Lovelace Health System Helps Keep Albuquerque Residents in Tip-Top Shape
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Providing good health care for a community requires more than just outstanding medical services and staff – it’s also about being in the right place at the right time.
With four acute-care hospitals‚ a rehab center‚ a health plan‚ medical laboratories‚ the Lovelace Sandia Medical Group‚ six pediatric clinics and 15 neighborhood health centers in the state‚ Lovelace Health System has striven to be accessible to its patients‚ wherever and whenever they are in need.
But 2006 was a particularly important year for the giant medical organization – one of New Mexico’s largest employers – in terms of patient accessibility.
With an eye toward reaching more patients‚ Lovelace Medical Center merged with Albuquerque Regional Medical Center in downtown Albuquerque‚ part of a systemwide‚ $80 million devel opment and expansion plan.
“Our goal is to offer our patients easy access to the highest level of care‚ plain and simple‚” says Rob Stern‚ president and CEO of Lovelace Health System. “Our commitment to this community runs deep.”
The hospital merger prompted a $60 million renovation and expansion of the new Lovelace Medical Center-Down town‚ including a new cardiology center‚ expanded emergency department‚ patient floor renovations and upgraded infra structure and exteriors. The new hospital‚ considered the flagship facility for the system‚ is scheduled for completion in 2007.
“Also in 2007‚ we will complete a $13.8 million expansion of the Lovelace Women’s Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit‚ adding 30 beds and allowing our unit to treat newborn patients who otherwise would have to be taken out of state‚” Stern says.
In the past few years‚ the company completed expansion of its Lovelace Westside Hospital complex‚ adding a medical pavilion and expanding hospital services‚ including invasive cardiac procedures. And it became partners with the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center‚ provided expanded oncol ogy and high-risk pregnancy services.
Why the investment in Albuquerque? Well‚ for starters‚ Lovelace Health Systems began here in the early years of the 20th century‚ with the ground breaking work of Dr. William Randolph Lovelace. And then there is the future.
“Albuquerque is a growing area‚ and the business outlook is very bright‚” Stern says. “We made our investment in Albuquerque and New Mexico because we thought it was the Southwest’s best-kept secret. Clearly‚ that secret is starting to get out.”
Story by Laura Hill
Photo by Brian McCord
