LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Southern Nevada has more than half a million kids, but many families still have to leave the state for specialized medical care.
With our population growing, the need for a standalone children's hospital is becoming more urgent. Las Vegas remains the largest metropolitan area in the United States without a dedicated children's hospital, and that lack of care is taking a toll.
You may be wondering, what about UMC and Sunrise Children's Hospitals? Yes, they operate here in Las Vegas, but — as important as they are — advocates still say it's not enough to meet the demand for highly specialized care.
WATCH | Paul Umbach of Tripp Umbach explains how a standalone children's hospital is different from current pediatric care in the valley.
As I continue covering the state of healthcare here in Southern Nevada, I went to UNLV where leaders, families and community members came together to discuss how a standalone hospital could make a huge difference.
"You are just trying to get your kid care and you can't, they are not taking new patients, they can't see you for four to five months," said Natalie Wainwright, a mother here in Las Vegas.
Natalie says she nearly hit her breaking point.
"When you are in that position, you don't have four to five months. You need somebody now," she said.
Natalie had been trying to get her son Aiden, who was suffering from serious behavioral issues, the help he needed.
“No matter what case you are in, you are not going to get the help you need right away. It will be leaving messages and hope to even get a callback," she said.
She tells me all she wanted was to get answers for her son, but she says doctors were at capacity, and there aren't enough providers.
Where did you end up going to get the care you needed?
"We ended up going out of state," Natalie said.
For Natalie, it was Idaho.
How many doctors did you see before having to go somewhere else?
“At least 25, maybe 30," she said.
To put the problem into perspective, Nevada has fewer than 60 pediatricians for every 100,000 children — imagine just one pediatrician for the entire crowd at a packed football stadium.
Meanwhile, other states have nearly double that number of doctors taking care of their kids.
So what can be done about it?
Paul Umbach founder and president of Tripp Umbach said:
"This would be a standalone hospital strictly dedicated to children. It brings the highest level of specialty care, particularly for rare diseases and cancers, which currently force families to leave the area."
A proposed 150-bed facility, expected to open by 2023, would not only provide medical care but also bring some significant economic benefits. Similar children's hospitals in cities like Denver and Phoenix have hundreds of pediatric beds.
In fact, Phoenix Children's Hospital has 352 beds and contributes nearly $3 billion annually to their local economy.
"This could bring dollars in from the outside. So not only would we be keeping children here for care, but it also has economic benefits for the region," Umbach said.
The hospital would also work with local medical schools to build residency and fellowship programs, ensuring that more specialists are trained and kept right here in Southern Nevada.
Natalie says it would be a game changer and other families would no longer have to leave the state.
"Freedom for them to be able to get the care that they need, relief, they get relief they are being seen that is a huge impact in the community," she said.
What are the next steps?
They need to identify a site for the facility and develop a plan to begin in early 2025.
If everything goes as planned, again, Southern Nevada could see this standalone children's hospital open by 2030.
In the meantime, it is important to note that while there are not any standalone children's hospitals in Southern Nevada, specialized care does exist at UMC Children's Hospital and Sunrise Children's Hospital.
In a statement to Channel 13, Sunrise CEO Todd Sklamberg said:
Sunrise Children’s Hospital is proud to be the largest and most comprehensive Children’s Hospital in the state. For more than 60 years we have provided the highest quality of care and remain committed to continuing to grow to meet the needs of women and children of our region. Our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is the largest and most advanced Level III NICU caring for the most complex newborns in Nevada. Beyond the NICU, we also offer the state’s largest Pediatric ICU and are home to Nevada’s only pediatric cardiac program whose outcomes are among the best in the Country. We look forward to not just continuing to care for our smallest and most fragile patients but also offering the most advanced therapies to Nevadans and training the generation of physicians for decades to come.
UMC CEO Mason Van Houweling also provided a statement, saying:
“UMC welcomes the ongoing expansion of health care in our community. Our world-class team members at UMC Children’s Hospital, along with our partners at the UNLV School of Medicine, continue to deliver the highest level of care available in Nevada, offering life-changing services for our community’s youngest and most vulnerable patients. As the state’s premier academic medical center, in partnership with the UNLV School of Medicine, we remain committed to training future generations of physicians to care for children in Southern Nevada. Although UMC Children’s Hospital and other existing pediatric hospitals in our community have the bed capacity to care for additional children, we support Intermountain Health’s efforts to expand access to services that are not currently available in Southern Nevada.”
