Las Vegas casino boss, wife to lead fundraising effort for Southern Nevada children’s hospital
Summary
Bill Hornbuckle, president and CEO of MGM Resorts International, and his wife Wendy have been named co-chairs of the Nevada Campaign for Kids, a fundraising drive run by the Intermountain Foundation to help raise nearly $1 billion for a stand-alone children’s hospital in Southern Nevada. The hospital is planned to break ground in 2026 at UNLV’s Harry Reid Research and Technology Park and aims to open by 2030. Intermountain Health highlights the regional need: Nevada ranks 48th in paediatricians per capita and Las Vegas is the only US metro of 2 million-plus without a freestanding children’s hospital. The project is expected to create about 1,300 jobs and roughly $841 million in annual economic output.
Key Points
- Bill and Wendy Hornbuckle named co-chairs of the Nevada Campaign for Kids to lead fundraising for the new children’s hospital.
- The Intermountain Foundation is organising the philanthropic campaign to help fund a planned $1 billion paediatric facility in Las Vegas.
- Planned site: UNLV’s Harry Reid Research and Technology Park; anticipated ground-breaking in 2026 and opening by 2030.
- Nevada has a shortage of paediatric care — ranked 48th for paediatricians per capita — and thousands of children travel out of state for specialty care.
- Independent study projects the hospital will generate about $841m in annual economic output and create ~1,300 jobs.
Content summary
The story covers a high-profile philanthropic announcement: the Hornbuckles’ acceptance of co-chair roles for a statewide campaign to fund Southern Nevada’s first freestanding children’s hospital. Intermountain Health and its foundation are leading the initiative, emphasising both the clinical need and broader community benefits — improved access to specialty care, economic development and job creation. The article quotes campaign and health system leaders and frames the hospital as a community-scale investment rather than a single-organisation project.
Context and Relevance
This is significant for residents, healthcare professionals and local business leaders. For families it promises closer access to specialised paediatric care; for the local economy it signals a major health‑care infrastructure investment and new jobs. It also shows how civic and corporate leaders in Las Vegas — including major figures from the gaming sector — are being mobilised to back large-scale health projects. The hospital would address long-standing gaps in Nevada’s paediatric capacity and reduce the need for out-of-state travel for complex care.
Why should I read this?
Quick heads-up: if you live in Nevada or work in health, education or local government, this affects you. Big-name Vegas leaders are fronting a near-$1bn push to build the region’s first standalone children’s hospital — that means more local specialists, new jobs and fewer trips out of state for sick kids. It’s a proper community-level shift, not just another donation drive.
Author style
Punchy: this isn’t token PR — the Hornbuckles’ involvement gives the campaign real momentum. If you care about local healthcare capacity or regional development, read the detail — it spells out timelines, economic impact and why Nevada needs this now.
