Skip to main content
  • The Weinmans opened their home to seven Weinman Fellows and their families so they could meet each other and welcome Dr. Jerris Hedges as JABSOM dean on April 18, 2008.

"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 Hawaiʻi," said Virginia Weinman.

Inspired by the success of their 2006 $1M donation 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 John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM). The Weinmans, in partnership with The Queen's Health Systems and Hawai‘i Pacific Health, are also currently supporting 23 students on full scholarship at JABSOM.

"We are honored to be able to assist in helping local students become medical doctors, which will help strengthen the medical profession in Hawai‘i," said Virginia Weinman. "There is an ongoing shortage of doctors in Hawai‘i and our contribution is a tool to help address this issue by recruiting and retaining future physicians."

Weinman continued, "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 Hawai‘i or practice in fields based on economic realities, rather than the community’s needs."

JABSOM Dean Dr. Jerris Hedges, Barry and Virginia Weinman Endowed Chair, added, “The path to becoming a physician is arduous. The personal investment of time and resources is significant. Providing aspiring public school students from Hawai‘i 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 Hawai‘i. This includes support for the UH Cancer Center, the Shidler College of Business, and UH Mānoa Athletics.

Tim Dolan, UH Vice President of Advancement and UH Foundation CEO said, "We are so grateful to the Weinmans for their deep commitment to the people of Hawai‘i." Dolan continued, "The Weinmans are incredibly generous, strategic philanthropic leaders who understand that UH is an economic driver integral to a healthy Hawai‘i. With every gift to our university, their impressive legacy of ensuring our future wellness grows."

Questions? / More Information

If you would like to learn how you can support UH students and programs like this, please contact us at 808 376-7800 or send us a message.

# # #

The John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa is one of the leading medical education institutions in the United States. For the last three years, JABSOM has ranked #1 in National Institutes of Health research awards among community-based public medical schools (i.e., public medical schools without a university hospital) and ranked #1 in the nation by the Association of American Medical Colleges in retention of combined MD and Resident alumni practicing in-state. www.jabsom.hawaii.edu

 

 

The University of Hawai‘i Foundation, a nonprofit organization, raises private funds to support the University of Hawai‘i System. The mission of the University of Hawai‘i Foundation is to unite donors’ passions with the University of Hawai‘i’s aspirations by raising philanthropic support and managing private investments to benefit UH, the people of Hawai‘i and our future generations. www.uhfoundation.org