Henderson mayor says health care industry a key economic driver

By Conor Shine

Thursday, Jan. 29, 2015 | 3:10 p.m.

After his 1-year-old granddaughter fell suddenly ill and nearly died last year, Henderson Mayor Andy Hafen says he has a new perspective on the importance of having quality health care in the city.

“The year has given me a lot of cause to ponder on who we are and where we’re going,” Hafen told more than 800 people at Green Valley Ranch Resort for the annual State of the City address. “It helped me appreciate more than ever how wonderful a community we live in. But I’ve also become keenly aware of hundreds of other families going through similar trials.”

Doctors eventually found that a virus was attacking the heart of Hafen’s granddaughter, Aly, who is doing better but still faces a challenging recovery.

Hafen said growing the health care industry will be a key driver of economic development in Henderson, while also serving the needs of the community’s families.

He highlighted two major projects underway that he sees as the first pieces of a “Henderson health care corridor” near Sunset Road and U.S. 95.

The first, the $1.6 billion Union Village health care complex, broke ground in October. Its first phase will include a new 214-bed hospital scheduled to open in 2016.

Dignity Health is also planning a 2.3 acre medical campus for outpatient services at Galleria Drive and Gibson Road, plus a $100 million expansion to the at St. Rose Hospital — Siena Campus.

“We want to foster a world-class culture for medicine and health care,” Hafen said. “It will add a whole new dimension for us as a city.”

Hafen’s half-hour speech also highlighted other successes for the city in 2014, such as the arrival of VadaTech, a technology company that built a 70,000-square-foot headquarters near Gibson Road and American Pacific Drive.

Other new arrivals include Barrick Gold Corp., which is moving its global information management and technology operations to Henderson, and Barclaycard, a division of Barclays bank that opened a customer service center that employs 800 people.

The city’s vaunted park system continues to grow, with five new parks opening in 2014 and four more planned in 2015, Hafen said.

After years of recession-induced deficits, Henderson’s budget was back in the black in 2014, thanks to $1.3 million in cuts. The city is on track to repeat the feat in 2015.

“While we’ve turned a corner and are beginning to see increasing signs of recovery and stability, we know we still have a long road to get to where we need to be,” Hafen said.

Hafen’s speech didn’t mention a controversial property tax increase debated by the council last year, which city officials say would provide needed funding to keep up the city’s infrastructure and retain its “premier” status.

Hafen said he’ll be closely watching the upcoming Legislature for changes that could give local governments access to additional funding and more autonomy about how those funds are spent.