Desert View Regional Medical Center is now known as Desert View Hospital, effective Sept. 1.

The new name doesn't mean a legal change in the type of medical services offered, said Joyce Pinter, executive assistant to Desert View Chief Executive Officer Susan Davila, who suggested the change.

The 70,000 square-foot medical facility, operated by Rural Health Management Corporation, opened its doors on Wilson Road in April 2006.

"There was a lot of confusion in the community. Everything is regional medical center," Pinter said.

Pahrump already has clinics with names like Specialty Medical Center, Desert View Family Medical Center and Advanced Medical Center.

"There were still some people who didn't realize Pahrump had a hospital. So to eliminate some of the confusion we're going to Desert View Hospital," Pinter said.

While the name change is merely a question of semantics, Pinter did point to a recognizable change. Desert View Hospital now has a nuclear camera for use in the cardiac care program, she said.

Desert View will have to notify insurance companies and others of the name change. But Pinter said it isn't that complicated, since it is a change in the name of the company, doing business as Desert View Hospital.

Desert View Hospital, in a prepared release, stated it has 24 inpatient medical surgical rooms, a 24 -hour emergency room staffed by a physician, 24-hour lab services, a radiology department, respiratory therapy department, general surgical services like colonoscopies and appendectomies, birthing suites, rehabilitation services like physical therapy, infusion therapy and pediatric care.

The hospital accepts most insurance, such as Aetna, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Health Plan of Nevada, National Preferred Provider Network, Medicare, Tricare, Cigna, Nevada Medicaid, Senior Dimensions, Sierra Health and Life, Sierra Healthcare Options, Universal Healthcare Network, Summerlin health and Life, Beech Street and the Affiliated Network.