Children’s hospital question on June ballot

Adrienne Packer

Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2000 | 11:22 a.m.

Whether Clark County will issue $80 million in bonds to build an independent children's hospital is up to residents who will cast their votes during the municipal election in June.

The Clark County Commission's 6-1 decision Tuesday to place the children's hospital question -- which has become a hot political topic -- on next summer's ballot hardly satisfied proponents of the project.

University Medical Center staff and private physicians, who fought to have the item placed on the November ballot, warned the board not to delay the project. The lack of beds in pediatric facilities are in such demand that children are waiting in emergency rooms, they said.

"The crisis isn't going to be tomorrow; it isn't going to be in November," said Dr. Kenneth Misch. "It is today."

Misch was one of a team of doctors who circulated a petition after the board opted not to place the bond question on November's ballot and instead assemble a task force to study the need for a children's facility.

The physicians rolled in a dolly loaded with 16 boxes of petitions that listed more than 62,000 signatures.

The proposal received overwhelming support from UMC staff members and residents -- including new Clark County School District Superintendent Carlos Garcia -- who packed the commission chambers, cheering and groaning throughout the three-hour public debate.

"I believe society should be judged by the way it treats its children," Garcia said. "This is an opportunity for Clark County to say our children are second to none."

Physicians offered telling statistics that backed their argument: Clark County has the sixth-largest school district in the country; it is seventh to last for the number of hospital beds per children. And Nevada is one of five states without a free-standing children's hospital.

Mothers veered away from the doctors' rhetoric and spoke about their experiences in enduring the emotional torture of having to uproot their lives to take their children out of state for treatment.

Still, board members cited legal concerns over the short notice in putting the item on the Debt Management Commission's Thursday agenda. Its October meeting would be too late to consider the bond and place it on November's ballot.

Commissioner Erin Kenny, who has supported the project since its inception, was clearly upset at her colleague's decision Tuesday. She was particularly upset at Commissioner Mary Kincaid's suggestion the push for a state-of-the-art hospital is simply a tribute to the board.

"To categorize it as a monument to the county commission is patently unfair," said Kenny, who added that it is important to put the issue on the November ballot because there is a greater voter turnout.

The children's hospital has become a political flashpoint. Stephanie Smith, Kenny's best friend and Kincaid's opponent in the Democratic primary race Tuesday, has attacked Kincaid's initial vote for a task force.

Smith's supporters mailed a graphic flier with pictures of wounded and ill children, claiming that Kincaid doesn't care about children.

Many of the commissioners took the opportunity Tuesday to express their anger that the first vote to study the issue further was interpreted as not caring about the Las Vegas Valley's children.

"No one on this commission today or in the past has advocated against a children's hospital," said Commissioner Dario Herrera, obviously irritated the issue crept into commission races.

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