Nevada Families Face Growing Maternity Care Caps as Hospitals Cut Services

NEVADA - Henderson Hospital will stop offering maternity and NICU services as of September 30, 2026, shifting labor and delivery care to Centennial Hills, Spring Valley, and Summerlin hospitals, all further from southeast Clark County residents. Hospital leadership had not confirmed or denied plans to close the unit for months before staff obtained internal confirmation, with the CEO citing a drop from roughly 200 to 150 births a month. The closure follows a wave of concern from hospital nurses, who warned that the region already faces a maternal care desert and that this decision will deepen it, and from patients traveling from as far as Laughlin, Searchlight, and parts of Arizona, who will now face even longer trips for care. 

The Henderson closure compounds an earlier reduction at Boulder City Hospital, which ended inpatient stays and shifted to a rural emergency hospital model on May 1, 2026, after federal Medicaid cuts reduced critical funding. That transition, which cut roughly 70 jobs, was tied directly by hospital leadership to funding changes under the federal budget law called the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBA).

This closure means Nevada families in Henderson, Boulder City, and surrounding communities now have fewer nearby options for labor, delivery, and newborn intensive care. All of this is coming at a time when Nevada’s rural and maternal health infrastructure is already stretched thin. 

Nicole Cannizzarro, Nevada Senate Majority Leader, issued the following statement: 

“Henderson Hospital closing its maternity and NICU services is another example of Nevada families paying the price while corporations and the wealthy come first. Families are already struggling with housing, groceries, utilities, and health care. Now they could lose critical maternity and newborn care while Donald Trump and Joe Lombardo pursue an economic agenda centered on taking care of billionaires and big corporations. During my time as Senate Majority Leader, we expanded postpartum Medicaid because families deserve access to care regardless of their zip code or income. Essential health care shouldn’t disappear because it doesn’t make enough money for a corporation’s bottom line. First Boulder City, and now Henderson. Nevada families deserve leaders focused on taking care of them, not billionaires.”

Shelbie Swartz, Executive Director of Battle Born Progress, issued the following statement: 

“What is happening in Henderson and Boulder City terrifies me, both as an advocate and as a mom. No parent should have to wonder if the hospital down the street will even be there when their baby is born. Real families are losing real access to care in the middle of a maternal health crisis we already can’t afford, and it’s not slowing down. Nevada is already facing a maternal health crisis, and now families are watching maternity and newborn care disappear. At the same time, corporations make decisions based on their bottom line and politicians like Donald Trump and Joe Lombardo push policies that make health care even harder to sustain. And every time a hospital shuts down its maternity department, it’s a mother somewhere in Henderson or Boulder City who has one less safe option when it matters most. The bottom line is that hospitals make decisions based on profit when they should be making decisions based on the well-being of the populations they serve. The same ‘billionaire friends’ that Lombardo wants to protect are the ones slashing services to further their profit margins. Lombardo likes to tout his record on healthcare, but the truth is under his leadership Nevada has several healthcare deserts that harm patients. We are going to keep shining a light on decisions like electing leaders who put Nevada families first.”

Sue Burtch, Executive Director of Nevada NOW, issued the following statement: 

“This is a health crisis, plain and simple. Nevada NOW has spent years fighting for women’s reproductive and maternal health rights, and what we’re seeing in Henderson and Boulder City is the direct, predictable results of a health care system that keeps treating women’s care as expendable.  Losing labor and delivery services doesn’t just inconvenience families; it puts mothers and babies at real risk when emergency care isn’t minutes away. Families deserve hospitals that are equipped to care for them close to home, not a shrinking map of where it’s safe to give birth.”

Ally Hanneke, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and owner of New Mom School Southwest Las Vegas, issued the following statement:

“As a licensed marriage and family therapist and owner of the New Mom School SW Las Vegas, I am deeply saddened by the news of Henderson Hospital closing its NICU. Moms and babies are consistently being failed by lack of support and resources, and we need to do better. Profits should not be more important than access to care, and it is detrimental to maternal mental health to close an extremely important resource such as the NICU.”

Haley Nartker, Mother Forward NV, issued the following statement:

"When we look at thriving communities, families should be able to count on the basics, including knowing that maternity and newborn care will be there if or when they need it.

Instead, Nevada families are watching essential care disappear while hospital corporations protect their bottom line. We are seeing the real-life impact of cuts to Medicaid and the skyrocketing price of health insurance that Nevada moms are all too familiar with. Now, parents in Henderson will have to travel farther for access to maternity or NICU care, putting mothers and their children at risk.

Every closure means one fewer safe option for a mother or baby. Families should not have to travel farther in an emergency because corporate profits were prioritized over care.”

Angelica Eagle, NICU parent, issued the following statement: 

“The NICU played such an important role in our family’s journey, providing us with the care, support, and expertise. These departments are a lifeline for so many mothers and babies. We are forever grateful for the NICU doctors and nurses! It is heartbreaking and unfortunate to see such an important part of the hospital closing, and I truly hope they can reconsider and rethink this decision."

Chelsey Santamaria, NICU parent, issued the following statement: 

“My youngest daughter was supposed to be born via a scheduled C-section, but life had other plans. Instead, she came a month early, and due to complications, she was placed in the NICU. This is an unimaginable situation that mothers and fathers struggle with across the country. The fear and stress of having a baby in the NICU is heartwrenching. The nurses and medical staff at Centennial Hills Hospital were marvelous and not only cared for my neonatal, premature little girl, but they also assisted me in my recovery. Without their care, I cannot imagine how much more difficult this situation would have been. This hospital was 5 miles from my home, and that proximity allowed us to always be close to our baby even when I was discharged from the maternity ward. I cannot imagine the feeling of having these essential medical services shut down and forcing other mothers to travel further during a time of bittersweet joy.” 

Anwar Green, Digital Organizer at Battle Born Progress, issued the following statement: 

“As a parent who's had a child in NICU, I know firsthand how important these departments are. The services provided are the reason my child is here today, and since then, I've been lucky enough to see her graduate high school a year early, and she's even gotten to study abroad. This all came so close to never happening, but it did thanks to a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The thought that other parents are losing this access is disheartening, especially when those causing the harm claim to care so much about ‘protecting babies.’ But then again, Joe Lombardo has failed and/or refused to keep children safe everywhere else, so I can’t say that this comes as a surprise."

Brian Harris, Organizing Manager at Battle Born Progress, issued the following statement: 

“When my son was born in 2020, at 40 weeks, we never expected that he would need to spend time in the NICU. He was dealing with jaundice, poor airflow to his lungs, and clogged ears, and it was all a completely new and overwhelming experience for both my partner and me. There were definitely moments of fear and uncertainty, but we put our trust in the medical staff at Henderson Hospital and the care they provided to our son. Seeing him receive the support he needed and eventually grow stronger made us incredibly grateful for the team that was there for our family during such a difficult and unexpected time. I cannot fathom other parents not having this type of care or having to travel significant distances to receive it. Parents should be able to be close to their children as they fight for their lives.”

SPOKESPEOPLE ARE AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH

###

About Battle Born Progress: Battle Born Progress, through strategic communication efforts, empowers, engages, and mobilizes Nevada voters to build a state where everyone has a fair opportunity to succeed. We support, engage, and mobilize the progressive community through bold leadership, strategic communications, accountability, and education. We are on the cutting edge of new media and are the go-to source for progressive issues and advocacy for traditional media.