LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — A judge may have paved the way for Sunrise Hospital to get its Level 1 trauma center designation.
Former Nevada Supreme Court Justice Michael A. Cherry ruled Monday morning the Southern Nevada Health District board made the wrong call when it denied the hospital’s request for Level 1 status in January 2025.
“I think that…the Southern Nevada Health District decision was not supported by reliable, probative and substantial evidence,” said Cherry. “And in fact, I found the complete opposite, that they did, Sunrise has me their burden of proof in this petition for judicial review.”
Health district denied application in January
SNHD denied Sunrise Hospital’s application in January 2025. All decisions are deemed final, so Sunrise had no choice but to appeal through the courts.
FOX5 Investigates obtained those appeal documents. They allege the SNHD board denied Sunrise Hospital’s application because it failed to demonstrate the need for a second Level 1 trauma hospital in the Las Vegas Valley.
The same documents accuse the health district board of showing undo concern for the financial impact the elevated status of Sunrise might have on University Medical Center. UMC is currently the Valley’s only Level 1 center.
Sunrise Hospital says it has operated at Level 1 standards
However, Sunrise leadership tells FOX5, although it has maintained a Level 2 designation since 2005, their team has consistently operated at Level 1 standards for the last five to six years, much longer than the 15 consecutive months as required by the American College of Surgeons.
That was enough for Justice Cherry.
“And I think they’re already a trauma hospital, which is unique, what it adds to the community is medical research and medical education, certain services,” he said.
Level 1 benefits
Level 1 trauma centers provide huge benefits to the communities they serve. Studies show severely injured patients treated at a top-tier trauma centers have a higher survival rate than those treated elsewhere. They offer comprehensive care for every aspect of an injury, and provide immediate access to a broad range of specialists; from neurosurgeons to anesthesiologists. Their rigorous quality and performance standards also provide a higher level of care. And, they serve as a critical resource during emergencies.
“We are a large city. We need to be prepared as a trauma system in Southern Nevada for, be it a single car accident or a mass casualty. Having the resources of an additional level one trauma center just better prepares our community for all of our medical needs in the future,” said Todd Sklamberg, the CEO of Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center.
Level 1 status is attractive to hospitals because it brings with it teaching and residency programs. These keep tenured staff trained on new techniques and practices, while the next generation of doctors and nurses prepare to join their ranks. It also provides access to research programs, which inspires innovation. And it offers medical staff the chance to build extensive experience by threating a high volume and wide variety of complex cases.
What comes next
The judge did address the possibility of another appeal, but in a statement to FOX5 a spokesperson for the SNHD writes: “The Southern Nevada Health District is reviewing the court’s decision and evaluating potential next steps.” They had no additional comment.
FOX5 also asked Sunrise Hospital about its timeline for getting the official level 1 designation.
“We’ll continue to work with the courts, the Southern Nevada Health District and all other regulatory agencies as we work through the path. Probably a time frame of one to two months would be what we’re looking at right now,” said Sklamberg.
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