Kona Hospital Foundation Donates More Than $1 million to Improve Patient Care in West Hawaii

KAILUA-KONA, Hawaiʻi — The Kona Hospital Foundation is proud to announce a donation of $1,046,356.60 to Kona Community Hospital for the purchase of new Philips patient monitors for the Emergency Department (ER), Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU).

This project was made possible through the extraordinary generosity of Marc and Lynne Benioff, whose leadership gift inspired this effort, along with the many individuals, families, and businesses throughout the Kona community whose donations helped make this investment a reality.

In 2023, Marc and Lynne Benioff made a transformational $1 million gift to the Kona Hospital Foundation. Over the past two years, that gift has funded critical medical equipment for departments throughout Kona Community Hospital, including Emergency Services, Surgical Services, Imaging & Diagnostics, Women's Health & Education, Rehabilitation & Mobility, and Respiratory Care.

When the need for new patient monitors arose, the Foundation was able to dedicate the remaining funds from the Benioff’s' gift to the project. Additional support from generous private donors in the Kona community completed the funding, making this important equipment possible.

This transformational gift will replace aging monitors that have served the hospital for more than a decade and ensure healthcare providers have access to the advanced technology they need to deliver exceptional patient care.

The new Philips monitoring system will provide caregivers with significantly enhanced capabilities, including 19-inch touchscreen displays and advanced 12-wave monitoring. This technology allows clinical teams to simultaneously monitor multiple aspects of a patient's condition, including airway status, vital signs, cardiac activity, fluid status, and medication response. The monitors also integrate directly with the hospital's electronic medical record system, allowing patient information to be documented accurately and efficiently.

"This is one of the most significant equipment donations in Kona Hospital Foundation's history," said Joei Feke, Executive Director of the Kona Hospital Foundation. "These monitors are essential tools used every day to care for patients during some of the most critical moments of their lives. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our donors, the Kona Community Hospital's physicians and nurses will have the technology they need to provide the highest level of care to our community."

"We are incredibly grateful to every donor who believes in our mission," Feke added. "Every gift, regardless of size, helped bring this project to life. This is a perfect example of what our community can accomplish when we come together to support our local hospital."

The Kona Hospital Foundation remains committed to funding critical equipment, technology, and programs that enrich the lives of patients and strengthen healthcare throughout our island community.

About Kona Hospital Foundation
The Kona Hospital Foundation is dedicated to Kona Community Hospital for the entire community. Through philanthropic support, the Kona Hospital Foundation funds medical technology, expanded services, and enhanced facilities that would otherwise be unavailable. It is the goal of the Foundation’s Board of Trustees and staff to achieve a state-of-the-art facility with comprehensive medical services that will enrich the lives of every member of the community today and into the future.