Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan have donated $1.8 million to the Wilcox Medical Center for technology upgrades, officials with the Kauai hospital announced Tuesday.
The funds will be used to help Wilcox upgrade one of its two computed tomography, or CT, machines. The new CT scanner will replace an existing model installed in 1999.
The new CT scanner, which will be equipped with advanced features and reliability, will help to detect and monitor diseases and conditions like cancer and heart disease, and diagnose muscle and bone disorders, like fractures and bone tumors.
Zuckerberg and Chan donated $1.8 million — their fourth gift to Wilcox — to help the medical center reach its $4 million goal to fund the project.
Past contributions made by the pair have gone toward supporting telemedicine initiatives, Covid-19 relief efforts and the renovation of the Wilcox Emergency Department and Trauma Center, according to officials.
“We are extremely grateful to Dr. Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg for their dedication to the health care of the people on Kauai,” said Jen Chahanovich, president and CEO of Wilcox Medical Center and CEO of Kauai Medical Clinic, in a statement. “Medicine is a progressive field, and equipment upgrades like this one allow us to continue to deliver the highest quality of care. It’s so inspiring to see community members like Priscilla and Mark give so generously.”
Wilcox currently averages 11,000 imaging scans annually, and this upgrade will expand scheduling options. The new CT will support emergency and trauma cases with quickly produced high-quality images. It also requires a lower dose of radiation and is equipped with faster software capable of reconstructing and reformatting images post-scanning.
“Access to the latest medical technology is so important when ensuring the health of the community,” Chan said in a statement. “Mark and I are deeply appreciative for the care that Wilcox Medical Center provides Kauai, and we’re honored to assist them in securing a new CT scanner.”
