$770K Raised For New Maui Chest Pain Center

Photo courtesy: Maui Health Foundation.

Maui Health Foundation’s annual fundraiser “An Evening at Spago” raised more than $770,000 last month for Hawaiʻi’s very first American Heart Association (AHA) Certified Chest Pain Center at the Maui Memorial Medical Center (MMMC).

“We see about 14 to 18 patients with chest or heart pain per day in Maui Memorial’s Emergency Department,” said Dr. Lee Weiss, Medical Director and Chairman of MMMC’s Emergency Department. 

“A center like this is critical for saving lives.”

According to the Maui Health Foundation, the Chest Pain Center aims to reduce the time it takes for a patient experiencing symptoms of a possible heart attack to see a physician. It also provides a specialized observation setting that helps ensure patients are not sent home too early, or needlessly admitted to the hospital. 

A Chest Pain Center accreditation from the AHA is “an elite mark of excellence for the care of acute coronary syndrome patients. A hospital with an accredited Chest Pain Center meets or exceeds quality-of-care measures for treating acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients across the continuum of care – from the onset of the patient’s symptoms through discharge from the hospital,” a press release read.

Accredited Chest Pain Centers undergo a rigorous evaluation process based on their ability to asses, diagnose, and treat patients quickly and effectively.

“With our surgeons, cardiologists, and interventional cardiologists like Dr. Colin Lee and his team, we are truly standing on the shoulders of greatness,” Weiss added. 

“We will be leveraging the extraordinary talents of our physicians and staff to provide extraordinary care to our community.”

The Chest Pain Center is estimated to cost approximately $1.5 million and could open within 18 to 24 months.

“We’re so grateful for our Foundation members, community partners, and team for their dedication to advancing healthcare on Maui,” Maui Health Board president Tamar Goodfellow said. 

“Because of their commitment and generosity, we’re halfway to our goal of opening the first AHA Chest Pain Center in the entire state of Hawaii.”

The annual fundraiser event, generously underwritten for the 9th year in a row by Wolfgang Puck and Spago Maui, featured a four-course dinner, live auction, and fund-a–need paddle raise.