Hellenic Cystic Fibrosis Association
Board of Directors 2021-2024
The Board of Directors of the Hellenic Cystic Fibrosis Association (HCFA) consists of Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients and parents of CF children, monitored in different CF Centers all over Greece, in order to have nationwide representation of CF patients all over the country ensuring a united and multilateral representation of Greek CF patients.
The BOD is in close collaboration with all specialized CF physicians treating patients throughout Greece, who form HCFA’s Scinetific Committee, established in 2013 for providing expert scientific advice to HCFA.
Below there is a short presentation of the Board members of HCFA.
ANNA SPINOU
President of HCFA
Anna is a CF patient and she’s monitored in the CF adult Unit in Sismanoglio Hospital (Athens).
She is a graduate of Athens University of Economics and Business (Department of Management and Business Administration) and also a graduate of Drama School. She has Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English and Sorbonne II Certificate in French. During the last 14 years she has been working at the administrative service of University Hospital “Attikon” and in recent years she has been working in the tourist industry.
Anna was a Board member of HCFA from 2003 to 2005. From 2015 to 2017 she was the General Secretary and since 2018 she is the President of HCFA. During her service as President, HCFA managed great achievements for CF patients in Greece, such as the beginning of the early access program to the revolutionary triple therapy of Kaftrio and the establishment of the National CF Registry. Also, many interventions were made in order to organise the procedures of the National Lung Transplantation Program. HCFA also managed to achieve full insurance compensation for new generation nebulizers and physiotherapy sessions, full retirement for CF patients after 15 years of work, exemption from road tax and access to parking cards, while various events and public awareness campaigns for CF were carried out.
During her service as President the Association was awarded with the “Prix Galien” Prize of the “Most Effective Negotiation with stakeholders” for the access of Greek CF patients in the revolutionary triple therapy Kaftrio, which saved the lives of CF patients in critical condition. The Association also was awarded with the “Silver Healthcare Award” for the successful organ donation campaign “Unlimited Breath- Be a life donor” raising public awareness for lung transplantation.
On December 2021 Anna was elected President of Rare Diseases Greece (RDG), which is the official representative and representative of the Greek community of rare diseases Assocations in Eurordis, with 28 full members associations, representing patients with rare diseases throughout the country. From 2022 she was re-elecected as a Board Member of RDG, continuing her work for rare diseases community.
IRENE KATSINI
Vice President of HCFA
Eirini is a CF patient and she is monitored in the CF adult Unit in Sismanoglio Hospital (Athens).
She is a graduate of the Medical School of National University of Athens. She has specialized in Psychiatry in Aiginiteio Hospital since 2017 and she has the Michigan Certificate of Proficiency in English.
She has been working in the Adults Psychiatric Department in Asklepieio Hospital in Athens since 2018.
Eirini has been a member of the Hellenic Cystic Fibrosis Association since 1999, with active participation in every action of the Association.
KONSTANTINA GIANNAKI
General Secretary of HCFA
Konstantina is a mother of a 6 years old boy with CF. Her son is monitored in the Children CF Unit in Paidon- Agia Sofia Hospital (Athens).
She has studied Marketing in Deree College, has the Michigan Certificate of Proficiency in English and works in the Hellenic American Union.
Konstantina has been a member of HCFA since 2016. Since 2019 she offers her service at the secretary department of the Association.
NADIA PROGKA
Cashier of HCFA
Nadia is a mother of 2 children with CF. Her children are monitored in the CF Unit in Paidon-Agia Sofia Hospital (Athens).
She has studied graphic design and has the Lower Certificate in English. Nadia runs a business in the center of Athens.
She has been a Board member since 2013 offering her services in the economic department of the Association.
MARIA PALIOU
Deputy Secretary of HCFA
Maria is a CF patient and she is monitored in the CF adult Unit in Sismanoglio Hospital (Athens).
She lives in Athens and she has a son, who is 28 years old.
Maria was a Board member of HCFA from 2012 to 2015. For more than a decade she is an active member of HCFA, offering many achivements to CF patients in Greece together with her CF brother Vasilis Palios, who was the General Secretary of HCFA until his death in 2021.
CHRISTOS MPAKODIMOS
Deputy Cashier of HCFA
Christos’ son is a CF patient and is monitored in the Children CF Unit in Paidon- Agia Sofia Hospital (Athens).
He has been a Board Member of the Hellenic Cystic Fibrosis Association since 2018, with active participation in the actions and events of the Association.
ROULA TZONOU
Board member of HCFA
Her 10 years old son has CF and he is monitored in the Children CF Unit in Ippokrateio Hospital (Thessaloniki).
She was the President of the North Greece Association of Parents with CF Children, based in Thessaloniki. In collaboration with HCFA, she organized events and conferences for informing the Greek community and raising public awareness for CF in Greece.
Roula has been a Board member of the HCFA since 2017, when Thessaloniki’s Parents Association merged with the Hellenic Cystic Fibrosis Association, in order to ensure the nationwide representation of CF patients all over Greece.
Deputy Board Members of HCFA
1. Eleni Papavasilopoulou (CF patient- Sismanoglio hospital- Athens)
2. Ioannis Spinos (CF patient- Sismanoglio hospital- Athens)
3. Alexandros Papadopoulos (Parent- Hippokratio hospital- Thessaloniki)
