Trustee
CEO – Lovelace Medical Center and Heart Hospital of New Mexico

Derrick Cuenca, chief executive officer of Lovelace Medical Center (LMC) and Heart Hospital of New Mexico at Lovelace Medical Center, came to Lovelace Health System in December of 2020.

LMC is the flagship hospital of the Lovelace Health System, dedicated to exceeding patients’ expectations and offering unparalleled health care. It offers New Mexico’s only Gamma Knife Center, specializing in non-invasive brain surgery. LMC is home to a state-of-the-art Cancer Care program, which features the state’s most advanced technology and most experienced team in the fight against cancer. It has also earned The Joint Commission’s certification as a Primary Stroke Center, as well as the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Gold Plus award for commitment to quality patient care.

Derrick brings considerable healthcare experience to this position, most recently serving as CEO of MountainView Regional Medical Center and MountainView Medical Group in Las Cruces, NM, where he was responsible for its 168-bed acute care hospital, a free-standing emergency department, three urgent care clinics, a multi-specialty physician group (120 providers), two joint venture ambulatory surgery centers and 1,600 employees. Derrick oversaw expansion of physician services and specialties, surgical services and the addition of operating rooms to accommodate community need. Finally, he led the executive team, directors and managers to drive operational/quality improvement, receiving the 2019 Quest for Excellence Award in the large hospital category from the New Mexico Hospital Association for advancing patient safety, performance improvement, and quality.

Prior to his role at MountainView, Derrick was CEO of Lake Granbury Medical Center (LGMC) and Lakeside Physicians in Granbury, TX, where he led 700 employees at the 83-bed medical center and physician group. Under his leadership, LGMC improved its CMS ranking from 2 stars to 4 stars.

Derrick earned a bachelor of science degree in healthcare management from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois as well as a master of science degree in health care administration from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. He served nine years in the United States Navy, earning three Navy and Marine Corps achievement medals.