HONOLULU, HI, May 19, 2026 — Kaiser Permanente Hawaii today announced that The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust awarded a $5 million grant in support of the Kaiser Permanente Hawaii Cancer Center, currently under construction at Moanalua Medical Center. The grant will provide significant funding for infusion bays and patient care areas within a new, expanded hematology and medical oncology wing.
When complete, the 12,500-square-foot cancer center will be nearly triple the size of the existing space, featuring abundant natural light, views of the renovated healing courtyard garden, larger patient rooms and infusion bays, and seamless access to clinic, laboratory, and pharmacy services. The center is designed to serve Kaiser Permanente members across Hawaii, including those traveling from neighbor islands to receive specialized cancer care at Moanalua Medical Center. The Helmsley Charitable Trust grant will directly support the infusion bays and patient care areas at the heart of the new cancer center, spaces where patients undergoing complex cancer treatment will spend significant time with their care teams and loved ones.
“This grant from The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust is a tremendous gift to the patients we serve,” said Ed Chan, MHA, RD, FACHE, President, Hawaii Market Kaiser Foundation Health Plan & Hospitals. “It will help us create infusion and care spaces where patients feel genuinely supported, not just treated. Our members deserve an environment where they and their families can focus on healing, and this investment makes that possible.”
Approximately 1,400 Kaiser Permanente Hawaii members are diagnosed with cancer each year. Compared to non-members, these members are 20% less likely to lose years of life due to cancer and have higher survival rates for major cancers than national averages reported by SEER. The $5 million grant from the Helmsley Charitable Trust will help Kaiser Permanente continue providing compassionate, high-quality cancer care, reflecting a shared commitment to ensuring every patient has access to care in a comfortable, healing environment.
“We are proud to support Kaiser Permanente Hawaii in creating a cancer care environment that reflects the full needs of patients and their families,” said Walter Panzirer, a Trustee of the Helmsley Charitable Trust. “Access to high-quality cancer care close to home is critically important, allowing patients to remain near their support systems while undergoing treatment. Thoughtfully designed infusion and care spaces can make a meaningful difference in how patients experience that care, offering comfort, dignity, and connection.”
Moanalua Medical Center is accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer and has been named one of America’s Best Hospitals for cancer care by the Women’s Choice Award for eight consecutive years. U.S. News & World Report has rated Moanalua Medical Center High Performing in six key areas, including colon cancer surgery. Kaiser Permanente Hawaii’s outpatient oncology practices are also certified through the Quality Oncology Practice Initiative (QOPI), one of only two practices in the state with this distinction.
Construction on the Cancer Center is ongoing, with an opening planned for late 2027.
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About Kaiser Permanente Hawaii
Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.6 million members in 9 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health. For more information, go to about.kp.org.
About The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust
The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust aspires to improve lives by supporting exceptional efforts in the U.S. and around the world in health and select place-based initiatives. Since beginning active grantmaking in 2008, Helmsley has granted more than $4.5 billion for a wide range of charitable purposes. Helmsley’s Rural Healthcare Program funds innovative projects that use information technologies to connect rural patients to emergency medical care, bring the latest medical therapies to patients in remote areas, and provide state-of-the-art training for rural hospitals and EMS personnel. To date, this program has awarded more than $900 million to organizations and initiatives in the states of Hawaii, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, and two U.S. Pacific territories, American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. For more information, visit www.helmsleytrust.org.
