Sinai Health System and the Government of Grenada, believes the agreement signifies a commitment to mutual collaboration in improving healthcare services across the nation.

“If Mount Sinai is entering into an arrangement where they will be putting their brand on our hospital, what it really signifies is their commitment to ensure that the quality of service is improved and is at a standard that’s worthy, essentially, of their world class, renowned brand.”

Building on an already established foundation.

Grenada’s collaboration with Mount Sinai, isn’t only forward facing. Collaboration with the renowned NY-based institution began with an initial agreement in October 2024 to improve and modernise health care services in Grenada. Since then, Mount Sinai has assisted the country in strengthening its current General Hospital, by enhancing its operations, quality and safety systems, and its human resources. The realization of the agreement signals the start of a transformative journey for Grenada’s Healthcare.

“We are honoured to be chosen by the Government of Grenada as its strategic partner in the long-term development of the country’s healthcare system,” said Dr. Dorotovics President of Mount Sinai International.  Speaking at the signing ceremony in May, Dorotovics reinforced his team’s commitment to support Grenada’s vision of an improved health system.

“We are committed to collaborating with Grenada to enhance access to advanced, high-quality healthcare for all Grenadians. Our team will continue to work in lockstep with our Grenadian colleagues to achieve the vision of the new smart hospital for Grenada.”

Equity and Accessibility at the Core

The new Hope Vale Hospital is set to remain a public institution, fully committed to delivering accessible healthcare to all Grenadians. “Equity in access is a guiding principle of Grenada’s healthcare transformation agenda,” noted the Project Polaris team in a written statement to My Grenada Solutions. “Affordability and accessibility are at the core of our national health priorities.”

Additionally, the hospital’s development is being approached with cultural adaptability and inclusivity in mind. Mount Sinai’s systems will be tailored to the Grenadian context through ongoing consultations with local professionals and community stakeholders. “Care models will be culturally sensitive, locally relevant, and rooted in Grenadian realities,” the team affirmed.

With awareness of historical disparities in healthcare access for Black populations , particularly in developed nations, the new hospital is being shaped around principles of fairness and dignity. The Project Polaris team underscored that “training and protocols will include cultural competency and equity-based care, guided by both local and international best practices.”

A Vision Realised: A True Teaching Hospital for Grenada

The Government of Grenada’s new partnership with Mount Sinai Health System marks a pivotal step toward realising a long-held national ambition: establishing a fully operational teaching hospital on the island. Through Project Polaris, Grenada is set to offer medical students the opportunity to complete their entire education – including clinical rotations and residencies – without leaving the country.

“Government of Grenada and SGU have always had a commitment to work together to create a teaching hospital. And so finally, we are in motion to realise that vision, which has been, I think, in existence for as long as the existing legislation agreement with SGU,” St. Bernard said.

According to St. Bernard, the opportunity to now create a fully integrated teaching and research institution – where world-class academic oversight from SGU is matched with Mount Sinai’s clinical expertise and global healthcare credentials – presents an attractive value proposition.  It’s a model designed to enhance both medical education and service delivery, while attracting talent, investment, and innovation.

“I think we have the opportunity for an excellent marriage between Mount Sinai, which is a world-renowned systems operator and academic centre, and our own SGU, which has also gained quite a significant reputation in the medical field,” St. Bernard added.

The hospital will deliver a full spectrum of secondary and tertiary care, including high-demand services like cardiology, oncology, nephrology, trauma and emergency care, maternal and child health, and digital diagnostics. Research and innovation will focus on chronic care, non-communicable diseases, and tropical medicine.

Its strategic three-way partnership is expected to position Grenada as a leader in Caribbean health innovation, elevating standards, expanding access, and creating long-term opportunities for the next generation of doctors trained right at home.