Quality complaints spur probe into N.M. medical center

Albuquerque (N.M.) Regional Medical Center, a 128-bed for-profit Lovelace Sandia Health System hospital, was probed by New Mexico's Department of Health following complaints about healthcare quality, said department spokeswoman Deborah Davis. The four-day examination ended March 3, Davis said, though she declined to discuss the findings of the visit until a report is released by the department; the report is expected within a few weeks. Lovelace Sandia officials will act on the findings of the investigation, which was conducted alongside an unannounced CMS survey, as soon as it's released, said Shea Davis, a spokeswoman for Ardent Health Services, the system's owner. -- by Paul Barr