The sign unveiling of the new Clarence T. C. Ching Heart Center at Straub Medical Center is the latest commitment by The Clarence T. C. Ching Foundation to support critical health care needs in Hawaii. The $4 million gift will fund the future renovation and expansion of two catheterization surgical suites. The suites are part of a $24 million overall renovation of Straub’s Heart Center.
“This generous donation by The Clarence T. C. Ching Foundation is an investment in the health and well-being of generations of families in Hawaii,” said Art Gladstone, chief executive officer of Straub Medical Center and Pali Momi Medical Center. “We are so thankful for this gift and truly understand the impact The Clarence T. C. Ching Foundation has on improving and supporting Hawaii for the greater good of our community. This funding will allow Straub to continue to provide state-of-the-art care in the islands for heart patients now and long into the future.”
This is the largest gift the Straub Foundation and the Foundations of Hawaii Pacific Health have ever received. In addition to Straub, Hawaii Pacific Health includes Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children, Pali Momi Medical Center and Wilcox Medical Center. All are not-for-profit medical centers that do not turn anyone away regardless of a patient’s ability to pay.
“We are pleased to provide the lead grant in this important project for Straub Medical Center,” said Jack Tsui, chairman of The Clarence T. C. Ching Foundation. “Among Mr. Ching’s visions were to provide for the needy, sick and aged in Hawaii. Expanding Straub’s Heart Center is a significant step in this direction.”
Straub is nationally recognized for its expertise in cardiac and vascular care, as well as patient safety and experience. The Straub Heart Center team is among the leaders in this specialty area, bringing together clinical expertise with cutting-edge technology to ensure Hawaii residents have access to the latest advancements. Most recently, Straub began a Structural Heart Program with the completion of a hybrid suite for cardiovascular procedures, which is also part of the newly-renovated heart center that is now named after Clarence T. C. Ching.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to work in The Clarence T. C. Ching Heart Center with the future expansion and renovation of our cardiac catheterization suites, in addition to our hybrid suite where our Structural Heart Program is thriving” said Dr. Roy Chen, medical director of the Hawaii Pacific Health Heart Centers. “We will continue to be able to perform leading-edge procedures, recruit some of the top specialists in our field and enable the exchange of ideas and opinions. Mr. Ching’s philanthropic legacy is helping Straub take heart care in Hawaii to the next level.”
As this gift reflects, the late Clarence T. C. Ching was always forward thinking as a developer, realtor, banker, affordable housing pioneer and philanthropist. He was born on Kauai in 1912. Clarence was well known for developing areas around Honolulu Airport, Salt Lake, Moanalua, Fort Shafter and Tripler. In 1970, he built Kukui Gardens, one of the largest affordable rental projects in the state, home to roughly 2,500 residents in 857 units on 22 acres in downtown Honolulu. In 2007, Kukui Gardens was sold to Carmel Partners and the State of Hawaii as part of a deal to maintain rents at existing levels through 2011 and then keep monthly rent affordable until 2062.
Straub raises funds through Straub Foundation to provide the people of Hawaii and the Pacific region with specialty medical care, lifesaving services, community outreach and education, and to further local research. For more information or to make an online donation to Straub, visit Give2Straub.org.
PHOTO CAPTION:
Standing left to right are Art Gladstone, CEO, Straub Medical Center and Pali Momi Medical Center; Ray Vara, CEO, Hawaii Pacific Health; Jack Tsui, Chairman, The Clarence T. C. Ching Foundation; Kenton Eldridge, Board Member, Straub Foundation; Ray Tam, Vice Chairman and Secretary, The Clarence T. C. Ching Foundation; Ken Okamoto, Trustee, The Clarence T. C. Ching Foundation; Cathy Ching, Trustee, The Clarence T. C. Ching Foundation; Dr. Jeremy Lum, Chief of Cardiology, Straub Medical Center; Bob Fujioka, Trustee, The Clarence T. C. Ching Foundation; and Tertia Freas, Executive Director, The Clarence T. C. Ching Foundation.
About Straub Medical Center
Founded in 1921, Straub Medical Center includes a 159-bed medical center in Honolulu, a network of neighborhood clinics and a visiting specialist program that reaches throughout the state of Hawaii. Straub has been recognized with numerous awards for quality, patient safety and experience, including the Healthgrades 2018 Outstanding Patient Experience Award. It also received an “A” in the Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades, and was the only hospital in Hawaii to receive a five-star rating from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. With over 400 physicians who are leaders in their fields, Straub provides its patients with diagnoses and treatments for more than 32 different medical specialties, including bone and joint, heart, cancer, endocrinology/diabetes, family medicine, gastroenterology, geriatric medicine, internal medicine, vascular and urology. Straub is home to the Pacific region’s only multidisciplinary burn treatment center. The hospital consistently brings new technologies and innovative medical practices to Hawaii, such as minimally invasive cardiac surgery and total joint replacement. Straub is an affiliate of Hawaii Pacific Health, one of the state’s largest health care providers and a not-for-profit health care system with over 70 locations statewide including medical centers, clinics, physicians and other caregivers serving Hawaii and the Pacific region with high quality, compassionate care. In addition to Straub, Hawaii Pacific Health includes Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children, Pali Momi Medical Center and Wilcox Medical Center. Learn more at StraubHealth.org.
About The Clarence T. C. Ching Foundation
The Clarence T. C. Ching Foundation, was officially established on August 8, 1967. Since then the Foundation has committed to donate more than $80 million to a number of educational and health institutions in the community. Today the Foundation continues to fulfill Mr. Ching’s vision of helping Hawaii’s needy, sick and aged. One of The Clarence T. C. Ching Foundation’s goals is to assist hospitals and other public charitable or educational institutions which qualify as and are treated as tax-exempt organizations, whether supported wholly or in part by private endowment or by donations by public taxation, with monetary contributions to defray the cost of operation and other proper expenses incurred by them.