Lawrence + Memorial Hospital earns Gold Seal reaccreditation from The Joint Commission

NEW LONDON, CT (Oct. 2, 2025) – Lawrence + Memorial (L+M) Hospital is proud to announce that it has successfully achieved a Gold Seal of Approval® reaccreditation from The Joint Commission by demonstrating continuous compliance with its performance standards following a recent survey.

The accreditation is a testament to the hospital’s commitment to evidence-based standards, excellence in patient care, safety and continuous improvement.

The Joint Commission’s standards are developed in consultation with health care experts and providers, measurement experts and patients. They are informed by scientific literature and expert consensus to help health care organizations measure, assess and improve performance. The surveyors also conducted onsite observations and interviews.

“This outstanding result reflects the exceptional collaboration and dedication of our entire hospital team,” said Gail Turner, director of Accreditation and Regulatory Affairs, who helped lead and facilitate the survey. Hospitals are given a timeframe of when to expect a survey but are not informed ahead of the survey team’s arrival for inspection.

“From clinical staff to administrative leadership, everyone played a vital role in preparing for and participating in the survey,” Turner said. “The Joint Commission’s recognition reinforces our ongoing mission to provide high-quality, safe and compassionate care to our entire community.”

Rich Lisitano, president of L+M Hospital, commended Turner, the hospital’s Regulatory Affairs team, and all caregivers and support staff, for the vigilance they take every day to ensure patient safety and the best possible outcomes for patients.

“To achieve a reaccreditation based on The Joint Commission’s rigorous standards is an acknowledgement of the outstanding work our teams are doing every day on behalf of patients,” Lisitano said. “I offer my personal thanks to our doctors, nurses, technologists, and to every housekeeper, engineer and support team member who keep our hospital a comfortable, welcoming environment that promotes the great care delivered by our team. Our focus has been and always will be on keeping our community safe and healthy.”

Among the praise surveyors provided were kudos for overall physician and staff engagement and strong praise for aspects of care that included departments such as Behavioral Health, Critical Care, Joint/Spine care and the Pharmacy, Turner said.

“It’s really everybody in the hospital that makes a survey a success,” Turner concluded. “It’s the engagement of all our employees – our leadership team and frontline staff. Surveyors can interact with any staff member while they are on site, so it’s important to do things right on the day of survey, but it’s more important that we do the job right every single day. We have a very engaged team that is committed to quality and safety.”

With decades of expertise and a data-driven accreditation process, The Joint Commission helps ensure healthcare organizations adhere to leading quality and safety practices, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and commitment to better patient care.

“The Joint Commission congratulates L+M Hospital for achieving accreditation by demonstrating its focus on delivering safe and effective care of the highest quality and value,” said Ken Grubbs, DNP, RN, executive vice president of Accreditation and Certification Operations and chief nursing officer, The Joint Commission. “Through the accreditation process, we worked closely with L+M to enable and affirm the highest standards of healthcare quality and patient safety. Together, we are elevating care for all patients, and we appreciate L+M’s collaboration throughout this process.”

Lawrence + Memorial Hospital, a member of Yale New Haven Health, is a non-profit, 308-bed general and acute care hospital providing patient care to medical, surgical, pediatric, psychiatric and obstetrical patients in southeastern Connecticut and southern Rhode Island since 1912. Lawrence + Memorial offers cardiac acute, step-down and rehabilitation programs and is the only eastern Connecticut hospital that performs emergency and elective angioplasty. www.lmhospital.org