The Hellenic Cystic Fibrosis Association (HCFA) is a non-profit association of patients. It was founded in 1983 in Athens and represents Cystic Fibrosis patients and their families nationwide.
It is one of the oldest patient associations in Greece. During its 40 years of operation, HCFA has managed to change the “map” of Cystic Fibrosis in Greece. Through the collective effort of all its members, it improves the quality of life of patients and ensures their active participation in decisions and actions concerning their health and rights.
The Association is registered in the Greek National Registry of Non- Profit Private Sector Social Care Agency and in the Greek Registry of Voluntary Non- Governmental Organizations (NGOs).
The Association is a founding member of the Greek Patients Association and the Rare Diseases Greece (RDG) and it’s a member and representative of Greek CF community in European organizations.
Members of the Board of Directors
Anna Spinou
President
Anna Spinou
President of the Hellenic Cystic Fibrosis Association
Anna Spinou is a patient with Cystic Fibrosis. She was diagnosed at the age of six months and is being monitored in the Adult CF Unit of Sismanioglio Hospital.
She is a graduate of the Department of Organization & Business Administration of the Athens University of Economics and Business Administration and holds the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English and Sorbonne II diplomas. She is a public pensioner after 15 years of service in the Administrative Department of the Attikon University General Hospital in Athens.
She is committed to the values of the Association, as her father was one of the 24 founding members of the Hellenic Cystic Fibrosis Association. She has served as President of the Hellenic Association since 2018, and as a Board Member of the Eurordis- Rare Diseases Europe since May 2023. She is a patient expert, graduating from the European Patients' Academy European Patients' Academy (EUPATI) fellow.
She has previously served as:
- President and Member of the Board of Directors of the Rare Diseases Greece for the period 2021-2023
- Secretary General of the Hellenic Federation of Rare Disease Associations (EOS-SPANOPA) during the period 2017-2019
- General Secretary of the Hellenic Cystic Fibrosis Association during the period 2015-2017
- Member of the Board of Directors of the Hellenic Cystic Fibrosis Association during the period 2003- 2005
Representing Cystic Fibrosis patients in Greece, she participates in working groups and meetings of the European organizations CF Europe, Eurordis, ELF, ESOT-ETPO (European Transplant Patient Organisations).
Through her personal experience as a patient and her many years of participation in the Boards of Directors of patient associations as a recognized patient expert, combined with her knowledge as a former health care worker, she has an excellent knowledge of the issues concerning patients with Cystic Fibrosis and patients with rare diseases.
Irene Katsini
Vice President
Irene Katsini
Vice President of the Hellenic Cystic Fibrosis Association
Irini Katsini suffers from Cystic Fibrosis and is being monitored in the CF Unit of the Sismanoglio Hospital.
She graduated from the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens with a degree in Psychiatry at the Aegineteion Hospital in 2017. She holds the Michigan Certificate of Proficiency in English. Since 2018 she has been working as a Secondary Psychiatric Attending at the Adult Psychiatric Department of the Asclepion Voula General Hospital.
She is a member of the Panhellenic Cystic Fibrosis Association since 1999, actively participating in the activities of the Association. Since 2021 she has been elected Vice President of the Association, bringing her knowledge and experience in improving the mental health of CF patients and their caregivers.
Constantina Giannaki
Secretary General
Constantina Giannaki
General Secretary of the Hellenic Cystic Fibrosis Association
Konstantina Giannaki is the mother of a boy who suffers from Cystic Fibrosis and is being treated at the CF Department of the Aghia Sophia Children's Hospital.
She studied Marketing at Deree College and holds a Michigan Certificate of Proficiency in English. She works at the Hellenic American Union.
She is a member of the Hellenic Cystic Fibrosis Association since 2016. Since 2019 she has been offering her services to the Board of Directors, having taken over the secretarial support of the Association. Since 2021, she has been elected General Secretary of the Association, providing important services in promoting the activities of the Association.
Nadia Proga
Treasurer
Nadia Proga
Treasurer of the Hellenic Cystic Fibrosis Association
Nadia Proga is a mother of two children suffering from Cystic Fibrosis and is being treated at the CF Department of the Aghia Sophia Children's Hospital.
She has studied graphic design and holds a Lower Certificate in English, and runs a business in the centre of Athens.
She actively participates in the promotion of the objectives of the Hellenic Cystic Fibrosis Association and since 2013 she has been the Treasurer of the Association, offering services in the handling of the procedures of the financial department.
Maria Paliou
Deputy Secretary
Maria Paliou
Deputy Secretary of the Hellenic Cystic Fibrosis Association
Maria Paliou suffers from Cystic Fibrosis and is being monitored in the Adult CF Unit of the Cismanoglio Hospital. She lives in Athens and is the mother of a son.
She has been an active member of the Association for over a decade and has done important work for patients, along with her late brother Vassilis Palios, who was the Secretary General of the Association until 2021.
She has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Hellenic Cystic Fibrosis Association from 2012 to 2015. From 2021 she is Deputy Secretary of the Association.
Christos Bakodimos
Rev. Treasurer
Christos Bakodimos
Deputy Treasurer of the Hellenic Cystic Fibrosis Association
Christos Bakodimos is the father of a boy who suffers from Cystic Fibrosis and is being treated in the CF department of the Aghia Sophia Children's Hospital.
He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Hellenic Cystic Fibrosis Association since 2018, actively participating in all the activities of the Association and supporting the work of the Association. Since 2021 he has served as Deputy Treasurer of the Association.
Roula Johnou
Member of the Board of Directors
Roula Johnou
Member of the Board of Directors of the Hellenic Cystic Fibrosis Association
Roula Tzonou lives in Thessaloniki. She has a son, who suffers from Cystic Fibrosis and is being treated at the CF Department of the Hippocratic Hospital of Thessaloniki.
She has served as President of the "Association of Parents and Guardians of Children with Fibrous Cystic Fibrosis in Northern Greece" based in Thessaloniki from 2014 to 2017. In cooperation with the Hellenic Cystic Fibrosis Association, she organized informative events, conferences and actions in Thessaloniki to inform patients and raise public awareness about the disease.
Since 2017, when the Parents and Guardians Association of Northern Greece merged with the Hellenic Cystic Fibrosis Association in order to have a unified, multifaceted and nationwide representation of CF patients in our country, she is a member of the Board of Directors of the Association.
Our Partners
Stavroula Rakitzi
Psychologist- Head of psychotherapy groups
Stavroula Rakitzi
Psychologist- Volunteer Coordinator of Psychotherapy Groups K.I.
Dr. Dipl.-Psych. Stavroula Rakitzi is a licensed psychologist. She studied psychology at the Georg August University of Göttingen in Germany, where she specialized in Clinical Psychology. She holds the European Diploma of Psychology. He was trained in Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy in Athens at the Institute for Behavioural Research and Therapy according to the criteria of the European Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Therapies. She completed her doctoral studies at the University of Koblenz-Landau in Germany in Clinical Psychology and Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy.
She has been working as a psychologist since 2001 and as a freelancer since 2003. She is a trainer and supervisor of cognitive behavioral psychotherapy in her private practice. She is in charge of research protocols on the effectiveness of combining pharmacotherapy and specialized psychotherapy for patients with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia in her private practice.
She has participated as a speaker in national and international conferences. He is the author of articles and books. He is a member of the Hellenic Society for Behavioral Research and Therapy (www.eees.gr), the Association of German-speaking Psychologists BDP (www.bdp.org) and the American Psychological Association (APA).
Since 2022 Stavroula Rakitsi has been volunteering to coordinate the cognitive behavioural psychotherapy groups of the Panhellenic Cystic Fibrosis Association for Cystic Fibrosis patients and caregivers.
Eleni Atsave
Psychologist - Support Line Manager
Eleni Atsave
Psychologist of the "Unlimited Breath" Helpline
Eleni Atsave is a licensed Psychologist, who conducts individual sessions for adults. She studied Psychology at the University of East London, UK. She graduated from the Department of Philosophy, Pedagogy and Psychology of the University of Ioannina and completed her postgraduate studies in Health Education and Health Promotion at the Medical School of the University of Athens. She has received further training in Systemic Counselling. Her thesis was on the mental resilience of caregivers of patients with chronic disease.
She is the creator and scientific manager of the Facebook page "Mental Resilience" where she has 2,500 active members and organizes workshops and psychoeducational seminars on the positive implications of mental resilience in the difficulties and challenges that modern man faces every day. In recent years she has been working privately, while she has collaborated with various NGOs and private centres as a psychologist and scientific collaborator, designing and implementing seminars for vulnerable groups.
From April 2024, Eleni Atsavé will offer counselling, empowerment and psychosocial support services at the Cystic Fibrosis Helpline "Unlimited Breath".
Eleni Saltouridou
Social Worker Helpline K.I.
Eleni Saltouridou
Social Worker of the "Unlimited Breath" Helpline
Eleni Saltouridou is a licensed Social Worker and an active member of the Association of Social Workers of Greece. She studied Social Work at the Democritus University of Thrace.
Her work experience started in 2017 in camps with refugee population in Northern Greece being on the front line of reception. Since 2019, the population she worked with was mainly unaccompanied minors and people with special needs. She has worked in the Direct Access Care of O.KA.NA. providing counselling, empowerment services, therapeutic groups, accompaniment, etc. She is currently working as an external collaborator in a Municipality for children and their families, while during the years of her professional career so far, she has worked with various NGOs and Organizations both in Thessaloniki and in Athens.
From April 2024 Eleni Saltouridou offers counselling, empowerment and psychosocial support services at the Cystic Fibrosis Helpline "Unlimited Breath".
Dionysis Chionis
Legal Advisor
Dionysis Chionis
Legal Advisor
Dionysis Chionis is a lawyer before the Supreme Court, a graduate of the Law School of the University of Athens with a postgraduate degree in Criminal Sciences (specialization in Criminology) from the same School. In addition to practicing law, he collaborates with the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Lifelong Learning Center) as a Lecturer-Author and Instructor in Criminology training programs, and is President and founding member of the Center for the Study of Crime. He is a scientific collaborator of the publishing house "Nomiki Bibliothiki" and the legal information technology company "Nomotelia".
He has been a scientific collaborator of the Laboratory of Criminal and Criminological Research of the Law School of the University of Athens, a legal advisor of the NGO "Epanodosis" for the social reintegration of released prisoners, as well as a member of the Board of Directors of the NGO.P.I.D. "Research Centre for Equality Issues", Associate Professor of Criminology at the Academy of Officers of the Hellenic Police and regular professor of law courses at I.E.K.
He has participated in forensic research projects of the University of Athens and has taken part as a national expert in research projects and projects of the European Commission and the Council of Europe.
His articles and studies have been published in Greek and international scientific journals, he has participated as an author in collective works on criminal law and criminology and has presented numerous papers at scientific conferences.
Scientific Committee
The Panhellenic Cystic Fibrosis Association is supported by a Scientific Committee, which consists of scientists specialized in Cystic Fibrosis from all hospitals in Greece, where patients are monitored and treated.
The mission of the Scientific Committee is to support and advise the Board of Directors on medical and other related issues, aiming at the scientific establishment and medical documentation of the positions and actions of the Association.
- Diamantea Filia, Pulmonologist, Head of the Cystic Fibrosis Unit for Adults, Sismanoglio General Hospital, Athens
- Manika Aikaterini, Associate Professor of Pulmonology and Pneumology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Head of adult Cystic Fibrosis Centre, Pulmonology Clinic of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, General Hospital "G. Papanikolaou", Thessaloniki
- Loukou Ioanna, MD, MSc, PhD, Pediatrician-Pediatric Pulmonologist, Head of Cystic Fibrosis Center, Aghia Sophia Children's Hospital, Athens
- Petrochilou Argyri, Pediatrician - Pediatric Pulmonologist, Cystic Fibrosis Center, Aghia Sophia Children's Hospital, Athens
- Hatziagorou Elpida, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Pediatric Pediatric Pulmonology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Head of Cystic Fibrosis Center, 3rd Pediatric Clinic, General Hospital "Hippokratio", Thessaloniki
- Tsanakas Ioannis, Professor Emeritus of Pediatric Pulmonology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Coordinator of the Working Group of Greek National CF Patients' Registry
- Fotoulaki Maria, MD, PhD, Professor of Pediatrics and Pediatric Gastroenterology, Director of the 4th Pediatric Clinic, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, "Papageorgiou" Hospital, Thessaloniki, Head of the Cystic Fibrosis Unit of the Interdisciplinary Cystic Fibrosis Center of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
- Konstantinos Bolis, Coordinating Director of the Pediatric, Head of the Pediatric CF Unit, University General Hospital of Patras
- Pitsidianakis Georgios, Director Pulmonology Department, Head of the CF adult Unit, University General Hospital of Heraklion, Crete
- Karetsi Eleni, Pulmonologist, Director of Pulmonology Clinic of the University of Thessaly, Head of the CF Adult Unit, University General Hospital of Larissa