ARMC appoints Carlos Prieto as chief operating and strategy officer

"San Bernardino County Update", yellow arrowhead and "SBCounty.gov

Carlos Prieto, a man wearing a dark suit, white shirt, and blue patterned tie, with glasses, and a trimmed beard, standing outdoors with a blurred background of greenery and building. — *Carlos Prieto, DrPH, MBA, FACHE.*

Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (ARMC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Carlos Prieto, DrPH, MBA, FACHE, as the hospital’s chief operating and strategy officer. Prieto will oversee day-to-day operations and strategy for ARMC, assuming this new role after serving as acting chief operating officer since November 2025.

With more than 20 years of experience in hospital operations and leadership, Prieto joined ARMC in September 2021 as associate hospital administrator for ancillary services and later served as chief of business development and strategy. Prior to ARMC, he was business operations director at Eisenhower Health’s Lucy Curci Cancer Center, affiliated with the National Cancer Institute-designated UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, and held several leadership roles at Loma Linda University Health.

“In his new capacity, Carlos will work closely with our leadership team and me to strengthen our hospital as a hub for advanced medicine and medical education in San Bernardino County,” said ARMC Chief Executive Officer Andrew Goldfrach, FACHE. “I am proud to have someone with Carlos’s experience and dedication leading this important work.”

Prieto’s responsibilities will include streamlining operations, expanding patient access to care, and supporting the growth of ARMC’s clinical services to meet community needs.

“I am honored to step into this role at ARMC,” said Prieto. “I look forward to building on our executive team’s work and advancing world-class care for the Inland Empire.”

Prieto, who is board certified in healthcare management through the American College of Healthcare Executives and certified as a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, will succeed Nanette R. Buenavidez, MSN/Ed, RN, who has served as ARMC’s chief operating officer since June 2024. Buenavidez is retiring after nearly 20 years of dedicated service to San Bernardino County.

About Arrowhead Regional Medical Center

Arrowhead Regional Medical Center is a 456-bed university-affiliated teaching hospital licensed by the California Department of Public Health, operated by San Bernardino County, and governed by the Board of Supervisors. It is ARMC’s mission, in an environment of learning and innovation, to serve our diverse community with high-quality, compassionate care. The hospital, located on a 70-acre campus in Colton, California, operates the Edward G. Hirschman Regional Burn Center, the Dev A. GnanaDev Trauma Center, a comprehensive stroke center, an inpatient behavioral health center, neonatal intensive care unit, women’s health and maternal-fetal medicine, orthopedics, five primary care centers and more. ARMC also provides more than 40 outpatient specialty care services. ARMC is helping to achieve the Countywide Vision by addressing the community’s wellness and educational needs. ARMC is the primary teaching hospital for the California University of Science and Medicine (CUSM). The university welcomed its first class of students in 2018. For more information on CUSM, visit cusm.edu. For more information about ARMC, visit arrowheadregional.org.

Additional County Update News – March 5, 2026