The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust is providing more than $2.2 million to support medical education and research initiatives in Hawaiʻi. The funding to the University of Hawaiʻi will be used to upgrade clinical training equipment at the John A. Burns School of Medicine and to support start-up costs for the UH Cancer Center’s Hoʻōla Early Phase Clinical Research Center. The projects are intended to expand local training opportunities and support clinical research within the state rather than requiring participation on the mainland.
The UH Foundation said the funding consists of two separate awards, each slightly over $1 million, for a combined total exceeding $2.2 million. In the announcement, Helmsley trustee Walter Panzirer stated that the trust aims to support efforts to reduce barriers to care, particularly in geographically isolated communities.
Hoʻōla Early Phase Clinical Research Center Will Bring Trials Home
One of the awards will support start-up costs for the Hoʻōla Early Phase Clinical Research Center at the UH Cancer Center, which is scheduled to open in March 2026 on the UH Kakaʻako campus. Once operational, the center will allow local patients to enroll in early-stage oncology trials in Hawaiʻi rather than traveling to the U.S. mainland, reducing travel-related financial and logistical barriers. University of Hawaiʻi reported that Cancer Center director Naoto T. Ueno said the Helmsley funding will help accelerate the center’s launch and strengthen Hawaiʻi’s capacity for cancer research.
Simulation Upgrades Expand Training Across The Islands
A separate grant to the John A. Burns School of Medicine is focused on clinical training. The funding will be used to purchase Anatomage virtual dissection tables, portable ultrasound machines, and advanced procedural models to support hands-on instruction for students, residents, and practicing clinicians on Oʻahu and the neighbor islands. The University of Hawaiʻi stated that JABSOM Dean Sam Shomaker said the investment is intended to support physician training aligned with Hawaiʻi’s healthcare needs.
Helmsley’s Rural-Health Strategy Extends Into Hawaiʻi
The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust has previously supported healthcare initiatives in remote and rural communities. Its Rural Healthcare Program has funded equipment, telehealth services, and workforce training in several states and Pacific islands, including prior investments in Hawaiʻi. The trust said this ongoing focus on expanding access to diagnostics and services in underserved areas provides context for the latest round of support.
What This Means For Patients And Trainees
The UH Cancer Center is the state’s only National Cancer Institute–designated cancer center and serves a diverse patient population. Local access to early-phase clinical trials may reduce the need for travel related to care. Resources associated with the Helmsley awards are intended to support expanded research tailored to Hawaiʻi’s communities and to strengthen training for clinicians serving rural and neighbor island patients.
