Plans are in place for the Las Vegas Valley’s first freestanding children’s hospital.
According to recent research, Las Vegas is the only metropolitan area in the United States with more than 2 million people to not have a full-service hospital for kids.
Nevada also has one of the worst pediatrician-to-patient ratios in the nation. This forces 1,500 kids to travel out of state each year. Parents, healthcare advocates, and physicians have been sounding the alarm for decades.
Next year, their work might be coming to fruition.
On October 22, Intermountain Health announced that it would start construction on a comprehensive pediatric hospital in 2025, with a projected opening date in 2030.
Though it’s going to cost a lot — $1 billion — research indicates that the roughly 150-bed facility will contribute over $1 billion and nearly 6,000 jobs to the local economy each year.
Guest: Larry Barnard, assistant vice president of pediatrics — desert region, Intermountain Health
