Cliff Wilson
Chief Executive Officer
Lovelace Health System
Bio
Cliff Wilson brings nearly two decades of healthcare leadership experience and a strong track record of operational excellence, clinical performance and strategic growth.
Wilson most recently served as market president and CEO for Lifepoint Health’s Central Kentucky region, where he oversaw four acute care hospitals and led initiatives to improve patient outcomes, expand access to care, and strengthen community partnerships. Under his leadership, the market experienced significant improvements in quality, recruitment and financial performance. During his 14-year tenure with Lifepoint, he held a variety of leadership roles including hospital CEO, COO, and senior director of physician services.
Wilson joins Lovelace at a time of growth, as the system has recently added new locations and services and broken ground on new facilities to meet the evolving needs of patients across New Mexico.
A member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, Wilson is a graduate of the University of Florida Warrington College of Business and holds an MBA in healthcare management from Western Governors University.
Vesta Sandoval, MD
Chief Medical Officer
Lovelace Health System
Bio
As an integral part of the Lovelace family, Dr. Sandoval has served as past Chief of Staff at Lovelace Medical Center, Chair of the Ethics Committee, and served as chair or member of Critical Care, Stroke, Peer Review and Credentials Committees. She also served as the Director of the intensive care unit (ICU) and Director of Respiratory services for Lovelace Westside Hospital, Lovelace Women’s Hospital and Lovelace Medical Center. She is the immediate past president of the Greater Albuquerque Medical Association (GAMA) and currently serves on their Board.
Dr Sandoval was born and raised in New Mexico, graduating from Los Lunas High School and attending college on a basketball scholarship.
Dr. Sandoval received a bachelor of science degree from University of Texas at Arlington in Arlington, TX and a master of science degree from University of Houston at Clear Lake in Houston, TX. She earned her degree in medicine from Texas Tech University Health Science Center in Lubbock, TX. Dr. Sandoval completed her internal medicine residency at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine, as well as her fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care medicine.
Dr. Sandoval has been a Fellow of American Chest Physicians since 2001. She was named a Top Doc by ABQ the Magazine in 2012.
Meredith Nelson
Chief Financial Officer for the Americas Region
Lovelace Health System
Bio
Meredith is a CPA with a bachelor’s degree from Tulane University and an MBA from Belmont University. She has 29 years of healthcare finance experience working for HCA, Lifepoint, Capella/RCCH, Quorum and Ardent.
She joined Ardent in 2023 as the CFO of BSA Health System. Prior to that she was in Oregon for 10 years, first as CFO of Willamette Valley Medical Center in McMinnville and then as CFO of McKenzie-Willamette Medical Center in Springfield. She held multiple senior financial leadership roles during her 8-year tenure with Lifepoint Health.
In her role, Meredith will oversee financial operations for Ardent in New Mexico, Idaho, Kansas, and New Jersey. She will partner closely with market and facility CFOs to lead budget planning, financial strategy, and operational performance.