Donors provide $4.1 million for new MRI at Maui Memorial
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Maui Health Foundation has secured $4.1 million from three donors to purchase and install a new MRI system at Maui Memorial Medical Center.
Installation of the Philips Ingenia Elition 3.0T system is expected to be completed by the end of summer 2027. A temporary mobile MRI unit will be available during the installation so diagnostic imaging can continue without interruption.
Ed Freedman's Stable Road Foundation contributed $2 million to establish a matching fund for the project. The Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation donated $500,000, and Maui residents Nan and Wayne Kocourek provided the remaining $1.6 million.
Maui Memorial performs more than 4,500 MRI examinations each year, and demand has increased 47% over the past five years, according to Maui Health Foundation. MRI services support emergency, stroke, cardiac, orthopedic, vascular and cancer care.
“Every MRI tells a story that can change a life,” said Melinda Sweany, chief philanthropy officer for Maui Health Foundation. “Whether it’s detecting cancer earlier, diagnosing a stroke faster, or helping a physician determine the best course of treatment, this technology will literally touch thousands of patients each year.”
The new system is designed to provide higher-quality images and perform examinations up to 50% faster than comparable Philips scans without its Compressed SENSE technology. It also has a wider opening, a comfort mattress and an audiovisual system intended to improve the patient experience.
"We are incredibly grateful to Ed Freedman's Stable Road Foundation, Nan and Wayne Kocourek and Oprah Winfrey, whose generosity made this project possible," Sweany said. “Their commitment to advancing healthcare on Maui demonstrates what is possible when philanthropy and community come together to invest in the health of our communities.”
Maui Health Foundation said it has raised more than $65 million during the past eight years to support medical care and health care professionals in Maui County.
The foundation supports the entire Maui Health system, which includes Maui Memorial Medical Center, Kula Hospital, Lanai Community Hospital and the Maui Lani Outpatient Clinic.
For more information, visit www.MauiHealth.org/Foundation.