LAS VEGAS, NV – In a bold new plan to increase hospital revenue streams, hospital administrators at Las Vegas Medical Center have teamed up with MGM Resorts International to expand and convert the Level II trauma center into an AAA Five Diamond Award-winning luxury resort and casino.
“Over the past few years, we’ve realized the rest of the [Las Vegas] Strip is booming, while we’ve become stagnant,” commented Dr. Ron White, CEO of Las Vegas Medical Center. “We had to go in this direction.”
MGM Resorts International is a well-known hospitality and entertainment company with numerous properties on the Las Vegas Strip, including The Bellagio, The Mirage, Luxor, Mandalay Bay, and The MGM Grand. This will be their first foray into healthcare.
“We couldn’t be more excited,” said a spokesperson for MGM. “We heard the hospital staff’s cries for more help and more resources and that’s exactly what we’ll bring: world-class restaurants, night clubs, extravagant shops, and the most comprehensive casino experience you could ever imagine.”
Tomorrow night, Las Vegas Medical Center plans to unveil the new name of the resort, casino, and entertainment complex: Ricchezza, which translates in Italian to “wealth.”
“Reimbursement from complicated inpatient stays and procedures just isn’t cutting it any more,” added White.
The first phase of construction is slated to begin in November. The hospital lobby will undergo renovations with the goal of introducing over 1,500 video slot machines, a 5,000-square-foot poker room featuring 30 tables, and numerous table games including blackjack, roulette, craps, and baccarat. The area will be smoke-free and feature 24-hour tableside dining, complimentary beverage service, 6 40” television screens, and 1 automated external defibrillator (AED).
The second phase of construction will be a bigger undertaking. The current east wing with 400 inpatient beds will be torn down to make way for 2,000 guest rooms, guest suites, and villas, and an art gallery featuring the work of glass sculptor Dale Chihuly. The current west wing containing the emergency room (ER), radiology, and intensive care units (ICUs) will be demolished, and a new a spa tower with over 500 rooms and a state-of-the-art beauty oasis will take its place.
The third and final phase of construction will see the demolition of the outpatient clinic building, all surgical suites, and pharmacy. This will create space for more important additions, including: (1) a theatre, providing the best in hospital entertainment, (2) a dining wing, showcasing the best in fine and casual dining from world-renowned chefs, (3) a wine cellar, housing over 4,000 different wines from all over the world, and (4) the Ricchezza Shops, offering the best in luxury hospital shopping.
Future guests are excited for the change.
“I can’t wait to be hospitalized next year,” said Las Vegas resident Susan Vale. “I hope I can catch both pneumonia and Cirque du Soleil!”
MGM anticipates immense success upon completion of Ricchezza and plans to fully phase out all patients and providers by January 2020, though they will be provided the opportunity to stay as waiters, waitresses, valets, and concierges.
The minimum age for admission will be 21 years.
