UMC lone holdout in deal with coalition

Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2002 | 9:43 a.m.

A coalition representing 140,000 Southern Nevada workers and their families has reached a deal with Lake Mead and Boulder City hospitals for reduced-cost medical services, leaving just University Medical Center as the holdout in the continuing negotiations.

The Health Services Purchasing Coalition, made up of teachers, firefighters, police officers, construction and Culinary workers, reached agreements earlier this month with Sunrise and MountainView hospitals, the two St. Rose Dominican Hospital campuses in Henderson and the Valley Health System's three hospitals.

The coalition and the area hospitals had been in heated negotiations for more than six months. Gov. Kenny Guinn stepped in to the negotiations with just hours remaining on the prior contract, which expired Feb. 1.

The deals reached Friday with Lake Mead and Boulder City hospitals mirror the agreements hammered out with the other medical facilities and call for a rate increase of less than 10 percent for a three-year contract, a coalition spokeswoman said.

UMC officials have declined to comment on the ongoing negotiations with the coalition. An extension has been granted for the workers for UMC services through the end of the month, the spokeswoman said.