Lovelace Medical Center

Overview

Lovelace Medical Center (LMC), located in the heart of Albuquerque, is a 263-bed acute care hospital with over 1,100 employees providing comprehensive care, including around-the-clock emergency care, surgical services, non-invasive robotic spine surgery, cardiology, award-winning stroke care, radiology and oncology services. We are proud to be certified as a primary stroke center by DNV-GL, demonstrating our dedication to excellent stroke care. LMC also offers inpatient adult behavior health, neurological and rehabilitation services.

The American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) awarded LMC, one of only 249 programs in the world, the Practice Transitional Accreditation Program (PTAP) for 2023, signifying that the hospital is following best practices and utilizing an evidence-based curriculum that is focused on helping the new graduate nurse transition from student nurse into professional nursing practice.

2024 Overview

• Number of employees: 1155
• Licensed beds: 318
• Inpatient admissions: 12,048
• Outpatient visits: 132,092 (combined with Heart Hospital of New Mexico)
• Emergency Department visits: 32,827
• Surgical cases: 6,747

Services

• 24/7 Emergency Department
• Adult ICU
• Cardiovascular ICU
• Cardiology Services
• Dialysis
• Gamma Knife Center of New Mexico
• Inpatient PT, OT and Speech Therapy
• Medical Oncology
• Pulmonology and respiratory therapy
• Radiation Oncology
• Radiology Services
• Stroke and neurology unit
• Surgical Services

Awards

• The Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval for all services surveyed, 2024
• The Joint Commission Gold Seal of Approval(R) for Advanced Certification in Spine Surgery, 2024
• Money – The Leapfrog Group, The Best Hospital for Billing Ethics, 2022
• U.S. News & World Report High Performing “Best Hospitals,” in Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair (2023-2024), Heart Attack (2022- 2024), Aortic Valve surgery (2023 - 2024), Heart Bypass surgery (2022 - 2024), Heart Failure (2022- 2024), Stroke (2022 - 2024), Hip Replacement (2023- 2024), Knee Replacement (2023- 2024) and COPD (2022 -2023)
• DNV Primary Stroke Center Certification, 2022 - 2025
• DNV Quality Management System Certification, 2022-2025
• DNV Spine Surgery Program Certification, 2022 - 2025
• New Mexico Hospital Association/American Hospital Association Quest for Excellence Award Winner, Honorable Mention, General Acute Hospital, 2022
• U.S. News & World Report “Best Hospitals,” in Congestive Heart Failure, Heart Attack, 2021-2022
• Healthgrades 2020 Specialty Excellence Awards: Pulmonology Care Excellence, 2020
• American Heart Association/American Stroke Association “Get with the Guidelines” Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award, 2012-2023 (Target Honor Roll - Elite Plus, 2019-2023)
• Accredited in radiation oncology by the America College of Radiology, 2017-2026

Quality

Sustained Improvement in Reducing Patient Harm

MissionZero is Lovelace Medical Center’s commitment to providing a culture of safety for patients, their loved ones, and one another. It is evident in every decision and action we take, understanding that we all contribute to creating a safe environment, whether we care for patients or support those who do. In alignment with our MissionZero journey to prevent patient harm, Lovelace Medical Center (LMC) created a goal to reduce C.Diff infection rates in our hospital. Clostridium Difficile, C.Diff, is a highly contagious gastrointestinal bacteria that can lead to extended length of stay, increased pain, and other complications. Our goal was to reduce our C. Diff infection rates by 50% in one year by practicing purposeful reviews, partnering with our providers to ensure use of appropriate testing and treatments, and embedding Infection Control oversight into our practice. We are proud to say we not only exceeded our goal but we sustained the results for over 5 consecutive quarters. Our journey to accomplishing this goal has not only improved patient safety but also elevated the quality of care we deliver.

2023 Lovelace Medical Center Reducing C. Diff Download

Health Equity Commitment

Lovelace Medical Center and Heart Hospital recognize that disparities in care can have a detrimental effect on the quality of care. Research has shown that patients who are racial and ethnic minorities may be more prone to medical errors, have longer hospital stays and more frequent avoidable readmissions. According to the Joint Commission, language barriers coupled with low health rates and cultural barriers may also contribute to adverse events. To demonstrate equity as a strategic priority, Lovelace Medical Center and Heart Hospital now includes health equity data collection, analysis, and application of quality improvement initiatives. An additional goal of 2024 will include a data collection plan for social determinants of health to further advance equity efforts. This includes a new program that offers improved access and referrals to high risk patients needing lung screening. The hospital also engages in the national collaborative by Convergence Health around health equity and social determinants of health to obtain best practices and garner ideas for improvement.