Miguel Puig-Palomar, MD, is a board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon who also practices vascular surgery and whose career has been guided by a simple aim: bring advanced heart and vascular care closer to home. With more than four decades of clinical experience, he has served patients in California’s North State since joining Enloe Health’s medical staff in 2006 and now serves as Medical Director of Cardiothoracic surgery in Chico.

When Dr. Puig-Palomar arrived at Enloe nearly two decades ago, he helped expand cardiothoracic and vascular services for the region and introduced new minimally invasive surgical options not previously available locally. These included advanced thoracic and endovascular interventions in the chest, abdomen and pelvis, growing the community’s capacity to deliver sophisticated care and reducing the need for patients to travel long distances for advanced therapies. His innovative work catalyzed and inspired other physicians at Enloe to learn, train, and adopt these innovative procedures—building a stronger regional foundation for complex thoracic and cardiovascular care. Fluent in English and Spanish, he is known for clear communication, steady reassurance, and a deeply patient-centered approach.

A collaborative clinician-leader, Dr. Puig-Palomar has continued to foster innovation through multidisciplinary teamwork, including partnerships with cardiology that enabled minimally invasive structural heart therapies, such as transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), for the North State.

Dr. Puig-Palomar earned his medical degree from the University of Barcelona School of Medicine and completed postgraduate training in Spain and the United States, including internship and plastic surgery training at Barcelona’s Princepes de España Hospital; general surgery residency training at Baylor College of Medicine and the University of California, Davis program in Oakland; and fellowship training in transplant and cardiothoracic surgery at The Methodist Hospital and the Texas Heart Institute in Houston.

A member of the American College of Surgeons, the UC Davis Surgical Association, and the Cooley Hands Society, Dr. Puig-Palomar brings a builder’s perspective to his service on the Emundi Foundation Board of Directors, supporting the creation of a new medical school for California’s North State and a stronger physician pipeline for rural and medically underserved communities.

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