More than 2,200 people have thrown their names behind a fast-growing petition to stop a possible shutdown of the neonatal intensive care unit and related women and children’s services at Henderson Hospital, sparking fresh anxiety among nurses, parents and local officials. Organizers and staff warn that losing a Level III NICU in the southeast valley would mean fewer options for high-risk deliveries and seriously ill newborns. Petition supporters say hospital employees were briefed in early May about potential cuts, and word spread quickly through group chats, social media and medical circles, leaving families scrambling for straight answers.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the petition was launched by Kim Trower, a registered nurse on the hospital’s postpartum unit, and had already topped 2,200 signatures by Friday. Trower told the outlet that staff were informed at a May 4 meeting that a closure was on the table and that as many as 140 nurses, staff and clinical professionals could feel the impact. The Review-Journal also reports that organizers are urging hospital leaders to block any cutbacks that would touch deliveries or newborn care.
Henderson Hospital's NICU and services
According to Henderson Hospital, the unit is designated a Level III NICU and offers round-the-clock neonatologist coverage, advanced respiratory support and family-centered care. The hospital says it can treat babies born as early as 23 weeks and highlights a roster of specialists that includes neonatologists, respiratory therapists and NICU-trained nurses. The facility is operated by a subsidiary of Universal Health Services, and petitioners argue that these exact clinical capabilities are what would disappear if services are reduced.
Petitioners' numbers and timeline
Per the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the petition cites hospital figures showing that in 2025, 3,099 pregnant patients sought obstetric care at Henderson, the NICU treated 279 infants and the hospital supported 2,016 newborn deliveries. The paper quotes Karen Young saying that closing the units would “essentially eliminate” childbirth and maternal care at the hospital except in emergencies, and that the last day services might be offered could land sometime between June and September 2026. Henderson Mayor Michelle Romero told the Review-Journal that having the city step in to run hospital operations would amount to government overreach, and petition organizers say that stance makes it harder to exert local pressure on hospital leaders.
Why this matters across Nevada
Statewide experts and lawmakers have recently raised alarms about Nevada’s uneven spread of neonatal resources, warning that a patchwork of NICUs without coordinated regional planning can actually worsen outcomes for the tiniest and sickest babies. Reporting by the Nevada Current notes legislative testimony that the state may need to rework how neonatal services and referrals are organized to improve care for very-low-birth-weight infants. Local clinicians say that losing a Level III unit in Henderson would mean fewer options for transfers and fewer chances for families to stay close to home while their babies receive intensive care.
What comes next
The petition remains active as organizers push hospital leadership for clarity and families quietly weigh where to deliver in the coming months. Hospital officials have not announced a final decision. In the meantime, local advocates say they will keep gathering signatures and knocking on elected officials’ doors as they fight to preserve the unit.
