LAS VEGAS, July 9, 2025
Intermountain Health has selected The PENTA Building Group in partnership with Jacobsen Construction to build the first-ever stand-alone comprehensive children’s hospital in Nevada.
The selection of these construction firms brings a wealth of experience to the historic project, combining PENTA’s familiarity and expertise in leading large-scale projects in Nevada with Jacobsen’s innovative and expansive knowledge in healthcare construction, which includes the second Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital campus that opened in Lehi, Utah, in early 2024.
“It was vital for us in the contractor selection to bring both ingenuity and craftmanship along with the aspect of homegrown Nevada connections,” said Lawrence Barnard, president of the Intermountain Health Nevada Children’s Hospital. “The Nevada Children’s Hospital is poised to be state-of-art, welcoming families close to home with the compassionate service for which Intermountain is known.”
The new Intermountain children’s hospital represents one of the most significant and exciting opportunities to elevate children’s health in Nevada. Philanthropy and community partnerships are critical to make this vision a reality, and campaign planning is underway.
When complete, the Intermountain pediatric healthcare facility will be the first stand-alone hospital in Nevada that is fully and comprehensively dedicated to children’s health. This includes specialty-based care, such as oncology and cardiovascular services, among others that patients currently must travel out-of-state to receive.
“The Intermountain Health Children’s Hospital is going to be an incredible addition to the Las Vegas community, and The PENTA Building Group is excited to partner with Jacobson Construction to help make it a reality,” said John Cannito, president and CEO of PENTA. “As a local Las Vegas contractor, we see this as more than just another construction project; it’s an opportunity to be part of something amazing that is going to make Southern Nevada a better place for our families and friends. We are proud to be selected by Intermountain Health as a partner in this historic initiative.”
“For Jacobsen Construction, joining Penta in the building and delivery of this project is the culmination of two decades of continuous close work with Intermountain Healthcare to deliver inspiring projects that serve the most vulnerable in our communities,” said Jacobsen President and CEO Gary Ellis. “We have treasured the many years of working on impactful projects at Primary Children’s and many other Intermountain facilities. To be entrusted by them with this truly once-in-a-generation project, and to be able to draw on that longstanding relationship to solve problems together for this facility is an amazing privilege.”
Jacobsen’s construction leadership will be headed by Vice President Blake Court, whose continuous work with Intermountain spans more than 19 years.
In January, the firms Shepley Bulfinch and Gensler were announced as architects for the project and subsequently began design work. Last week, Intermountain Health, The Gardner Group, and the UNLV Research Foundation signed agreements for a comprehensive children’s hospital to be built on the land at the UNLV Research and Technology Park.
Groundbreaking is expected in early 2026, with the hospital projected to open by 2030.
The 200-bed hospital will provide highly specialized care for children and families in Nevada, give the state a $724 million economic boost during five years of anticipated construction, and deliver $841 million in annual economic output once the hospital opens, according to an independent research study conducted by Applied Analysis.
Intermountain Health offers patient care at more than 80 clinics at over 65 locations across southern Nevada. With its extended provider network, Intermountain Health delivers patient-centered primary, specialty, and urgent care services to approximately 350,000 southern Nevadans in Clark and Nye counties.
Follow the Intermountain Health’s Nevada Children’s Hospital for updates.
