Plan for children’s hospital rejected

Adrienne Packer

Wednesday, May 17, 2000 | 11:15 a.m.

A lengthy discussion about whether Clark County needs or can afford a $92 million children's hospital quickly deteriorated Tuesday into accusations of political motives behind commissioners' decisions.

The board voted 4-2 to reject a financial feasibility study conducted by Arthur Andersen and unanimously agreed to form a task force to determine whether a need exists for a county-funded children's hospital.

"I have faith in the board that after a comprehensive analysis, if (a children's hospital) is the right way to go, this board will be willing to move forward," Commissioner Dario Herrera said.

Herrera was backed by Commissioners Myrna Williams, Yvonne Atkinson Gates and Mary Kincaid, who each said the 60 days they had to consider the project was not enough time.

The commissioners' stance infuriated fellow board member Erin Kenny, who for months has been working closely with University Medical Center staff on plans to build the free-standing hospital next to UMC.

"Residents of Clark County, ignore the red herrings; this is politics at its finest," Kenny said. "This is one of the greatest injustices I have ever seen. Your vote was eclipsed by an inside political baseball game."

Had the commission approved the feasibility study, the project would have been forwarded to the Debt Management Commission and placed on the November ballot for voters to decide on the $80 million tax-neutral bond.

Atkinson Gates said she and her colleagues want further studies to ensure the county can support a nonprofit children's hospital. And she took offense to the suggestion politics played a role.

"That was an outrageous comment from a commissioner who purposely puts political items on the agenda to drive a wedge between commissioners," Atkinson Gates said. "She's notorious for it."

For nearly two hours Tuesday, UMC physicians made their argument for the hospital and administrators with Sunrise Hospital, a private facility with the Las Vegas Valley's largest children's wing, fought against it.

The proposed project includes a 255,840-square-foot children's hospital with 152 beds, six operating rooms, 11 radiology exam rooms, 29 emergency exam rooms and medical equipment.

Both Arthur Andersen consultants and UMC representatives said the hospital would be the first true children's hospital in Southern Nevada. They dismissed Sunrise Hospital because it does not meet criteria set by the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions.

Sunrise administrators argued otherwise. They said they have plenty of beds available for young patients, they offer support to families of patients and they never inquire about health insurance status.

Dr. Meena Vohra, chairwoman of the UMC pediatrics ward, quickly countered Sunrise's claims.

Vohra said twice in the last two months Sunrise has referred patients to UMC because the facility was full or because the patient lacked health insurance.

"They say they take all patients? That's laughable," Vohra said. "Walk through our hospital and tell me where they want to put those patients -- on the floor?"

The difference between children's hospitals and centers tucked in traditional facilities is the specific research conducted, said Dr. Jack Lazerson, a professor at the University of Nevada School of Medicine. He said Sunrise treats children, but doesn't follow up with patients.

"You can only provide quality care by looking at the outcome," Lazerson said. "What we're talking about is a building with a focused care of children."

Arthur Andersen's Jacqueline Lundblad said since children's centers have opened in suburban areas, urban hospitals have lost a portion of the market share. But, she said, UMC's wing has not been affected.

"UMC is the only urban hospital that has maintained its pediatric market share over the last years, which shows there is support," Lundblad said.

Representatives with Sunrise questioned the accuracy of the Andersen report, saying because the consultants are regularly contracted by the county their results will most times favor it. Burton Cohen, chairman of the Sunrise Hospital Board of Trustees, said the county's operating budget for a children's hospital will be $54 million a year and it will pay $7 million a year in debt service, which amounts to $1,000 a child.

And John Peters, Sunrise Hospital's chief financial officer, said the county hospital would be "upside-down and in red ink" shortly after its projected opening in 2004.

The commission agreed to hire an outside consultant to conduct further studies and work with the task force. While that decision was unanimous, it didn't fully appease Kenny or commission chairman Bruce Woodbury.

"A sufficient showing has been made to let people of the community decide and if we don't do it today, it won't get done," Woodbury said. "We will find ourselves in the future regretting very much the day we did not move forward."

Herrera said he hopes to have a full analysis completed within a year. The county can put the question to voters as a countywide item on Las Vegas' June ballot.

Adrienne Packer

covers county government for the Sun. She can be reached at (702) 259-2310 or by e-mail at adrienne@lasvegassun.com.