FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Wednesday, April 2, 2025
MEDIA CONTACT:
Bethany Khan: bkhan@culinaryunion226.org ▪ (702) 387-7088
Culinary Union celebrates the official grand opening of Culinary Health Center - Craig in North Las Vegas
Milestone advances vision of four Culinary Health Centers, establishing the Culinary Health Fund as one of the largest primary care providers in Las Vegas.
PHOTOS, LIVESTREAM, & BROLL from the Culinary Health Center – Craig grand opening
Las Vegas, NV – On Wednesday, April 2, 2025, the Culinary and Bartenders Unions, along with the Culinary Health Fund, proudly hosted the official grand opening for the third cutting-edge Culinary Health Center. The innovative, high-quality Culinary Health Center - Craig facility, which is located in North Las Vegas, will provide increased access to primary and preventive care to tens of thousands of eligible Culinary and Bartenders Union members and their families.
Approximately 800 professional staff will be employed across all Culinary Health Centers, including more than 160 health care providers such as: Doctors, dentists, pharmacists, nurses, and medical assistants. The fourth Culinary Health Center - Tropicana is opening near the Las Vegas Strip in Summer 2026.
The Culinary Health Fund’s grand opening ceremony marked the continued focus on bringing the best in health care to Culinary Union members and their families. To commemorate the milestone: D. Taylor (UNITE HERE President Emeritus), Ted Pappageorge (Secretary-Treasurer of the Culinary Union), Diana Valles (President of the Culinary Union), Jesus Vidueira (President of the Culinary Health Fund), Cynthia Kiser Murphey (Culinary Health Fund Board Trustee Member), and Scott Black (North Las Vegas City Council Mayor Pro Tem) provided remarks and participated in the celebratory grand opening with Culinary Union members and patients, Culinary Health Fund staff, and community partners.
“Today is deeply personal for me. In 1990, I was a single dad bartending at the Horseshoe when I went on strike for nine months to protect health care for my two sons. That experience taught me what solidarity truly means - when workers stand together, there’s nothing we can’t win. Since the Culinary Union was founded in 1935, it has been a generational dream to create state-of-the-art facilities like the Culinary Health Centers. Today, with the opening of our third location, we are living that dream. The Culinary Health Center - Craig represents our commitment to provide high-quality, accessible care for workers and their families - right in the heart of a community where over 32,000 Culinary Union members live,” Ted Pappageorge, Secretary-Treasurer for the Culinary Union. “For decades, Culinary Union has fought for and won health care legislation that has expanded access, strengthened patient protections, ended surprise medical bills, lowered costs, increased transparency, and have benefited all Nevadans and our entire state. This facility is built on the courage and sacrifice of tens of thousands of Culinary Union members who walked picket lines and organized for nearly a century to win health care with dignity. With a fourth center opening next year, the Culinary Health Fund is now one of the largest primary care providers in Las Vegas. Culinary Health Centers are a testament to the strength and power of Culinary Union members - guest room attendants, cocktail and food servers, porters, bellmen, cooks, bartenders, laundry and kitchen workers - who have fought for and won a better life for their families through decades of organizing.”
“As a lifelong resident of North Las Vegas, I’ve watched this site transform from a long-vacant lot into a stunning facility that will serve more than 32,000 people within just a five-mile radius. This investment in health care, in Culinary Union members, and in our city is something we’re deeply proud of,” said Scott Black, North Las Vegas City Council Mayor Pro Tem. “Located next to the beautiful Craig Ranch Park, this facility will be an asset to our community for generations to come. Congratulations to the Culinary Health Fund and the Culinary Union on this incredible achievement.”
Culinary Health Center - Craig is a state-of-the-art medical facility that includes more providers and services to care for hospitality workers and their families. The 97,000-square-foot, two-story health center features advanced medical equipment, a 2-lane drive-through pharmacy, expanded wellness classrooms, and more. Culinary Health Center - Craig was designed to create a positive and relaxing environment for patients with features such as colorful walls and paintings, as well as comfortable seating areas. The facility has 41 primary care rooms, 2 mental health counseling rooms, 15 dental care rooms, and 18 physical therapy evaluation rooms (including chiropractic and acupuncture). It also has a fully-functioning drive-thru pharmacy with 2-lanes, laboratory, physical therapy gym, and wellness classrooms. Radiology services, including x-ray, ultrasound, CT, and bone density tests, are also available at Culinary Health Center – Craig for added convenience to primary care patients. There are no copays for services at Culinary Health Centers, except for dental care.
“3 generations of my family - my mom, myself, and my daughter have benefited from Culinary Health Centers,” said Nancy Garcia, a guest room attendant at Harrah’s Casino, and Culinary Union member for 8 years. “At the Culinary Health Center, I was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis - there’s no cure, but it’s treatable. Thanks to my union health care benefits, I get my medications, appointments, and treatments without having to worry about the cost. When I was first diagnosed, it was scary and I had a lot of questions. The Culinary Health Center doctors and staff were patient with me and kind. They helped me understand I could still live a normal life with treatment. To any Culinary Union member who hasn’t used the Culinary Health Centers yet, I encourage you to go! It’s so convenient. You can get your blood work, see a doctor, and pick up your prescriptions - all in one place. The care is excellent. Everyone is friendly and professional. Being able to use the Health Center is a privilege and I’m so grateful for my union for it!”
“On behalf of the employers in the hospitality industry, I can truly say - this is a dream come true. The women and men who serve more than 45 million visitors each year are the heart of this world-class destination. Las Vegas is globally recognized for its hospitality and that’s only possible because of our incredible workforce - dedicated, talented, and healthy employees who make this city shine,” said Cynthia Kiser Murphey, a Culinary Health Fund Board Trustee Member. “As employer trustees, this moment represents something much bigger. For too long, Nevada has ranked near the bottom when it comes to health care access, quality, and outcomes. That’s unacceptable. Over a decade ago, we began a journey to change that by building a health care system that meets the needs of our industry. Today, that vision has become reality. With nearly half a million visits across three Culinary Health Centers - and more to come - we are setting a national example of what’s possible. We’re not just serving Culinary Union members and their families - we’re building a healthier, stronger community for everyone.”
The Culinary Union’s mission to provide accessible, high-quality health care began with the opening of the first Culinary Health Center - Nellis on June 19, 2017 - the first-of-its-kind in Las Vegas, exclusively serving Culinary Health Fund participants. Culinary Health Center - Durango opened its doors on May 3, 2023, expanding access to care for 60,000 hospitality workers and their families. Culinary Health Center - Craig opened on April 2, 2025 and the Tropicana location is planned to begin serving members in the Summer of 2026, giving Culinary Union members and their families four options for quality care throughout Southern Nevada.
“It is an honor to stand with you today as we celebrate the opening of our third Culinary Health Center. This facility is where hospitality meets health care, providing Culinary Union members and their families with the quality, affordable care they deserve,” said Jesus Vidueira, President of the Culinary Health Fund. “The Culinary Health Center – Craig will provide exclusive services such as oral surgery, along with all the treatment areas Culinary Union members have come to rely on. We expect to see approximately 100,000 patient visits annually at this location, and with the opening of a fourth Culinary Health Center next year, even more hospitality workers and their families will have access to the best care available. None of this would be possible without the dedication of our Health and Welfare and Pension Trustees, our employer partners, and the medical and non-medical teams who brought this vision to life. We are proud of the Culinary Union’s leadership and the Health Fund’s focus on bringing in the most talented staff, state-of-the-art services, and wellness offerings to ensure our care remains best in class.”
Culinary Union has been building a healthier Nevada since 1935, along with the Culinary Health Fund and Culinary Health Centers. The Culinary Union, through the Culinary Health Fund, is one of the largest health care consumers in the state. The Culinary Health Fund is an affiliate of the Culinary Union and it provides no-premium, full family health care benefits for over 120,000 Nevadans - the Culinary Union’s 60,000 members and their dependents. The Culinary Health Center is committed to providing high-quality care, better access to medical services, and an exceptional patient experience.
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ABOUT CULINARY UNION:
Culinary Workers Union Local 226 and Bartenders Union Local 165, Nevada affiliates of UNITE HERE, represent 60,000 workers in Las Vegas and Reno, including at most of the casino resorts on the Las Vegas Strip and in Downtown Las Vegas. UNITE HERE represents 300,000 workers in gaming, hotel, and food service industries in North America.
The Culinary Union is Nevada’s largest Latino/a, Black, AAPI, immigrant organization with members who come from 178 countries and speak over 40 different languages. We are proud to have helped over 18,000 immigrants become American citizens and new voters since 2001 through our affiliate, The Citizenship Project.
The Culinary Union has a diverse membership which is 55% women and 60% immigrants. The demographics of Culinary Union members are approximately: 54% Latino/a, 18% white, 15% Asian, 12% Black, and less than 1% Indigenous Peoples.
Culinary Union members work as: Guest room attendants, cocktail and food servers, porters, bellmen, cooks, bartenders, laundry, and kitchen workers. The Culinary Union has been fighting and winning for working families in Nevada for 90 years.
CulinaryUnion226.org / @Culinary226
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