Santa Fe — Presbyterian Santa Fe Medical Center plans to open a new cardiac catheterization lab in July 2027, a move hospital leaders say will expand around-the-clock access to diagnostic and interventional heart care in Northern New Mexico.
Faster, local care for time-sensitive heart attacks
The $6 million facility will allow physicians to perform diagnostic catheterizations and emergency procedures locally, rather than transfer patients to facilities in Albuquerque or beyond. Hospital officials said the lab is intended to reduce delays between a patient’s arrival and treatment for severe heart attacks — a measure clinicians call “door-to-balloon” time — where minutes can affect survival and long-term outcomes.
Dr. Leonardo Macias, a cardiologist with Presbyterian Heart Group, emphasized the urgency of rapid treatment for acute coronary events.
“In heart attacks, you’re talking about very time-sensitive care, right? … Minutes matter,”
Currently, patients presenting with certain severe heart attacks at Santa Fe must be transferred to catheterization-capable centers in Albuquerque. The new lab aims to change that by providing continuous coverage for emergency percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) and diagnostic studies.
Staffing and financial context
Presbyterian officials acknowledged a national and statewide shortage of cardiologists and other clinical staff and said they are already planning recruitment to ensure the lab is staffed 24 hours a day. The system’s leadership has committed that direct patient-care positions are not part of recent administrative layoffs.
Presbyterian Healthcare Services reported an annual operating loss of $568.2 million in a December financial disclosure and announced plans in June to cut 150 employees. Hospital leadership said those reductions were limited to administrative roles and would not affect bedside clinical staffing for the new cardiac services.
Callie Miller, chief executive of Presbyterian Santa Fe Medical Center, described the expansion as a step that will raise the hospital’s capacity to treat sicker patients locally.
“It’s really going to raise the acuity level of the patients that we’re able to care for at the hospital,”
Regional need and expected impact
The timing of the project comes as heart disease remains the leading cause of death in Northern New Mexico, according to data cited by the hospital from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities. Local access to rapid interventional cardiology can reduce time to treatment, shorten or eliminate the need for emergency transfers and, in some cases, improve survival and recovery.
Hospital leaders say the Santa Fe campus long has had the physical space for a catheterization lab but lacked the equipment and staffing to operate one. The planned July 2027 opening follows months of planning and investment in infrastructure and personnel recruitment.
What patients and EMS providers should expect
When the lab opens, patients arriving with chest pain and signs of an ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) — the heart attack type most often treated with emergent catheterization and stenting — could be evaluated and treated at Santa Fe rather than transferred. That change is expected to shorten door-to-treatment intervals for many patients in Santa Fe and surrounding communities.
- Planned opening: July 2027
- Estimated project cost: $6 million
- Services: diagnostic catheterizations and 24/7 interventional care
- Staffing: recruitment underway for cardiologists, nurse practitioners and clinical staff
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Project cost | $6 million |
| Planned opening | July 2027 |
| System operating loss (reported) | $568.2 million |
| Administrative layoffs announced | 150 positions |
Officials said they will provide details in the months ahead about staffing patterns, referral protocols and coordination with emergency medical services. For now, the announcement signals an important expansion of advanced cardiac care for a region where rapid access to interventional treatment has been limited.
As Presbyterian Santa Fe Medical Center moves toward construction and recruitment, patients and clinicians in Northern New Mexico will watch closely for how the new lab affects transfer patterns, treatment times and outcomes once it becomes operational.
