Bill and Wendy Hornbuckle to lead fundraising campaign for children's hospital

MGM Resorts International President and CEO Bill Hornbuckle has committed to help support the Nevada Campaign for Kids initiative along with his wife, Wendy, in an effort to bring the first-ever stand-alone children's hospital to Southern Nevada.

"We're proud to support Intermountain Health's vision for healthy children in Nevada, and to help rally our community around this vital cause," Hornbuckle said.

"Like the health of our children, this campaign is bigger than one organization; it's an investment in Nevada's families, our friends and neighbors, our future workforce, families and economic development. It will change lives, and it takes a community to do it."

Bill and Wendy Hornbuckle were named as Co-Chairs of the campaign, which is organized through the Intermountain Foundation, a philanthropic arm of Intermountain Healthcare, and hopes to raise funds for the $1bn facility expected to break ground in 2026.

The facility is set to be located at University of Nevada, Las Vegas' Harry Reid Research and Technology Park, as Las Vegas represents the only metro area in the US with a population of at least 2 million to not hold a freestanding children's hospital, according to Intermountain Healthcare.

"As parents and proud Nevadans, we know there's nothing more important than a child's health, and we are inspired by Intermountain's vision to create a place of healing and hope for children and their families," Wendy Hornbuckle said.

Intermountain Healthcare officials currently predict an opening date of 2030 for the hospital, which is expected to create over $841m in annual economic output for Las Vegas and offer approximately 1,300 jobs to residents.

"With the Hornbuckles' trusted leadership and guidance, we will make transformative health care possible and accessible to every child in Nevada," Intermountain Healthcare Chief Development Officer and Intermountain Foundation President David Flood said.

"Together, we will make history while impacting generations."

The healthcare provider also stated more than 29,000 children were forced to travel outside of Nevada for comprehensive speciality care in 2023 alone, as the state currently ranks 48th in the US for pediatricians per capita.