Yale New Haven Health veteran named president of L+M Healthcare
Jul. 13—NEW LONDON — A career administrator who has taken on ever greater responsibility during a 37-year career with Yale New Haven Health has been named president of the system's Lawrence + Memorial Healthcare, which comprises L+M and Westerly hospitals and the Visiting Nurse Association of Southeastern Connecticut.
Richard "Rich" Lisitano, 62, senior vice president of operations at Yale New Haven Hospital since 2021, also has been elevated to executive vice president of Yale New Haven Health, it was announced Thursday.
Lisitano succeeds Patrick Green, who served as L+M Healthcare's president and chief executive officer before resigning to become CEO of University of Florida Health Jacksonville, a regional health center in Florida.
"Rich has an extensive background in transforming organizational operations across the health system," Christopher O'Connor, president and CEO of Yale New Haven Health, said in a statement. "His experience as a strategic senior operations executive reflects a reputation for consistently optimizing operations, improving performance and delivering sustainable financial results."
Lisitano, of Guilford, will start his new job Monday.
"L+M, Westerly and the VNA have been growing rapidly, and I'm committed to continuing that pattern of growth," Lisitano said by phone from New Haven. "In southeastern Connecticut, you're blessed to have Yale New Haven Hospital in the area for when you need it, but I look forward to continuing to grow programs that treat people close to home."
"I'm a really big believer that hospitals are all about staff," he said. "Buildings and technology can change but the staff does all the care. ... I look forward to getting out and meeting everybody."
Lisitano said he's particularly interested in learning about the "unique needs" of the community and any disparities in the delivery of health care.
"It's well known, unfortunately, that many people's health outcomes are driven by their zip codes and income levels," he said. "There are great disparities in clinical outcomes based on race. In health care, we're in a position to be part of the solution. There's a strong tradition of L+M investing in the community."
He said his goal will be to improve care for those who have the least access to it.
Lisitano joined Yale New Haven Hospital as assistant director of pharmacy in 1986, having earned a bachelor's degree in pharmacy from the University of Connecticut and a master's degree from Ohio State University. In ascending Yale New Haven Health's leadership ranks, he has contributed to the growth of such areas as urology, neurosciences, orthopedics and digestive health as well as the development of the system's patient records system, according to a news release.
A Connecticut native, Lisitano said he and his wife Ann expect to relocate closer to New London. They have three grown sons: Mark, an assistant men's lacrosse coach at the Coast Guard Academy; John, a regional sales director; and Joe, a construction engineer.
