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The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust has donated over $10.6 million to help the Kauai Veterans Memorial Hospital expand and develop its
The donation was announced Tuesday at a ceremony at the hospital that was attended by Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke, House Speaker
Nadine Nakamura and state Rep. Dee Morikawa. The Helmsley Charitable Trust is also donating an additional $631,000 to KVMH to help the hospital expand simulation health care training, it was announced.
“Access to timely, state-of-the-art diagnostic modalities such as MRI in Neighbor Island communities is crucial to our rural safety net healthcare system in Hawaii,” Gov. Josh Green said in a news release. “The generosity of the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust enhances KVMH’s ability to deliver premier care to the people of Kauai County. We are humbled and honored by this gift.”
Magnetic resonance imaging machines produce detailed images of the internal structures of the human body using magnetic and radio waves. The scans can help clinicians detect aneurysms, stroke, multiple sclerosis, tumors, brain injuries and other conditions, officials said.
“Thanks to the generous support of the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, access to MRI services will be expanded for Kauai, bringing care closer to home for our residents,” said Lance Segawa, Hawaii Health Systems Corp. Kauai Region CEO. “This investment helps reduce the need for patients to travel to Oahu for imaging, easing both the financial and emotional burden that such trips often place on individuals and families. It is a meaningful step toward strengthening local healthcare and ensuring our community receives timely, compassionate care it deserves.”
Hospital officials said the new MRI suite will introduce advanced breast imaging services to Kauai, improving early cancer detection. The machine’s design will also improve the comfort for bariatric, claustrophobic, and pediatric patients who may need accommodations currently unavailable on Kauai, they said.
“Your zip code should not determine your health outcomes, and Kauai residents should be able to access the same life-saving diagnostic technology available to those living in urban centers,” Walter Panzirer, a trustee of the Helmsley Charitable Trust, said in the news release. “The Helmsley Charitable Trust is excited to help Kauai Veterans Memorial Hospital provide this crucial care to residents closer to their homes.”
The new MRI suite will be near KVMH’s current imaging space, lessen the need for off-island transport, reduce backlogs, and improve patient comfort, hospital
officials said.
The Simulation Learning Lab, which was dedicated a few weeks ago, will serve as a dedicated space offering accessible educational resources for medical providers, clinical and nonclinical staff, nursing students and high school students aspiring to enter the health care field.
