LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Henderson Hospital will shut down its maternity and neonatal intensive care services next month to free up space for medical-surgical needs, hospital leadership announced.
The hospital will cease offering maternity and NICU services at 7 p.m. on or around Sept. 30.
Hospital officials said the “very difficult decision” was made after a thorough assessment of decreased demand for maternity care alongside a critical need for inpatient medical-surgical beds.
“Henderson Hospital is experiencing significant emergency room volume and admissions for medical and surgical care. As a result, the ER and inpatient nursing units at the hospital are regularly at capacity,” the statement read. “To increase capacity and reduce the time patients spend waiting in the ER, the hospital opened a 35-bed medical-surgical unit in May 2026. Despite the opening of these beds, it did not completely resolve our capacity issue,” it states.
The existing maternity unit will immediately be converted into 32 medical-surgical rooms. Renovations on the NICU space will add another 32 medical-surgical beds, with completion scheduled by Dec. 31, 2027.
READ MORE: Petition: keep the NICU, labor & delivery units at Henderson hospital
“As difficult as this is, we see this as the appropriate next step on our journey to provide the most needed care for our community,” hospital leadership said in a statement.
Henderson Hospital has faced persistent capacity challenges in its emergency room and inpatient units. Though the hospital opened a 35-bed medical-surgical unit in May to ease wait times, the expansion did not fully resolve the capacity strain.
Meanwhile, a declining birth rate in Southern Nevada—reflecting a broader national trend—has reduced the demand for inpatient maternity care.
Leadership also pointed to recent physician retirements, obstetric office closures, and fewer referrals from maternal-fetal medicine specialists as key factors leading to lower NICU admissions.
Hospital officials said they are collaborating with employees, healthcare providers, and government agencies to ensure a seamless transition for current patients.
All mothers and babies currently at the facility will continue receiving care until they are safely discharged or transferred to another Valley Health System facility.
The main emergency department and freestanding emergency rooms will maintain 24/7 physician coverage for gynecological emergencies.
The hospital will also continue to support gynecological and breast surgeries.
Roughly 100 affected staff members are working with Human Resources to transition into open roles within Henderson Hospital or maternity-related positions at sister facilities, including Centennial Hills, Spring Valley, and Summerlin hospitals.
Hospital leadership praised the Birthplace and NICU staff for their nearly 10 years of service, thanking them for “guiding women through difficult labors, joyful deliveries and devastating losses, and their role in supporting new families in Southern Nevada.”
WHERE CAN PATIENTS GO, NOW? PLUS CITY LEADER RESPONSE
Valley Health System refers potential pregnant patients to their other facilities: Centennial Hills, Spring Valley and Summerlin hospitals, which “all offer comprehensive maternity services including antepartum care, labor and delivery, post-partum, Level II and Level III neonatal intensive care units,” a statement read.
Nurses raised concerns that the closest hospitals with Level III NICUs are around 10 miles away: St. Rose Siena Hospital and Sunrise Hospital. Some patients are already driving from Utah and Kingman, Arizona for services, they tell FOX5.
Councilwoman Carrie Cox says city leaders must meet with local hospitals to address the needs for Henderson residents.
“It’s definitely a hit for Henderson. It’s definitely a hit for Ward 3. But I really do feel like there are other hospitals that can offer services,” Cox said.
“I think where it’s dire for us in Henderson is that we’re losing that level 3 NICU, and that is critical. I really just tell families, let’s wait and see. Let’s get some answers,” Cox said. “I want mothers and babies to feel comfortable living here in Henderson, going to the hospital that we still have… we still have services that will be very valuable for our families,” she said.
Sunrise Health System sent the following statement to FOX5:
We have a long history of caring for growing families from Henderson and across Southern Nevada, and we remain committed to supporting them as the health care landscape evolves. Henderson families have long been an established part of our maternity and neonatal patient population. We have not experienced a significant change in the number of Henderson families coming to us for maternity and neonatal care. Our hospitals remain prepared to support families from Henderson and across the valley who choose us for their maternity and neonatal care.
FOX5 also reached out to St. Rose Siena Hospital and Dignity Health for more insight.
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