A $150 Million Horowitz Gift Names Nevada's First Standalone Children's Hospital, With Groundbreaking Expected This Week

by Ryan Rose

What Happened

On Oct. 23, the Intermountain Foundation announced a $150 million commitment from Felicia and Ben Horowitz. The money goes to the hospital Intermountain Health is building in Las Vegas. In return, the hospital will be named for the couple. News 3 Las Vegas reporter Sara Sullivan covered the announcement, and Intermountain released the details the same day.

Felicia Horowitz is president of the Horowitz Family Foundation and co-founder and president of The Paid in Full Foundation. Ben Horowitz is co-founder and general partner of the venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. In a statement, Felicia Horowitz said, "Every parent wants to know that when their child needs care, the very best people and resources are there for them." Ben Horowitz said, "Great institutions are built by great communities that see beyond themselves."

Intermountain leaders framed the gift as a major leap forward. David Flood, Intermountain Health's chief development officer and president of the Intermountain Foundation, said, "This gift propels pediatric care in Nevada 10 to 15 years into the future." The fundraising effort behind the hospital is called the Intermountain Health Nevada Campaign for Kids. Its co-chairs are Bill Hornbuckle, CEO of MGM Resorts International, and Wendy Hornbuckle. In the release, they said, "Now, together, we're building world-class care for the kids who need us most."

So where does the money go? According to News 3 and Intermountain, the gift will help recruit pediatric providers, build specialized programs, advance research and improve access to care. Both sources name behavioral health and specialized pediatric care as areas the hospital wants to grow. The hospital will sit at UNLV's Harry Reid Research and Technology Park in the southwest valley. Groundbreaking is expected the week after the announcement, which is this week, and opening is planned for 2030.

A few details are still not confirmed by the announcement. Neither News 3 nor Intermountain's release gives a bed count, a building size or a total construction cost. We will update the community when those numbers are officially released.

A man and a boy stand beside a sign that reads Future Site of Nevada's First Stand-alone Children's Hospital as it is unveiled in southwest Las Vegas (image: News 3 Las Vegas)

Why It Matters to Las Vegas Residents

Nevada does not have a standalone children's hospital today. That is the headline fact. Clark County is home to a lot of young families, yet there has never been a full hospital in the state built only for kids. A standalone children's hospital is designed around children from the ground up: the rooms, the equipment, the doctors and nurses, and the support for parents who stay by a child's bedside.

Think about what that means in practice. In a general hospital, kids are cared for alongside adults, and the building, the beds and much of the equipment are designed for grown-ups first. In a hospital built only for children, everything from the size of the equipment to the waiting rooms to the way staff are trained is focused on kids and their parents. That is why families and doctors put so much value on having one close by.

For families, that difference can matter most on the worst day of their lives. When a child needs very specialized care, parents want the best people and the right tools close by. Having that care in the valley means less time on the road and more time with family and support systems nearby. As Felicia Horowitz put it, every parent wants to know the best people and resources are there for their child.

Behavioral health stands out on the list of goals. Both News 3 and Intermountain name it as a need the gift will help address. Parents and schools across the valley talk often about how hard it can be to find mental health care for kids and teens. A children's hospital that plans for behavioral health from the start is a big deal for those families.

There are also economic effects. A large hospital project means construction jobs now and health care jobs later. It also brings pediatric specialists who need homes, schools and services. Research is part of the plan too, and the location at UNLV's research park fits that goal.

The location matters for the southwest valley in particular. Families in Mountains Edge, Rhodes Ranch, Southern Highlands, Enterprise and Spring Valley will have a major children's hospital in their part of town. That kind of anchor tends to shape how people think about a neighborhood for years.

Background and History

The Horowitz gift is not the first big commitment to this project. Earlier this month, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported that Larry and Heidi Canarelli, founders of homebuilder American West Homes, committed $50 million to the hospital, with a tower to carry their name. That same report noted the Las Vegas Raiders gave $25 million in August. Intermountain's release says the Horowitz gift follows a series of earlier philanthropic commitments to the Nevada Campaign for Kids. At $150 million, the Horowitz commitment is three times the size of the Canarelli gift, and it comes with naming rights to the whole hospital.

News 3 reports that Intermountain Health runs 34 hospitals and about 400 clinics across six western states. Intermountain says it has cared for children for more than 100 years. The Nevada hospital is part of a larger plan to connect pediatric care across the system. That includes specialty services at Primary Children's Hospitals in Utah and expanded pediatric services in Billings, Montana.

Intermountain describes the goal of the Nevada Campaign for Kids as building a model health system for children. The campaign mixes philanthropy, advocacy and community involvement. That means the hospital building is one piece of a bigger effort, which also includes recruiting doctors and growing programs that serve kids across Southern Nevada.

The timing has held so far. When the Review-Journal reported the Canarelli gift in early October, it said construction was slated to start in late October. This week's expected groundbreaking lines up with that schedule. For a project this large, staying on the announced timeline at the very start is a good sign, even though the real test comes over the next few years of building.

The UNLV Harry Reid Research and Technology Park is in the southwest valley. Putting a children's hospital in a research park with a university partner fits the plan to advance pediatric research, not only treat patients.

What Happens Next

The first milestone is right in front of us. Groundbreaking is expected this week, the week after the Oct. 23 announcement. Expect photos and coverage from the site as leaders turn the first shovels of dirt. After that, the work moves into the long middle stretch of any big hospital project: site work, foundations, then the building itself rising over the next few years.

The target opening is 2030. Between now and then, watch for a few things. Intermountain may release more details on the building, such as bed count and the full list of services. The campaign may announce more gifts. And as the opening gets closer, there will be hiring news for doctors, nurses and staff. Large projects can shift on timing, so it is smart to treat 2030 as the plan, not a promise.

For nearby neighbors, expect construction traffic around the research park as work ramps up. As with any major build, it is worth paying attention to road changes in that part of the southwest valley over the next several years.

Common Questions About the New Children's Hospital

What is the official name? Intermountain Health Felicia and Ben Horowitz Children's Hospital.

Where will it be? At UNLV's Harry Reid Research and Technology Park in the southwest Las Vegas valley.

When will it open? Intermountain and News 3 both say the planned opening is 2030.

When is the groundbreaking? It is expected the week after the Oct. 23 announcement, which is this week.

Who is building and running it? Intermountain Health, which News 3 says operates 34 hospitals and about 400 clinics across six western states.

How big is the Horowitz gift? $150 million. Intermountain calls it one of the largest gifts ever made to a U.S. children's hospital.

What will the money pay for? Recruiting pediatric providers, building specialized programs, advancing research and improving access to care, with behavioral health and specialized pediatric care named as priorities.

How many beds will it have, and what will it cost? The announcement does not say. We will share those numbers once Intermountain releases them officially.

Is this the same project as the earlier gifts I heard about? Yes. The Canarelli family's $50 million gift reported earlier this month and the Raiders' $25 million gift in August, as reported by the Review-Journal, went to the same children's hospital effort. The Horowitz gift is the newest and largest, and it names the hospital.

Ryan's Take

I spend a lot of my time in the southwest valley, and this is one of the best pieces of news that part of town has had in years. When families move here, they ask me about schools, parks, commute times and how close they will be to good health care. A children's hospital in the southwest is going to be part of that conversation for a long time. It will not move home prices overnight, and nobody should buy a house just because a hospital is coming in 2030. But big, stable anchors like this one help make an area a place people want to stay.

What I like most is the focus on behavioral health and on recruiting pediatric specialists. A building is great, but the people inside it are what parents will remember. If this gift really pushes care in Nevada "10 to 15 years into the future," as Intermountain says, that is a win for every family in Clark County, not just the ones who live nearby.

I also think it says something about where Las Vegas is headed. Local leaders, local builders, a local sports team and now a national philanthropist couple have all put real money behind this hospital. That kind of shared bet on the valley's families is worth noticing, whether you own a home here, rent here or are just thinking about moving here.

View from Southern Highlands over homes, trees and a golf course toward the southwest Las Vegas valley, near where the new children's hospital will be built

What You Can Do

Follow the groundbreaking this week. It is the first real sign of progress, and it is a good moment to learn more about the project. Intermountain Health and local news outlets like News 3 will share updates as the hospital takes shape.

If you want to support the project, the effort is called the Intermountain Health Nevada Campaign for Kids. You can learn about it through Intermountain Health and the Intermountain Foundation. Gifts of every size help, and community involvement is part of how the campaign describes its mission.

If you live in the southwest valley, this is also a good time to pay attention to how your neighborhood is growing. New hospitals, schools, parks and roads all shape daily life. Keep an eye on Clark County meeting agendas and local news for road work or traffic changes near the research park. Knowing what is coming helps you plan your commute and makes you a more informed neighbor.

If you work in health care, keep an eye out for hiring news. A hospital set to open in 2030 will need pediatric providers, nurses and support staff, and Intermountain has said recruiting pediatric providers is one of the main uses of this gift.

And if you are a parent today, keep your current plan in place. The new hospital will not open until 2030, so know where your nearest emergency room and urgent care are now, keep your pediatrician's after-hours number handy, and keep copies of your child's medical info in your phone. Good planning today still matters.

Aerial view of a large open desert lot surrounded by roads and homes in southwest Las Vegas, shown in News 3 coverage of the children's hospital project (image: News 3 Las Vegas)

If you are thinking about a move within the valley and want to understand how projects like this fit into the bigger picture for a neighborhood, I am always glad to walk through it with you. No pressure, just good local information.

Have questions about how this affects your home or neighborhood? Reach out to Ryan Rose or text/call 702-747-5921 anytime. Ryan Rose | Real Broker, LLC | 702-747-5921 | ryan@rosehomeslv.com | rosehomeslv.com