ALBUQUERQUE, NM – December 16, 2024 – Lovelace Health System has named Mary Armijo, MBA, MS, CIS, chief operating officer (COO) of Lovelace Medical Center (LMC) and Heart Hospital of New Mexico at Lovelace Medical Center (HHNM), effective January 6, 2025.
Armijo comes to Lovelace with more than 20 years of healthcare operational experience. She most recently served as chief operating officer for 199-bed Memorial Medical Center (a division of Lifepoint Health) in Las Cruces, New Mexico, and also served as chair of the system’s Unidos Hispanic Employee Resource Group. Prior to that, she worked for Upper Peninsula Health System in Marquette, Michigan, as an associate administrator, where she was responsible for multiple ancillary departments, services lines and the construction and successful transition to a 222-bed replacement tertiary care hospital and three-story medical office building.
“We are excited to welcome Mary to the Lovelace team, and she will play a key role in enhancing operations and supporting quality care initiatives for the organization,” said Brian Miller, CEO of LMC and HHNM. “As we continue advancing healthcare in the region, Mary’s leadership will be an essential piece to building a people-centered healthcare ecosystem.”
Armijo earned a bachelor of arts in information systems & management from University of Maryland University College and a master of science in computer information systems from University of Phoenix as well as a master of business administration in healthcare management from Western Governors University.
She is a fellow of the American College of Health Care Executives (ACHE) and was awarded the ACHE Regents Award in 2023, which recognizes members who have made significant contributions to healthcare management excellence and the achievements of ACHE's goals.
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Contact:
Whitney Alcantar, Lovelace Health System
Phone: 505.903.0367
Lovelace Medical Center
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, stroke care, radiology and oncology services. LMC was recently named to U.S. News & World Report High Performing Best Hospitals, in Heart Attack, Heart Bypass surgery, Heart Failure, Kidney Failure, Stroke and COPD got 2022 -2023 and received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association Get with the Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award for 2024 for the 12th consecutive year. LMC earned Spine Surgery Program Certification from DNV for 2022- 2025 by demonstrating excellence in orthopedic surgery, including diagnosis and treatments in spine surgery as well as Primary Stroke Center Certification from DNV for 2022 – 2025 for its readiness to handle a full range of stroke-related medical problems. 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. To learn more about the state-of-the-art treatment options, innovative health care providers and award-winning quality initiatives at Lovelace Medical Center, visit lovelace.com.
Heart Hospital of New Mexico at Lovelace Medical Center
Heart Hospital of New Mexico at Lovelace Medical Center (HHNM) is New Mexico’s only hospital dedicated exclusively to cardiovascular care, including the state’s only facility performing left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implants and was recently re-credentialed by DNV through 2026 as a Ventricular Assist Device Facility. The 55-bed facility, which features a state-of-the-art hybrid operating room where surgeons can perform advanced surgical services for cardiovascular patients, has become synonymous with high quality, technologically advanced cardiac care. HHNM was named a fourth consecutive Top Teaching Hospital from 2020 - 2024 by Leapfrog Hospital Safety for its quality of care, including practices for safer surgery and capacity to prevent medication errors and has three times been named to The Best Hospital in America List for 2021 - 2023 (small teaching hospital category) by Money and the Leapfrog Group for its quality, safe care, a reputation for excellent patient experiences and an ethical approach to treatment. To learn more about the state-of-the-art treatment options, innovative health care providers and award-winning quality initiatives at Heart Hospital of New Mexico at Lovelace Medical Center, visit hearthospitalnm.com.
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