Western city where so few babies are now being born that hospital is CLOSING its maternity unit

Published: 21:48, 17 August 2026 | Updated: 21:55, 17 August 2026 A Hospital in Southern Nevada is shutting down their maternity unit at the end of September due to the region's declining birthrates. The space occupied by the maternity unit will be converted into 32 medical-surgical rooms to meet significant demand. The existing space for emergency room and medical-surgical admissions is often at capacity, according to Henderson Hospital's statement to FOX5.  The closures are expected to affect more than 100 staff members, who have the option to apply for other positions at the hospital, or find openings at other Valley Health System hospitals.  In a statement to the Las Vegas Sun, hospital officials said that their decision was affected by declining birth rates in Southern Nevada, physician retirements, obstetrics office closures and fewer NICU admissions. The number of births per year in Clark County, where Henderson Hospital is located, has dropped by almost 3,000 since 2018, according to the Southern Nevada Health District. Meanwhile, data provided by the United States Census Bureau shows that the same county's population remains the fastest growing in the state.  Henderson Hospital announced they will stop providing maternity and NICU services at the end of September All mothers and babies will continue receiving care until the end of September, after which they will be transferred to maternity units in other Valley Health System Hospitals. Following the closure, any pregnancy-related emergencies will be assessed by the ER physician and either get treated on-site or get transferred to a different hospital. A petition titled 'Women and Babies are not Budget cuts' was posted by Henderson Hospital nurse Kim Trower last month, receiving more than 4,000 signatures in support of keeping the units in operation. Trower wrote: 'Eliminating Women’s Services and NICU care would reduce regional healthcare capacity, put strain on neighboring hospitals, while increasing barriers to care for vulnerable patients. It will directly affect both patients and the healthcare workforce, including more than 140 nurses, staff, and clinical professionals.'  An anonymous supporter of the petition wrote in a comment: 'Women’s Services and NICU care are not optional luxuries for a growing community. They are lifesaving infrastructure. I personally received emergency obstetric care at Henderson Hospital during a high-risk pregnancy crisis and later during the stillbirth of my daughter.' Trower ended the petition after the hospital confirmed the closures. 'Families in crisis should not have to travel farther, wait longer, or face reduced access to maternal and neonatal care because essential services were eliminated. Please reconsider this decision.' Henderson Hospital is converting their maternal and NICU services unit to an additional medical and surgical care unit to account for overflow Henderson Hospital's Level 3 NICU will shut down at the end of September, bringing the number of NICUs in the county down to 8. Pictured is a stock image of a baby receiving treatment Dr Marc J Kahn, a professor of medicine at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine, said: 'In this community, we have a shortage of physicians across the board. That includes sub-specialists like neonatal ICU physicians,' News 3 Las Vegas reported. The closure aligns with Nevada’s high ratio of maternal care deserts, particularly in rural communities. Industry analyst Becker’s Hospital Review found over 70% of the state’s rural hospitals lack labor and delivery services. As of July, the median drive time for that care was 56 minutes.  The only other NICU in the area is St. Rose Dominican Hospital, 10 miles west of Henderson Hospital. The detour will add an extra 16-18 minutes of driving.  The Daily Mail has contacted Henderson Hospital for comment.