Published October 09, 2025
L+M Hospital is committed to improving the health and well-being of residents in the New London region and, as part of that mission, recently conducted a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) to better understand the community’s most pressing health concerns.
“The feedback was incredibly meaningful and will help guide our work to deliver equitable care to people across the New London region,” said Melissa Sigua, community health project coordinator, Office of Health Equity and Community Impact (OHECI).
CHNAs are conducted every three years. The 2025 process included engaged community activists, regional partners and public health experts to ensure diverse perspectives. The process combined qualitative and quantitative methods, including surveys, focus groups and interviews.
“This approach provided valuable insights into the region’s demographics, access to care and how social drivers affect health outcomes,” Sigua said.
As part of this CHNA, more than 20 key informant interviews were conducted with stakeholders from health and social service organizations, including 18 focus groups held in English and Spanish with the support of the Health Improvement Collaborative of Southeastern Connecticut and the Eastern Connecticut Health Collaborative.
“These conversations helped ensure that voices from across the community – including underrepresented groups – were heard and reflected in the hospital’s planning,” Sigua said.
As a result of the CHNA process, hospital leadership selected three priority areas that will shape L+M’s efforts over the next three years:
In addition, Yale New Haven Health identified culturally competent care as a system-wide priority. “This reflects community feedback emphasizing the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion in health care,” said Lindsey Greene-Upshaw, senior manager/regional lead, OHECI. “Efforts will focus on expanding language access, increasing cultural sensitivity training for staff and addressing implicit bias.”
Taken together, these identified priorities will guide L+M’s 2025-2028 Hospital Implementation Strategy Plan.
The full CHNA report, once published, will be available on the hospital’s employee intranet and system website.
