North Las Vegas hospital entering phase two of $9.6 million expansion

Michelle Swafford

Tuesday, July 12, 2005 | 11:06 a.m.

North Vista Hospital is offering new services as part of its image makeover.

The North Las Vegas hospital opened an expanded maternity department and wound care center. The hospital has been undergoing several changes since IASIS Healthcare Corp. purchased it more than a year ago.

The 176-bed hospital is spending $9.6 million to revamp and expand its maternity department and opened the first phase two weeks ago. A new nursing station and waiting area and four level-one nursery beds were added, bringing the total to 16. The post-partum beds were reduced to 12 from 14 beds.

The second phase of construction, which is scheduled to be completed this fall, will add six beds for a level-two nursery and four additional labor-delivery-recovery beds, bringing the total to eight such beds. A second caesarean-section room is being added.

The maternity department has a separate hospital entrance and a community pregnancy screening center that offers tests at no charge to patients.

"The sooner you know, the sooner you can get prenatal care," hospital spokeswoman Mimi Gayre said. "In the Hispanic community that's something that's kind of lacking."

Tony Marinello, North Vista's recently hired chief executive, said IASIS' hospital investments changed his perception of the hospital.

"When I walked in I saw it, it changed my mind about North Vista," he said. "It's a big shot in the arm for us. It shows the commitment IASIS has to this community and this hospital."

IASIS also spent $500,000 for a wound care center and three hyperbaric chambers.

The hyperbaric chambers are pressurized, enclosed capsules that provide double the oxygen level than a person would typically receive at sea level, which speeds up the healing of burns, gas gangrene, carbon monoxide poisoning, lower body wounds on diabetics and other skin wounds that are often associated with poor circulation or surgical incisions.

Patients receive an average of one to two hours of treatment in the oxygen chamber five days a week for six weeks.