A major strategic initiative focused on women’s, girls’, and children’s health, as well as higher education, has been launched with the support of the Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo and Intesa Sanpaolo.
Turin, 13 February 2025 – A bold new healthcare project was introduced today, aiming to enhance advanced training, infrastructure and services dedicated to women, girls and children. The initiative seeks to strengthen two of Turin’s leading healthcare institutions: the Regina Margherita Children’s Hospital and the Sant’Anna Hospital.
Made possible by a key contribution of over five million euros from Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo and Intesa Sanpaolo, and with additional co-financing from ADISCO Sezione Piemonte O.D.V. and the non-profit Fondazione Medicina a Misura di Donna Onlus, this significant healthcare project will bring major infrastructural and technological upgrades. The outcome will directly improve the quality of care for women and children while advancing training in precision gynaecological surgery.
This project serves as a shining example of collaboration between public and private institutions, poised to create a lasting social impact on the community. At its core, the initiative is dedicated to improving the quality of life for women, children and families, positioning Turin as a leader in national healthcare.
“The upgrade of infrastructure and services at the Regina Margherita Children’s Hospital and the Sant’Anna Hospital through a project that blends clinical excellence, technological innovation, and advanced training is crucial not only for enhancing healthcare quality for women and children but also for strengthening educational opportunities,” said Stefano Geuna, Rector of the University of Turin. “This is a tremendous opportunity to provide our students and researchers with unique growth prospects in the medical field, contributing to the development of a cutting-edge healthcare system.”
“Our healthcare initiatives will not only continue, but will be further strengthened in the upcoming strategic plan, with a clear focus: investing in experimental protocols and developing multidisciplinary solutions that leverage new technologies. These solutions can evolve into scalable models, ready to be implemented widely, benefiting both healthcare facilities and patients. The project we are presenting shows how interventions of this kind can create a significant and lasting impact, turning today’s innovations into tomorrow’s standards. This goal is achievable through the essential collaboration between the public and private sectors,” added Marco Gilli, Chair of Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo.
“The core elements of this initiative: cutting-edge equipment, the redesign of care pathways and inpatient facilities, and advanced training, are all part of a unified vision that merges research, technology and healthcare. This approach has the potential to be a trailblazer, creating opportunities for growth throughout the entire healthcare ecosystem,” stated Alberto Anfossi, Secretary General of Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo.
“This donation from Intesa Sanpaolo to healthcare in Piedmont supports an initiative that exemplifies a model of collaboration between public, private and non-profit institutions. The bank’s efforts are always focused on structurally strengthening the Italian healthcare system, providing significant and tangible benefits to local communities,” says Paolo Bonassi, Chief Social Impact Officer at Intesa Sanpaolo.
“We are grateful to Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo, Intesa Sanpaolo, Adisco Sezione Piemonte and Fondazione Medicina a Misura di Donna Onlus for their generous contribution to the Regina Margherita and Sant’Anna Hospitals. “As we have seen in other cases, this is yet another exemplary instance of cooperation between public and private institutions coming together with a shared objective: improving the quality of life for women, children and their families,” said the Region’s President Alberto Cirio and Health Councillor Federico Riboldi. “For the Region of Piedmont, this initiative not only gives us the opportunity to express our gratitude to its promoters, but also to reaffirm our commitment to two facilities that represent the pinnacle of healthcare in Piedmont and deserve further enhancement. Our thanks also go to the staff: doctors, nurses, social and healthcare workers, and administrative personnel, who make our hospitals exceptional and are our true added value.”
ADISCO Piemonte for the Regina Margherita Children’s Hospital: New Multi-Specialist Paediatric Day Hospital
The renovation of the Multi-Specialist Paediatric Day Hospital department on the third floor of the Regina Margherita Children’s Hospital will cover an area of approximately 1,250 square metres and is intended to enhance the department’s functionality and increase the number of annual services by 20-30%, raising the current total from 30,000 to around 40,000.
The planned improvements include the creation of dedicated pathways for patients in the Infectious Diseases section, an expansion of the beds from 11 to 15, and an increase in examination rooms from 13 to 19. Notably, the renovation will also feature a negative pressure room specifically for Infectious Diseases, designed for isolating potentially contagious patients. Additionally, there will be significant upgrades to patient comfort and safety, including the establishment of new reception areas and the redesign of waiting rooms. “With this innovative project for the Regina Margherita Children’s Hospital, we aim to provide young patients and their families with new, highly functional, welcoming and safe spaces. This environment is designed to foster advanced research and clinical progress, based on a multidisciplinary approach that is crucial for ensuring increasingly effective therapies. Central to this vision is the transformation of wards into true ‘places that heal,’ a core principle of ADISCO Section Piedmont’s commitment. We believe in the importance of the environment in the treatment process, and our focus is on promoting the overall well-being of children,” said Francesca Lavazza, President of ADISCO Section Piedmont O.D.V.
“The upgrade of the Multi-Specialist Paediatric Day Hospital is a crucial step in the evolution of paediatric care for increasingly complex conditions that require a highly specialised and personalised approach,” said Prof. Franca Fagioli, Director of the Department of Pathology and Child Care at the Regina Margherita Children’s Hospital. “Managing patients in a day hospital setting, which reduces hospitalisation time, is part of a care model that focuses on the humanisation of treatment. The goal is to enhance the experience for both the young patients and their families. This approach allows for targeted, timely care while minimising discomfort and disruption to the child’s daily life. At the same time, it fosters a welcoming environment that supports the emotional and physical well-being of the entire family.”
Fondazione Medicina a Misura di Donna for the Sant’Anna Hospital: a quantum leap for ‘precision’ gynaecological surgery and advanced training hub
The project for the Sant’Anna Hospital aims to strengthen a centre of excellence for gynaecological surgery, supported by an advanced training centre, with the goal of becoming a global leader in the field. State-of-the-art technology will be acquired, including a robotic platform for gynaecological surgery, new equipment for endoscopic surgery and gynaecological ultrasound, as well as an innovative system for managing and streaming audio-video information between operating theatres, lecture halls, the REC (Research and Educational Centre for Obstetrics and Gynaecology) simulation centre, and other national and international facilities. These new developments will allow Sant’Anna to increase its endoscopic gynaecological surgical activity by 40%, improving surgical precision while also cutting waiting lists and shortening post-operative hospitalisation times. This development will bring significant benefits in terms of safety, clinical outcomes, and economic impact. Robotic surgery, in particular, allows for operations to be performed on a microscopic scale with maximum precision, making it highly effective for optimising results in pelvic surgery.
With over 3,000 gynaecological operations performed annually and the REC advanced training centre, accredited by the European Society of Endoscopic Gynaecology, Sant’Anna has the necessary expertise and infrastructure to ensure the efficient use of the technological resources outlined in the project, both in terms of patient care and advanced training.
“The mission of the Medicina a Misura di Donna Foundation is to enhance the quality of care for women. One of our key goals is to equip Sant’Anna with cutting-edge technologies that align with its role as a centre of clinical excellence, innovation and training for future healthcare professionals. This technological leap forward in ‘precision’ gynaecological surgery will enable us to optimise both the clinical and organisational management of care for women dealing with complex oncological, uro-gynaecological and benign gynaecological conditions. Moreover, it will allow us to develop and validate innovative training programs in the field of endoscopic gynaecology, with a particular focus on robotics,” said Prof. Chiara Benedetto, President of the non-profit organisation Fondazione Medicina a Misura di Donna Onlus.