Southern Nevada public health officials offer peek at new facility

The building still looks more like a Target than a medical facility, but in a few months the site at 280 South Decatur Blvd. will be the new home of the Southern Nevada Health District.

Officials with the district, architectural firm PGAL and construction manager Martin Harris offered a sneak peek Wednesday at what will be the new, permanent public health facility serving Southern Nevadans. The building is being renovated to accommodate health district clinics and its other services with an estimated opening in early 2016.

The public health center will be the culmination of eight years of effort during which the district regularly set aside tax money to come up with the resources needed to secure a permanent site.

District Chief Health Officer Dr. Joe Iser said the center will centralize services from three other facilities currently in existence. The district also will continue to offer services at satellite clinics, including Mesquite and Laughlin.

"This was a long, tortured process," Las Vegas Councilman Bob Beers said. "We will not be paying rent, and that represents dollars that we'll be able to put back into the provision of public health and safety in our valley."

Christopher Larson of PGAL said the 120,000-square-foot center in the center of the Las Vegas metropolitan area will consolidate services and offer convenience to Southern Nevadans.

"All of the public clinic areas up in the front will be served by an open mall," Larson said. "It will be a welcoming place with easily recognizable signage."

The rejuvenation of the facility also will help the part of Las Vegas known as redevelopment area No. 2, which has experienced a number of store closures.

"Not too long ago, this was a thriving commercial center," said Beers who also is a member of the district Board of Health. "With the return of people to the neighborhood, who will be coming here to get their health cards and EMT licenses, and get their firetrucks and ambulances checked out, the city is hopeful that we'll see a resurgence in this whole corner."

The public health agency bought the 100,000-square-foot building and four adjacent storefronts in December for $6.5 million. Renovations are expected to cost an additional $5 million.

The new public health center will include environmental health services, immunizations, nursing clinic services, Food Handler Safety Training services, EMS services, epidemiology, informatics, public health preparedness and disease investigation.

Health district staff have developed a phased move-in schedule for the new facility. If construction and renovations go as scheduled, the first Health District programs, including clinical and customer-service oriented programs such as vital records, emergency medical services and food handler cards, will be moved in December .

The remaining programs will be phased in later with administrative services being the last to move.

Contact Steven Moore at smoore@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4563.