Small Teaching Hospital Award for Outstanding Quality and Safety
ALBUQUERQUE, December 15, 2025 — Heart Hospital of New Mexico at Lovelace Medical Center (HHNM) was named a Top Small Teaching Hospital nationally by The Leapfrog Group and is the only hospital in New Mexico to earn this distinction. This is the fifth consecutive “Top Teaching Hospital” designation for HHNM, highlighting its nationally recognized achievements in patient safety and quality.
The Top Small Hospital designation, less than 500-staffed beds, is bestowed by The Leapfrog Group, a national watchdog organization of employers and other purchasers recognized as the toughest standard-setters for health care safety and quality.
“The Heart Hospitalis proud to be among the very elite group of Top Teaching Hospitals around the country and we are especially proud of making this list for the fifth year in a row,” said Brian Miller, administrator of Heart Hospital of New Mexico at Lovelace Medical Center. “We are dedicated to providing the latest, state-of-the art procedures and clinical trials to our patients, right here in New Mexico, delivering the highest quality of cardiology services to our community.”
Over 2,400 hospitals were considered for the award and only 156 hospitals were selected as Top Hospitals, including:
- 15 Top Children’s Hospitals
- 52 Top General Hospitals
- 16 Top Rural Hospitals
- 73 Top Teaching Hospitals
To qualify for the Top Hospitals distinction, hospitals must rank top among peers on the Leapfrog Hospital Survey, which assesses hospital performance on the highest standards for quality and patient safety. To see the full list of institutions honored as 2025 Top Hospitals, visit www.leapfroggroup.org/tophospitals.
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Contact:
Whitney Alcantar, Lovelace Health System
whitney.alcantar@lovelace.com
Mobile: 505.903.0367
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 and was LVAD-accredited by The Joint Commission. 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 fifth consecutive Top Teaching Hospital from 2020 – 2025 by Leapfrog Hospital Safety for its quality of care, including practices for safer surgery and capacity to prevent medication errors and was received Joint Commission accreditation for its LVAD program in 2024. 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 lovelace.com.