$3M Gift Creates Emergency Patient Area Named for Walter and Shirley Wang
Treatment Area Established in Honor of Longtime Supporters, Walter and Shirley Wang, to Boost Critical Care in the Emergency Department
A new, 14-bed unit in Cedars-Sinai’s Department of Emergency Medicine has been established in honor of longtime supporters Walter and Shirley Wang. The Wangs’ generous $3 million gift created the Walter and Shirley Wang Treatment Area East, where physicians and nurses will provide care to patients experiencing potentially serious—but not acutely life-threatening—traumas or illnesses.
The Walter and Shirley Wang Treatment Area East will feature private rooms with specialized equipment to help patients with medical emergencies ranging from infectious illnesses, gynecological concerns and ophthalmologic disorders to ear, nose and throat-related traumas.
“This treatment area provides the resources and accommodations to care for a significant group of patients in the Emergency Department,” said Sam Torbati, MD, co-chair and medical director of the Department of Emergency Medicine and the Levin/Gordon Chair in Emergency Medicine in honor of Joel M. Geiderman, MD. “That significantly widens the breadth of care we’re able to provide in one of the most critical patient areas. We are so grateful to the Wangs for their generosity.”
The Wangs have supported numerous Cedars-Sinai programs, including COVID-19 initiatives, such as providing face shields that were a critical need at the dawn of the pandemic. They also established the Walter and Shirley Wang Chair in Pediatric Surgery, held by Andrew Freedman, MD. The couple began their longstanding partnership with Cedars-Sinai through a friendship with former Wang chairholder Steve Chen, MD, a pediatric surgeon in the Department of General Surgery.
The Wangs were the guests of honor at a luncheon hosted by Cedars-Sinai to recognize their generous contribution to the Emergency Department. “It’s a genuine honor for Walter and me to contribute to this cause, ensuring that the Emergency Department has the resources necessary to deliver the outstanding and leading-edge healthcare that Cedars-Sinai is known for—at any hour of the day or night,” said Shirley Wang.
Globally, the Wang family is recognized for supporting public health, educational and environmental causes—and the family’s commitment to healthcare is generational. Mr. Wang’s father, Yung-Ching Wang, founded the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital system, one of the largest and most technologically advanced health networks in Taiwan. The Wangs’ commitment to worldwide philanthropic causes is aligned with Cedars-Sinai’s mission to advance medicine and healthcare around the world.
“Cedars-Sinai’s relationship with the Wangs began 21 years ago, and since that time, so much important work has been done in Shirley’s and Walter’s names,” said Arthur J. Ochoa, JD, senior vice president of Advancement and chief advancement officer at Cedars-Sinai. “It’s a beautiful reflection of who they are—a loving and visionary couple who really devote their lives to the wellbeing of others.”
Thomas M. Priselac, president and CEO of Cedars-Sinai, and the Warschaw Law Chair in Healthcare Leadership, said of the Wangs, “The difference you are making around the world—here in America, in Taiwan and across Africa—is an inspiration to so many of us. Cedars-Sinai has many priorities, but none more important than the Emergency Department. The essence of Cedars-Sinai is represented by the Emergency Department, and the Wang family has never wavered from their conviction to contribute to this health system and the many communities it serves.”
Read More on the Cedars-Sinai Blog: Behind the Scenes: Cedars-Sinai Emergency Room