Luis (Lou) Puentes, MBA, MA, BSN, is Chief Operating Officer of Lehigh Valley Hospital (LVH)–Cedar Crest, LVH–17th Street and Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN)–Tilghman. He also is Vice President of Operations and Public Safety, overseeing emergency operations at LVHN.      

Prior to his current role, Mr. Puentes served as President of LVH–Hecktown Oaks, located in Lower Nazareth Township, Northampton County, where he was responsible for overall operations as well as the continuous expansion and growth of the hospital campus.

Mr. Puentes began his LVHN career in 2002 as an emergency department nurse at LVH–Cedar Crest before joining the LVHN MedEvac flight crew in 2007. His leadership journey began in 2011 when he assumed the role of Director, Emergency Preparedness. He has served as Vice President of Operations and Public Safety since 2020, overseeing numerous departments and functions including security, emergency preparedness, the communications center, food and environmental services, and others. Mr. Puentes and his team also played a key role in LVHN’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including the coordination and function of our vaccination clinics.

Mr. Puentes received his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Seton Hall University, and a Master of Arts in Emergency and Disaster Management and Master of Business Administration from American Military University.