“A doctor is one of the greatest assets in a community. Encouraging future physicians to stay in our Islands not only strengthens the medical profession and quality of care, it helps improve the quality of life in Â鶹´«Ã½.” —Virginia Weinman
Inspired by the success of their $1 million donation in 2006 establishing the Barry and Virginia Weinman Fellowship to fund 10 medical students¡¯ educations, renowned philanthropists Barry and Virginia Weinman recently donated $1.56 million. This new gift will fund 10 full-tuition scholarships at the University of Â鶹´«Ã½ at ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ (JABSOM). The Weinmans, in partnership with The Queen’s Health Systems and Â鶹´«Ã½ Pacific Health, are also currently at JABSOM.
- Related UH News story: Community partners donate $3.66 million for 23 “full-tuition” JABSOM scholarships [VIDEO], July 19, 2018
“We are honored to be able to assist in helping local students become medical doctors, which will help strengthen the medical profession in Â鶹´«Ã½,” said Virginia Weinman. “There is an ongoing shortage of doctors in Â鶹´«Ã½ and our contribution is a tool to help address this issue by recruiting and retaining future physicians.”
Weinman added, “With rising tuition and other costs, medical students can be facing a huge burden of debt upon graduation. They then encounter skyrocketing malpractice insurance premiums in many needed specialties. This encourages them to leave Â鶹´«Ã½ or practice in fields based on economic realities, rather than the community¡¯s needs.”
JABSOM Dean Jerris Hedges, Barry and Virginia Weinman Endowed Chair, said, “The path to becoming a physician is arduous. The personal investment of time and resources is significant. Providing aspiring public school students from Â鶹´«Ã½ with financial support through these Weinman Scholarships represents a major commitment to easing the path to and through medical school.”
Since 2001, Barry and Virginia Weinman have personally invested more than $6.5 million to support the University of Â鶹´«Ã½. This includes support for the , the and .
“We are so grateful to the Weinmans for their deep commitment to the people of Â鶹´«Ã½,” said UH Vice President of Advancement and CEO Tim Dolan. “The Weinmans are incredibly generous, strategic philanthropic leaders who understand that UH is an economic driver integral to a healthy Â鶹´«Ã½. With every gift to our university, their impressive legacy of ensuring our future wellness grows.”