ANSWERS: CLARK COUNTY:

Officials want club patrons off the pole

Regulations in the works would limit stripper poles’ use to hired go-go dancers

Sunday, Sept. 6, 2009 | 2 a.m.

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University Medical Center

If county officials have their way, patrons of the Strip’s many nightclubs will no longer be allowed to get their kicks on the clubs’ stripper poles.

Are you telling me visitors will no longer get a chance to kick off their shoes and swing around those brass floor-to-ceiling poles?

County spokesmen confirmed an effort is under way to write up a regulation prohibiting the use of the poles by anyone other than the go-go dancers hired by the clubs.

Because stripper poles are the gateway to all manner of depravity?

Well, apparently the thinking is that they encourage some nightclub patrons to act too much like strippers. There’s apparently been too much pole-induced stripping, flashing and other naughtiness that not supposed to be allowed in the dance clubs. The idea of making the poles “for employee use only” first came up at the Aug. 18 County Commission meeting during a discussion about Prive nightclub, which was fined $500,000 by the state Gaming Control Board for a variety of offenses alleged to have occurred within the club, including lewd behavior. During the meeting, Jacqueline Holloway, business license director, talked about restricting access to dance poles at Prive and all other clubs. “We don’t want to walk into any of these locations and see patrons on the dance poles,” she said.

•••

With state funding cuts and a growing number of unemployed Clark County residents, you’d expect University Medical Center would be on track to lose tons more money this fiscal year than last fiscal year. After all, it is obligated to provide care regardless of a patient’s ability to pay.

It turns out the hospital is so far losing only a bit more. At least that’s what county officials say. County spokesman Erik Pappa told the Sun on Friday the dollar amounts are not yet known.

If what they say is true, though, what’s going on at the hospital? Are more people with health insurance going there for treatment? Are growing numbers of indigent patients somehow able to pay?

Kathy Silver, the hospital’s CEO, said she isn’t sure but the hospital is seeing fewer patients, which is likely a contributing factor. “We’re not as busy as we were historically and that’s probably the only thing stemming the tide,” she said.

Fewer people overall are using the hospital, which saves on overtime and supplies expenses, and the hospital has enacted cost-saving measures in purchasing, billing and other areas. On the expense side, “more and more people are showing up without insurance,” Silver said.

The hospital lost about $53 million last year. County fiscal experts are working on a report to be issued Sept. 17 on UMC’s current financial health. In the future, though, the county hospital management may answer to someone other than the county commissioners.

How’s that?

The hospital’s trustees are the county commissioners, but the commissioners are also responsible for overseeing 37 other county departments. As Commissioner Larry Brown said last week, they could easily spend all their time on hospital matters. Instead of doing that, they hired HG Healthcare Consultants to study other ways of governing the hospital. Commissioners seemed very interested in the option of appointing a board to provide oversight.

That’s done elsewhere in the U.S., right?

Yes, in many places. And in at least one case, Minnesota’s Hennepin County, after a switch to that type of system, the county hospital’s losses were reduced by nearly $16 million. Dave Albright, finance director of the Minneapolis hospital, said that with a new board that focuses only on the medical center, “it’s just a different culture and feeling. The hospital doesn’t feel like just another county department. Now you have leaders who are there to run a health care organization. The board has strong ties to the health care community.”

•••

County Quote of the Week:

“You’re one of the only (hospital directors) I know who says, ‘Boy, it’s nice that occupancy’s down.’ ”

— Hugh P. Greeley of HG Healthcare Consultants to Kathy Silver, UMC chief executive, referring to a drop in patients at UMC apparently being good for the hospital’s finances.

Discussion: 19 comments so far…

By markp

9/6/09 at 5:13 a.m.

Suggest removal

pathetic what next don't get in a cab in case it crashes.
By serious

9/6/09 at 6:11 a.m.

Suggest removal

Stripper poles: Having previously worked in a major gentlemens club it was the rule and law that the only persons allowed on the stage or on a pole were those who had a sheriffs card to be an entertainer...meaning, a dancer at the Club. The casino clubs have no oversight and poor staffing ...which the regulators are finding out is a mistake. Thankfully, there will never be a gentlemens club (strip club) in a casino...can you imagine what would go on then, and management would plead ignorance again and again. It is time for the law to be enforced and applied equally and fairly-casino clubs should not be exempt from the law!
By JSpence07

9/6/09 at 6:40 a.m.

Suggest removal

What? You mean I can't swing around a stripper pole with the sweat from other girls on there?

DANG IT!

This story just ruined my life.
By KillerB

9/6/09 at 11:04 a.m.

Suggest removal

serious -- dancers need a "sheriff's card"??

What about amateur nights, and what if the "patrons" have more talent than the "stars"?

The county commissioners seem to just be expanding their power at the expense of the kind of fun that Vegas is famous for and therefore keeps what's left of the economy going. Which makes one wonder where their authority comes from.
By steve7952

9/6/09 at 12:45 p.m.

Suggest removal

Please tell me there are more important issues our tax money is paying officials to check these establishments. Please!
By stevem

9/6/09 at 12:51 p.m.

Suggest removal

crime, unemployment, illegal immigration...

nope...not going to worry about those things anymore i guess.
By phred

9/6/09 at 10:19 p.m.

Suggest removal

good to know the stripper poles are being properly monitored ;-)
By Vegasvampire

9/7/09 at 12:41 a.m.

Suggest removal

No strip clubs in a casino??? Then how is Larry Flynt going to expand his empire into Vegas??? Better off to put a full strip club in a casino, at least you know what ladies are not going to leave with at the end of the night.
By uddeboda

9/7/09 at 4:41 a.m.

Suggest removal

Ah!! but, what if a stripper wants to swing around a patrons "pole", is this allowed.
By mred

9/7/09 at 7:08 a.m.

Suggest removal

they need pole cams to monitor activity. I'm glad all the crime are solve so they can focus on this
By dipstick

9/7/09 at 8:05 a.m.

Suggest removal

maybe the commission can put a weight limit on the poles; no female over 120 pounds allowed.
By gmag39

9/7/09 at 8:19 a.m.

Suggest removal

udda...that depends upon your pole position.
I highly recommend you wear a helmet.
By Rooster

9/7/09 at 11:36 a.m.

Suggest removal

What? No poles in the strip clubs? I'd rather they get rid of the Irish and keep the poles.
By geenab65

9/7/09 at 12:36 p.m.

Suggest removal

This is the best our county government officials can concentrate on?
By geenab65

9/7/09 at 12:38 p.m.

Suggest removal

And exactly how much money and "research" went into this project?
By dipstick

9/7/09 at 3:42 p.m.

Suggest removal

geena// probably more "research" than money.
By geenab65

9/7/09 at 5:37 p.m.

Suggest removal

Weren't several County Commissioners convicted of some kind of dealings with strip clubs?
By chooch

9/7/09 at 7:28 p.m.

Suggest removal

If I were the commission, I would eliminate gambling, drinking and any sugestive dancing also. Then we can replace the casinos and night clubs with places of worship. And we can replace our "what happens in Vegas" commercials with WWJD commercials. WHY DO YOU THINK PEOPLE COME TO VEGAS? TO HAVE FUN AND LOSE SOME INHIBITIONS!!! Let's chase away the little business we do have left in this town.
I guess the pockets of the commission were not filled properly. Guess the commission couldn't personally profit from this, so elimnate it. THIS IS ALL YOU HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT!!!! Do your job...you greedy self absorbing theives.
By spock

9/8/09 at 2:32 p.m.

Suggest removal

I bet the people who don't want the pole probably are just mad at it. Their used to being told "Not even with a ten foot pole"!