Intermountain Health has announced a new president for its children’s hospital, despite already announcing one last year.
Russ Williams will now serve as president of Intermountain Health’s Nevada Children’s Hospital, which will be the first freestanding children’s hospital in the state, the health system announced Friday.
Williams has served in senior positions at Texas Children’s Hospital in Austin; Seattle Children’s; Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health; and the University of Minnesota Medical Center.
“Nevada Children’s Hospital represents one of the most important investments we can make in the future of our region,” said Mitch Cloward, Intermountain’s regional president, in the news release. “Russ brings the proven leadership, vision and expertise needed to steer this critical work forward.”
Previously, Intermountain Health announced Lawrence Barnard as president in March. Barnard was previously CEO of University Medical Center and regional AVP of pediatrics for Intermountain Health.
According to Intermountain Health, Barnard left the health system to “pursue other opportunities.”
“We appreciate his contribution to bringing the first freestanding children’s hospital to the state of Nevada and wish him well in his future endeavors,” Intermountain said in a statement to the Review-Journal.
The Review-Journal sat down with Barnard to talk about his plans for the upcoming Children’s Hospital in April.
Barnard’s LinkedIn profile shows he has not been with Intermountain Health since October. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment about his departure.
In October 2024, the site was unveiled for the children’s hospital, which will be built on approximately 34 acres at UNLV’s 122-acre Harry Reid Research and Technology Park in the southwest valley. In rough numbers, the hospital will be 710,000 square feet with over 200 beds, Cloward previously told the Review-Journal.
The project is expected to break ground in early 2026 and open in 2030. Currently, the hospital’s design, clinical activities and staff planning, which includes recruitment, are underway.
The hospital hopes to bring pediatric medical and surgical subspecialists to the region, including ear, nose and throat surgeons, neurosurgeons and behavioral health specialists, Cloward said.
A fundraising effort is underway, with Intermountain Health saying it is committing to fund two-thirds of the $1 billion project needed to complete the hospital project.
“This is more than a philanthropic campaign — this is a historic moment,” David Flood, president of the Intermountain Foundation and chief development officer at Intermountain Health, said in a statement. “We’re essentially betting two dollars for every dollar of philanthropic support invested by our community because we believe this hospital deserves nothing less than bold, visionary partnership.”
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