Lawrence + Memorial Hospital recognized as 2026 High Performing hospital for Maternity Care by U.S. News & World Report

New London, CT (Dec. 9, 2025) – Lawrence + Memorial Hospital (L+M) has been named a 2026 High Performing hospital for Maternity Care by U.S. News & World Report. This designation represents the highest award a hospital can achieve in U.S. News' annual Best Hospitals for Maternity Care study.

L+M earned the High Performing designation for maternity care as measured by factors such as rates of unexpected complications, C-sections, and exclusive breast milk feeding, among other metrics. This is the first time that L+M has earned this rating. U.S. News evaluated 901 hospitals across the United States for its 2026 ratings edition. Only 92 of these hospitals earned the additional “High Performing” rating.

“The U.S. News & World Report rankings serve as a meaningful reflection of the high standards we set for maternity care,” said Richard Lisitano, president of L+M. “This recognition speaks to the skill, compassion, and dedication of our teams, and reinforces our commitment to delivering exceptional care to every mother who turns to us. We are honored to be acknowledged among the best in the country.”

“This recognition reflects the extraordinary dedication of our entire team – physicians, nurses, and staff – who work tirelessly to deliver the highest level of care to mothers and their babies,” said Sarah Cross, MD, chair of Obstetrics & Gynecology at L+M and associate professor of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at Yale School of Medicine. “Our continued focus on innovation, patient safety and clinical excellence drives us to keep raising the bar every day.”

In addition to the full array of services in its 24 bed Maternity unit, L+M also has the only Level IIIA Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in southeastern Connecticut, providing an additional level of care for babies that requires extra medical services after delivery.

For the past 12 years, L+M has been designated as a Baby Friendly hospital, following the policies established by the World Health Organization and UNICEF to promote and support breastfeeding. In addition, the hospital supports nursing mothers after leaving the hospital with a breastfeeding support group.

U.S. News began evaluating maternity care hospitals in 2021, assessing facilities that provide labor and delivery services and submit detailed data for analysis. The Best Hospitals for Maternity Care ratings assist expectant parents, in consultation with their prenatal care team, in making informed decisions about where to receive maternity services that best meet their family's needs.

The U.S. News Best Hospitals for Maternity Care methodology is based entirely on objective measures of quality, including C-section rates in lower-risk pregnancies, severe unexpected newborn complication rates, exclusive breast milk feeding rates, birthing-friendly practices, and reporting on racial and ethnic disparities, among other measures.

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