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(January 10, 2023 – Las Vegas, NV) - The leadership of Desert Springs Hospital has informed staff of planned changes to the hospital’s scope and operations.
After a very thorough and careful assessment of all viable options for Desert Springs Hospital, the hospital leadership has made the difficult decision to begin an operational change. We are working in conjunction with our healthcare providers and in full collaboration with all necessary government agencies. Our first priorities continue to be our patients, our staff, and our physicians. Our plan is as follows:
Pending approval from the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services (NDHHS), our plan is to cease all inpatient operations on or about March 11, 2023. All existing inpatients will receive continued safe treatment and care before being appropriately discharged, transferred to another VHS facility, or moved to the next appropriate level of care at another facility.
The hospital will continue to provide Emergency services to meet community need. Once all inpatient operations have ceased, the existing Emergency Department will be converted to Freestanding Emergency Department (FED) status, continuing to operate for the next 24 months, while a brand new FED is constructed on the Desert Springs Campus. Once complete, Emergency services will vacate the current Desert Springs Hospital Emergency Department and will operate in the new FED, providing a modern environment for patients, staff and physicians.
Multiple factors contributed to this decision. Desert Springs Hospital, which opened in 1971, is an aging facility with complex physical constraints. The required renovations would be highly disruptive to operations and require a significant capital investment. Coupled with the fast-changing landscape of healthcare, which includes labor shortages and cost increases due to inflation, these unanticipated challenges have expedited the need to adapt our operations.
The leadership of Desert Springs Hospital and The Valley Health System would like to recognize the tremendous expertise, compassion and patient-centric focus of Desert Spring Hospital staff who have worked tirelessly over the years to deliver quality patient care, earning many industry distinctions and accolades, and supporting the community.
Information sessions and job fairs are available for current staff who will not remain with the Emergency Department to apply for open career opportunities across all Valley Health System hospitals, Desert View Hospital and Spring Mountain Treatment Center. The Valley Health System aims to transfer all staff members who desire and are eligible for other roles within the organization.
The Valley Health System is committed to delivering high-quality patient care through its network of facilities conveniently located across the greater Las Vegas region.
The Valley Health System is the largest healthcare network serving Southern Nevada and has earned a reputation for excellence in providing quality healthcare to our residents and visitors. Across today’s network of seven acute care and specialty hospitals, four freestanding emergency departments, physician practices and a variety of outpatient services, The Valley Health System currently has approximately
9,850 employees and over 2,450 physicians on staff.
For more information, please visit https://www.valleyhealthsystemlv.com
Contact: Gretchen Papez, 702-388-4663 Gretchen.Papez@uhsinc.com
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