Published April 30, 2026
As Oliver Mayorga, MD, L+M Hospital’s chief medical officer, put it, “death is part of life – and having a good death is an important part of a good life. These new rooms promote that, and they will be the last thing patients and families are going to remember.”
The three new hospice rooms at L+M, renovated from older rooms on the hospital’s Oncology floor, were officially dedicated recently with a ribbon cutting.
The rooms enhance care for local families and add to the regional hospice care Yale New Haven Health offers through Hospice at Home. Through that program, visiting nurses deliver hospice care, but when patients’ symptoms are not controlled in the home setting and they qualify for a higher level of care – oxygen therapy, intravenous medications and pain relief, for example – patients can move to the L+M hospice rooms.
“It’s wonderful to see these new beautiful, calming spaces that will help patients and families as they’re going through the end-of-life journey,” said Andrea Iacomacci, director of YNHHS Home Care Services.
Similar types of rooms are also in use at Yale New Haven Hospital’s Saint Raphael Campus.
At L+M, each new room features local artwork, including peaceful scenes from Mystic Seaport and Harkness State Park, and large windows offer expansive views that extend to the Thames River. A family breakroom down the hall features comfortable furniture, a refrigerator, coffee maker and microwave.
Leslea Knisel, RN, manager of Palliative Care for L+M and Westerly hospitals, was the driving force behind the renovation, but credited Rich Lisitano, L+M president, and other leaders who supported the idea.
“We thought this was going to be a multiyear project, but Rich wanted to do it right away. And here we are, just a few months before Rich retires, and he’s leaving us with a meaningful legacy,” she said.
Knisel also thanked Kathy Greene, former L+M Auxiliary president, for helping pay for the photography and artwork; the unit nurses for helping with design; and the Facilities team for leading the renovation.
While the same rooms have long been used for hospice care, “it’s beautiful to see the healing touches that have been added,” said Shannon Christian, RN, chief nursing officer. “It’s very touching for me to see how these rooms have transformed into such comforting spaces for our patients, our families and also our caregivers.”
Jordyn Tuttle, RN, nurse manager on Unit 6.2, agreed. “We’ve been doing hospice care for a long time, but this really elevates the rooms to match the kind of care we’ve been providing,” she said.
Catherine Olokodana, supervisor of Spiritual Care for L+M and Westerly hospitals, concluded the ribbon-cutting ceremony with a blessing that read in part: “May these rooms be a place where fear gives way to peace, where suffering is met with mercy, and where every life – in its final chapter – is honored as precious and worthy.”
