Lovelace Health System

Lovelace Health System is a healthcare company which operates six hospitals in New Mexico, five in Albuquerque and one in Roswell. It is one of New Mexico's largest employers^[1] with 3,659 employees as of 2020.^[2] The company grew out of the Lovelace Clinic founded in 1922, one of the pioneers of group medical practice in the United States. The clinic was best known for conducting physical evaluations of 32 astronaut candidates in 1959 which helped to select the Mercury Seven, the first Americans to travel into space. The clinic also administered testing for an unofficial "women in space" program, during which 13 women—later nicknamed the Mercury 13—were named as prospective astronauts, though they never traveled to space.

Lovelace Health System

Lovelace Medical Center, the company's flagship hospital
Industry	Healthcare
Founded	1922
Founder	William Randolph Lovelace Edgar T. Lassetter
Headquarters	Albuquerque, New Mexico
Owner	Ardent Health Services
Number of employees	3,659 (2020)
Website	https://lovelace.com/

From 1947 to 1985, the company was a nonprofit institution owned and operated by the Lovelace Foundation for Medical Education and Research (now a separate entity, Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute). Lovelace was subsequently reorganized as a for-profit hospital network and has been under the ownership of Ardent Health Services since 2002.

History

 

The First National Bank Building housed the clinic from 1923 to 1950.

The clinic was established in 1922 by William Randolph Lovelace (1883–1968)^[3] and his brother-in-law Edgar T. Lassetter (1875–1948),^[4] both of whom had originally moved to New Mexico to recover from tuberculosis.^[5] In 1946, William Randolph Lovelace II, a nephew of both Lovelace and Lassetter, joined the practice. He had previously worked at the Mayo Clinic and had connections in the aviation industry, which helped turn the Lovelace Clinic into a leader in aerospace medicine. Lovelace II quickly took on a leadership role at the clinic and was instrumental in its 1947 reorganization as a nonprofit under the control of the Lovelace Foundation for Medical Education and Research.^[6][7] Another notable physician, Clayton Sam White, was hired as the foundation's first director of research.^[8]

 

William Randolph Lovelace II, 1943

In 1950, the clinic moved from its original location on the third floor of the First National Bank Building to a new purpose-built facility at Gibson and Ridgecrest in the Southeast Heights designed by office of John Gaw Meem.^[9][10] By the 1950s, the Lovelace Clinic was considered one of the "Big Six" group practice clinics in the United States along with the Mayo Clinic, Lahey Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Ochsner Clinic, and Henry Ford Hospital.^[7] The medical staff grew from 22 physicians in 1947 to 75 in 1965 and 151 in 1986.^[7] In 1959, the clinic conducted physical evaluations of 32 astronaut candidates which helped to select the Mercury Seven, the first Americans to travel into space.^[11] At Lovelace II's suggestion, the clinic also administered testing for an unofficial "women in space" program,^[12] during which 13 women—later nicknamed the Mercury 13—were named as prospective astronauts, though they never traveled to space.

In 1972, the Lovelace Clinic partnered with the neighboring Bataan Memorial Hospital to launch one of the first two health maintenance organizations (HMOs) in New Mexico,^[13] and in 1973 the clinic and hospital merged as the Lovelace Center for the Health Sciences.^[14] In 1985, seeking funding to remodel and expand its aging hospital complex, Lovelace reorganized as a for-profit company, Lovelace Inc., which was jointly owned by the Hospital Corporation of America and the Lovelace Foundation.^[15][16] In 1990, HCA's 80% share of the company was acquired by Cigna, which then bought the remaining 20% in 1991. At the time of the sale, Lovelace operated a 235-bed hospital, 16 clinics, and the 120,000-member HMO.^[17] Afterwards, the company was no longer affiliated with the Lovelace Foundation, which remains in operation as the Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute.

In 2002, the company was purchased by Ardent Health Services, which effected a merger between Lovelace and St. Joseph Hospital. This changed Lovelace's structure from its previous self-contained group practice model to a conventional hospital system, and increased the number of hospitals under its control from one to five.^[18] The former St. Joseph Regional Medical Center became the flagship hospital of the system and the original Lovelace hospital closed in 2007.^[19]

Hospitals

Lovelace Medical Center

Since 2002, the flagship Lovelace hospital has been the Lovelace Medical Center in the Martineztown-Santa Barbara neighborhood of central Albuquerque. The hospital opened in 1902 as St. Joseph Hospital and was expanded with a new building in 1930 which is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The current hospital building was completed in 1968 and has 263 licensed beds.^[20]

Other hospitals

• Lovelace Women's Hospital (opened 1982 as Heights General Hospital; 120 licensed beds)^[21][22]
• Lovelace Westside Hospital (opened 1984 as St. Joseph West Mesa Hospital; 80 licensed beds)^[23][24]
• Lovelace UNM Rehabilitation Hospital (opened 1988; 62 licensed beds)^[25]
• Heart Hospital of New Mexico at Lovelace Medical Center (opened 1999; 55 licensed beds)^[26][27]
• Lovelace Regional Hospital, Roswell (27 licensed beds)

Former hospital

The original Lovelace Medical Center opened in 1952 as Bataan Memorial Methodist Hospital and was remodeled and expanded in 1987. At the time of its closure in 2007, the hospital had 203 licensed beds.^[28][19] In 2021, the city of Albuquerque purchased the former hospital with the intention of turning it into a "Gateway Center" providing shelter and medical services for people experiencing homelessness.^[29]

References

1. "New Mexico's Largest Employers". New Mexico Partnership. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
2. "Community Report for 2020" (PDF). Lovelace Health System. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
3. "'Uncle Doc' Lovelace Is Dead Here at 85". Albuquerque Journal. December 5, 1968. Retrieved May 18, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
4. "Last Rites Today for Dr. Lassetter, Pioneer Physician". Albuquerque Journal. June 29, 1948. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
5. "Origin of Clinic, New Objectives Are Set Forth". Albuquerque Journal. September 26, 1947. Retrieved February 23, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
6. "Lovelace Clinic Announces Million Dollar Foundation". Albuquerque Journal. September 26, 1947. Retrieved May 21, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
7. Hamner, James E. (1989). "Review of The Lovelace Medical Center: Pioneer in American Health Care, Jake W. Spidle, Jr". Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences. 44 (4): 535–537. doi:10.1093/jhmas/44.4.535. ISSN 0022-5045. JSTOR 24633088. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
8. Martin, Douglas (May 2, 2004). "Sam White, 91, researcher on effects of A-Bombs, dies". New York Times. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
9. "Lovelace Announces New Million Dollar Clinic". Albuquerque Journal. February 6, 1949. Retrieved February 23, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
10. "Lovelace Clinic Dedication Will Mark Start of 'Medical City'". Albuquerque Journal. November 2, 1950. Retrieved February 23, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
11. Link, Mae Mills (1965). "Chapter 5 - Medical Aspects of Astronaut Selection and Training". Space Medicine In Project Mercury. NASA. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
12. Cochran, Jacqueline (April 30, 1961). "Women in Space". Parade. p. 8. Retrieved May 18, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
13. Hoffman, Will (November 8, 1972). "Health Maintenance Organizations Enroll Sandia Laboratory Employes". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
14. "Lovelace Clinic, Bataan Hospital Reveal Merger". Albuquerque Journal. January 5, 1973. Retrieved May 22, 2021.
15. Spice, Byron (June 29, 1984). "Lovelace Unveils New $40 Million Hospital Project". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved May 23, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
16. "Ground Broken For $43 Million Medical Complex". Albuquerque Journal. March 5, 1985. Retrieved May 23, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
17. Graham, Rex (March 27, 1991). "East Coast Insurer Buys 20% of Lovelace Inc.'s Stock". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
18. Quigley, Winthrop (January 5, 2006). "A brief history explains the changes at Lovelace". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved May 23, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
19. Quigley, Winthrop (June 30, 2007). "Lovelace Focuses on Downtown". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved May 24, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
20. "Lovelace Medical Center". Lovelace Health System. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
21. Spice, Byron (December 1, 1982). "Heights Hospital Remains Osteopathic". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
22. "Lovelace Women's Hospital". Lovelace Health System. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
23. "Lovelace Westside Hospital". Lovelace Health System. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
24. Spice, Byron (July 18, 1984). "West Mesa Hospital Plans End-of-Month Opening". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
25. "Lovelace UNM Rehabilitation Hospital". Lovelace Health System. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
26. O'Dowd, Gayle Geis (October 27, 1999). "Heart Hospital Cuts the Ribbon". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved May 24, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
27. "About Us". Heart Hospital of New Mexico. Retrieved May 24, 2021.
28. Penrose, Steve (April 24, 1977). "Lovelace Still Growing 25 Years Later". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved February 23, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
29. Dyer, Jessica (March 31, 2021). "Gateway Center aims to provide 'medical respite'". Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved May 24, 2021.