Amazon Founder, Jeff Bezos Makes Donation to Maui Hospital
Maui Memorial Medical Center today announced a donation from Amazon Founder and Executive Chair, Jeff Bezos. The donation will be used to expand the hospitalʻs Emergency Department. The amount is undisclosed and was received in full by MMMC, according to a Maui Health spokesperson.
Maui Health reports that patient traffic at Maui Memorial Medical Center’s Emergency Department has risen steadily every year and is expected to continue to grow as Maui’s population increases.
“To meet this demand, the Emergency Department must be ready 24/7 to care for patients who arrive with a wide range of emergent needs,” according to a press release announcement.
“We are grateful for the generosity of Jeff Bezos. His gift will benefit our Maui community and help serve its health needs,” said Maui Memorial Medical Center Chief Executive Officer, Michael Rembis.
Currently, more than 52,000 patients are treated at Maui Memorial Medical Center each year, making it the second busiest emergency department in the state. Nearly 1,000 of those patients require care from the Trauma Center— that’s an average of more than two trauma patients a day who arrive critically injured and require life-saving medical treatments.
“To provide the most sophisticated care available for its trauma patients,” Maui Memorial Medical Center has been working towards Level II verification from the American College of Surgeons. A Level II Trauma Center includes 24-hour immediate and dedicated coverage by general surgeons, as well as coverage for the specialties of orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, anesthesiology, emergency medicine, radiology and critical care—the services needed when a life is at stake and every minute counts.
Additionally, the Emergency Department systems have been updated to respond to critical and time-sensitive patient needs that can range from blood transfusions to cardiac intervention.
“To date, Maui Memorial Medical Center’s work towards the Level II certification has resulted in improved patient outcomes and a reduction in patient transfers off island—transfers that are tremendously expensive and disruptive to families,” according to Maui Health.
Since beginning this work, Maui Memorial Medical Center has seen a decrease in transfers from 124 patients in 2018 to just 25 in 2020.
“With the generous gift from Bezos, this work can continue, furthering Maui Memorial Medical Center’s vision of providing the highest level of care available anywhere, right here on Maui,” according to the announcement.
Bezos was in the news recently for his purchase of a 14-acre oceanfront estate on Maui at Keoneʻōʻio “La Pérouse” in the Mākena area of South Maui. The Maui Health donation is the latest among a list of contributions made by Bezos on Maui this year.
Other donations include:
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