Published July 10, 2025
L+M Hospital recently joined Bridgeport Hospital with the opening of a new Closer to Home (CTH) lounge for patients who are discharged but awaiting transportation. The new lounge is also similar to established lounges at Yale New Haven Hospital’s York Street and Saint Raphael campuses.
In each case, the CTH lounges provide sitting space for medically qualified patients to wait, which helps the hospital turn over inpatient rooms faster so patients in the Emergency Department can be admitted sooner. For the patient who is leaving, it’s an opportunity to leave their rooms and move to a more inviting and less-clinical setting.
The L+M CTH lounge is in an area near the main entrance adjacent to the coffee shop and just behind the reception desk. The area has a door to an outdoor courtyard where patients can enjoy fresh air while waiting for a ride.
Patient Transport staff bring qualified and fully discharged patients to the lounge. Every CTH lounge is staffed by patient care assistants. Patients requiring ambulance transport to other facilities do not qualify to be moved to the lounge.
“It’s medically advantageous to get patients out of the Emergency Department and up to an inpatient bed as quickly as possible,” said Carrie Kenyon, RN, vice president of Operations, L+M and Westerly hospitals. “The goals of the lounge are shorter patient wait times; increased patient safety by facilitating timely arrival of admitted patients waiting for a bed; and ease of pickup of discharged patients, all ultimately leading to higher patient satisfaction. We’re excited about this initiative, and we expect patients will like it, too.”
