A Legacy of Visionary Care
Since 1938, Wilcox Medical Center has served the people of Kauaʻi with a longstanding commitment to compassionate care, medical innovation, and community health. Today, we continue to build on this legacy by providing advanced services to support the residents, families, and visitors of our island community.
Rooted in Community Health
George Norton Wilcox and Dora Isenberg were among the first to envision a community hospital with a medical staff open to all eligible physicians on Kauaʻi.
They achieved their goal on Nov. 1, 1938, with the official dedication of a T-shaped, two-story building. It was built at a cost of $200,000 on 17 acres of land donated by the Līhuʻe Plantation.
When the dedication ceremony was held, more than 1,000 residents attended.
Fifteen days later, the new 96-bed hospital accepted its first patients with a medical staff of 17 physicians and 50 employees. In its first year of operation, Wilcox provided more than 10,000 patient days of care – 75% of it for plantation employees.
George Norton Wilcox
Advancing Care for the Future
Today, Wilcox offers the latest in breast cancer detection technology, X-ray imaging, and an infusion center for patients receiving chemotherapy treatments, palliative care, blood/platelet transfusions, IV infusions, and phlebotomy.
With a proud history of innovation and compassionate care, Wilcox continues its commitment to creating a healthier Hawaiʻi for generations to come.
A Tradition of Medical Firsts
Over the years, Wilcox Medical Center has introduced many innovative services to the Kauaʻi community.
- In 1950, the hospital successfully pioneered an X-ray program in Hawaiʻi for early identification of tuberculosis.
- In 1968, Wilcox pharmacist Betty Bell introduced an innovative unit dose system of distribution, improving to a safer and more efficient delivery of patient medication. The system was recognized nationally and used as a guide by other Hawaiʻi hospitals.
- Our 18-bed emergency department is the first neighbor island facility to obtain a Level III Trauma designation.
- Wilcox Medical Center is the first and only American College of Surgeons (ACS) Verified Level III Trauma Center in the state of Hawaiʻi.
- Wilcox also serves as the island’s Primary Stroke Center.
From Our Archives
See how Wilcox Medical Center has grown through the years, from the opening of the two-story community hospital in 1938 to our medical center campus today.
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Dora Isenberg (right) attends the blessing ceremony of the original Wilcox Hospital in 1938.
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The original Wilcox Hospital building in 1939.
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A few years after its opening, the exterior of Wilcox Hospital was camouflaged following the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. Wilcox would assist the Red Cross Civil Defense and U.S. Army during World War II.
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The entrance to Wilcox Hospital in 1963.
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Wilcox continued to expand to meet the needs of the Kauaʻi community, including the addition of Kauaʻi Medical Clinic in 1967 and a new acute care tower in 1971 to accommodate a growth in services and a rising island population.
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Wilcox Medical Center and Kauaʻi Medical Clinic in 2023.