Editorial: Don’t rush vote on a new hospital

Wednesday, June 14, 2000 | 10:15 a.m.

The Clark County Commission did the right thing last month when it rejected a proposal by Commissioner Erin Kenny and University Medical Center to construct a 152-bed children's hospital. Quite simply, the project's supporters didn't offer enough evidence to show that there was a need at this time for such a government-run facility. No new information has surfaced in the interim to support the construction of what would be the first children's hospital in the valley, but that isn't stopping backers of a children's hospital. They announced this week that they'll try to collect enough signatures to place on November's ballot a referendum to approve a $92 million children's hospital.

Some pediatricians want to put this before the voters quickly, but there has been virtually no public input on this proposal. A task force, which was created by the County Commission after the first bid for a new hospital was defeated, should be given enough time to determine whether it is needed. And it's not as if there is no pediatric hospital care currently: UMC has 70 beds for children and Sunrise Hospital, which opposes a children's hospital, has a children's wing. Rather than turning this into a political football, Kenny and her supporters should allow the task force to perform a thorough assessment to see if a new pediatric hospital is warranted and, if so, whether the county could financially support such an endeavor.