HONOLULU (February 25, 2025) – Navian Hawaii, a trusted nonprofit providing hospice and palliative care, has received a transformational $4.3 million gift from the Weinman Foundation, a philanthropic leader in medical research and care. This landmark donation will allow Navian Hawaii to expand its residential care offerings, ensuring more patients have access to home-like environments when remaining in their own homes is not possible.

“At Navian Hawaii, we believe that every person deserves dignity, comfort, and peace in their final days,” said Dan Haire, President and CEO of Navian Hawaii. “The Weinman Foundation’s generosity will allow us to grow our in-patient presence, ensuring that even those who cannot remain in their own homes receive compassionate, high-quality care in a setting that feels like home.”

Expanding In-Patient Care to Serve More Families

Navian Hawaii currently provides comprehensive hospice and palliative care in a variety of settings, including:

  • patients’ own homes, allowing them to receive care in a familiar and comforting environment;
  • nursing homes and care facilities, ensuring continuity of care for residents; and
  • Navian Hawaii’s Kailua Home, a dedicated in-patient hospice residence for those requiring higher levels of support.

While many patients prefer to receive care at home, some require additional medical attention or caregiver respite. This donation will expand access to in-patient care, ensuring that more families have a dedicated space where their loved ones can receive expert support and compassionate care in a home-like setting.

A Legacy of Generosity

The Weinman Foundation’s gift was inspired by a deeply personal connection to Navian Hawaii. Virginia Weinman, co-founder of the foundation, received care from Navian before passing away in 2023. Her husband, the late Barry Weinman, was profoundly moved by the care and support she received. Wanting others to have the same peace of mind, he made it his mission to ensure more patients could access high-quality end-of-life care without financial barriers. Barry passed away just nine months later, but his and Virginia’s legacy of generosity lives on through this gift.

The Weinmans’ philanthropic impact extends far beyond hospice care. As founders of the Weinman Foundation, they have transformed Hawaii’s medical and academic landscape, including:

  • Providing full medical school scholarships for 36 aspiring physicians
  • Establishing the Weinman Dean’s Chair at the John A. Burns School of Medicine
  • Hosting the Weinman Symposium for 16 years, bringing together international experts in science and medicine to tackle critical challenges in cancer research.

In recognition of their contributions, Barry and Virginia Weinman were named Navian Hawaii’s 2024 Philanthropists of the Year at the organization’s Na Hoa Malama gala.

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About Navian Hawaii

Originally established in 1979 as Hospice Hawaii, Navian Hawaii works to provide care for every life journey for patients of all ages. The non-profit organization offers Palliative Care for those with serious but treatable illnesses, and Hospice Care for those near their journey’s end. In line with its mission to bring hope, reduce fears, and impact lives, Navian Hawaii is comprised of an interdisciplinary team of professionals and trained volunteers who meet the physical, emotional, psychosocial, and spiritual needs of patients and families in the comfort of their own home or any location they call home, including the Navian Hawaii Kailua Hospice Home. For more information, visit NavianHawaii.org.