Westerly Hospital celebrates 100 years of care

WESTERLY, RI (Aug. 19, 2025)  – Today, Westerly Hospital celebrated its 100th anniversary with the unveiling of a timeline in its main lobby that chronicles a century of compassionate community care that today includes access to world-class care through its affiliation with Yale New Haven Health. The hospital opened its doors on Aug. 17, 1925.

The timeline unveiling included proclamations from both the state of Rhode Island House of Representatives and the Westerly Town Council, both praising the hospital’s century of excellence, innovation and growth of services over the decades.

Today “is a huge tribute to the community,” said Shawn M. Lacey, town manager of Westerly and the town’s former police chief. “One hundred years! Who would have thought that a hundred years ago the forefathers of the town would get together and build a hospital? It’s a staple in the community, and I can tell you that in my 35 years prior experience in police work, this is a major asset. We relied on this facility throughout my career… This is a huge happy birthday to the hospital and we thank you for all you do for the community.”

State Sen. Victoria Gu, D-38, reflecting on the timeline, called it a testament to how the community and the hospital have worked together to ensure patient care. “I really want to thank all of the staff, from the nurses and physicians to everyone.”

Rich Lisitano, president of Westerly Hospital and Lawrence + Memorial Hospital (L+M) in New London, CT, said the timeline serves as a tribute to the long succession of caregivers who served the community over the decades, and also as a reminder that Westerly Hospital continues to provide care focused on quality and safety.

“Westerly Hospital holds a unique position in town history,” Lisitano said. “Since 1925 it has been a bedrock employer where skilled caregivers have provided care to families, friends and neighbors. As the new timeline depicts, the hospital’s story is one of recurring themes – of expansions, technological advances, outstanding physicians, skilled and compassionate nurses, and an overall team that has always put patients first.”

Looking to the future, Lisitano said: “I’m not a futurist, but I do believe whatever form health care takes it is going to be delivered through community members, to their own community. So, just like the tradition that started here 100 years ago, I believe the future is going to be about community members delivering tremendous care, quality and safety, and we’re looking forward to being a part of that for the next 100 years.”

The timeline includes more than 20 entries all under the heading of “100 Years of Milestones.” One, for example, chronicles the hospital staff’s heroic care of more than 70 patients from the Hurricane of 1938, even as the hospital lost electricity and roads were impassable.

Other highlights include the opening of a new wing in 1954 – a response to the “Baby Boom” – and additional expansion during the 1960s that increased bed capacity to 140.

In 2013, Westerly Hospital was acquired by Lawrence + Memorial Healthcare, parent of L+M, a move that began a new era of care; only three years later, in 2016, both L+M and Westerly hospitals further strengthened their clinical programs and physician recruitment through affiliation with Yale New Haven Health.

With the support of Yale New Haven Health, the hospital expanded key services, including an inpatient Geriatric Psychiatry unit, a 2,600-square-foot pharmacy, a da Vinci Xi Surgical System which enables surgeons to perform minimal invasive robotic surgeries for certain conditions, and an MRI unit that has enhanced diagnostic imaging capabilities for the hospital.

Westerly Hospital has been serving the community for a century. During that time, the hospital has been steadfast in its commitment to providing compassionate care to everyone who comes through the door.

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

Westerly Hospital, a member of Yale New Haven Health, is a 125-bed hospital that has been providing residents of southern Rhode Island and southeastern Connecticut with a full range of inpatient and outpatient services in a community hospital setting for more than 90 years. Westerly Hospital patients receive the finest quality treatment in the following areas of care: emergency, medical, surgical, radiology, laboratory and rehabilitative services. The hospital also offers heart and vascular care, interventional pain management, wound care, pulmonary rehabilitation services, inpatient geriatric psychiatric care and comprehensive cancer care provided through the Smilow Cancer Hospital Care Center. All inpatient rooms are private. westerlyhospital.org