LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — After its biggest renovation in decades, University Medical Center is focusing on cutting-edge tech, life-saving trauma care and training the next generation of doctors.
For nearly a century, University Medical Center has stood tall in the heart of Las Vegas, but now, a new look is catching the community's eye.
VIDEO: Abel Garcia talks to the CEO of UMC
"It's fantastic. It doesn't even look like the same place," said Nelly Hernandez. "We've been here for 47 years, and it looks beautiful now."
For Hernandez and her brother Hector Reyes, the hospital is more than just a building — it's been their lifeline as Reyes battles dementia.
"They're taking well good care of him, and my sister's been here for years, so we love coming here," Hernandez said.
It's a message that is clear for families like Hernandez's, but the biggest changes at UMC aren't cosmetic, they're clinical. As Clark County's only public hospital, CEO Mason Van Houweling says it delivers care no one else can.
"UMC is home to a lot of first and only: the only Level I trauma center, the only Level II pediatric trauma center, the only verified burn center, the only transplant center — the list goes on," Van Houweling said.
Van Houweling tells me the hospital is also expanding residency programs to combat Nevada's critical shortage of doctors and nurses, with new training programs in radiology, anesthesiology and more.
"We're always looking. Even though we're on the main campus here at UMC, we're going out into our community with primary care, specialty care, rehab and also crisis stabilization services," Van Houweling said. "Those are the types of care you'll be seeing within UMC very shortly."
He says in the next year, UMC will be planning a new tower to expand capacity and adding specialty care services like therapy and crisis stabilization to meet the demands of Southern Nevada's growing population.
With these changes, Van Houweling tells me UMC is rewriting its story and reshaping public healthcare in the valley through innovation, education and unmatched care.
