Yale New Haven Health, L+M Healthcare affiliation receives full approval in Rhode Island

New Haven/New London, CT (September 1, 2016) –The affiliation of L+M Healthcare with Yale New Haven Health on Thursday was fully approved by authorities within the State of Rhode Island. The Rhode Island Department of Health and the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office approved the transaction following a unanimous endorsement by the Rhode Island Health Services Council earlier this week. L+M Healthcare includes Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in New London, CT; Westerly Hospital in Westerly, RI; the Visiting Nurse Association of Southeastern Connecticut and the L+M Medical Group.

“We very much appreciate the careful consideration of this critical affiliation by the State of Rhode Island and are grateful for their approval of the affiliation,” said Marna P. Borgstrom, president and CEO of Yale New Haven Health. “This is an important milestone in the process for both of our organizations as we await a decision from the State of Connecticut. The affiliation will provide greater stability, efficiency, quality and access for thousands of patients in southeastern Connecticut and Rhode Island.”

With full approval now granted by the State of Rhode Island, the transaction needs final approval by the State of Connecticut Office of Healthcare Access before it can move forward.

“We offer our gratitude to the Rhode Island Department of Health, Governor Raimondo and Attorney General Kilmartin for their thorough and thoughtful approach to the affiliation,” said Bruce Cummings, president and CEO of L+M Healthcare. “This affiliation is critical to the future of our organization as the healthcare landscape continues to evolve rapidly. We are hopeful that the State of Connecticut will soon follow suit.”

Should the affiliation receive all necessary approvals, both organizations will work quickly to close the transaction. Under the terms of the agreement, L+M Healthcare would become a member of the Yale New Haven Health and maintain its local board of directors with fiduciary responsibility. If approved, it would mark the first affiliation with the Yale New Haven Health since Greenwich Hospital joined in 1998.

Yale New Haven Health System, the largest and most comprehensive healthcare system in Connecticut, is recognized for advanced clinical care, quality, service, cost effectiveness and commitment to improving the health status of the communities it serves. YNHHS includes three hospitals – Bridgeport, Greenwich and Yale New Haven hospitals, several specialty networks and Northeast Medical Group, a non-profit medical foundation with several hundred community-based and hospital-employed physicians. www.ynhhs.org

The L+M Healthcare System has served patients and families along the southern New England shoreline for more than 100 years. The four entities that make up L+M Healthcare include Lawrence + Memorial Hospital, Westerly (RI) Hospital, L+M Medical Group and the Visiting Nurse Association of Southeastern Connecticut. The system entities serve more than a dozen coastal communities in Connecticut and Rhode Island, as well as the New York community of Fishers’ Island.