A period of big change for Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in New London continued last week with the announcement by President and CEO Bruce D. Cummings that he will retire as soon as a replacement is selected, a process expected to take several months. Cummings turned 65 in November.

Cummings’ 11 years at the helm were arguably the most challenging and consequential in the hospital’s 104-year history. During that time, a fiscally struggling state sought to squeeze additional tax revenues out of Connecticut’s hospitals. At the same time, the nation’s first attempt at providing universal health care, the Affordable Care Act, changed the relationship between hospitals, insurers and patients.

Meanwhile, state and federal governments sought to control the growth in health care costs by cutting Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements, a policy that fell heavily on small community hospitals with limited resources.

Physician shortages made competition to attract doctors acute. Independent hospitals, such as L+M, found it difficult to compete with large hospital networks.

Give Cummings credit. After managing L+M through all this, he leaves it in a place where its future appears secure, its ability to attract top doctors is stronger, and its health care options broadening.

All that comes at the cost of some independence, because of all the changes during Cummings’ tenure, the most significant by far was the decision to become part of the Yale New Haven Health network. Our local hospital needed to join with a large network to remain viable. The choice of joining with Yale New Haven, a move that built on existing collaborations, was the right one.

Before navigating L+M through this momentous change — the affiliation obtained state approval last year — Cummings had worked with his board to undertake other historic challenges.

In 2013, the 50,000-square-foot Lawrence + Memorial Cancer Center opened in Waterford. That same year, it completed the acquisition of Westerly Hospital, removing it from receivership and assuring a local hospital for that community.

There were missteps, certainly. Cummings’ administration appeared to badly miscalculate in dealing with its labor unions in 2013. A four-day strike turned into a three-week lockout when L+M, fearing future disruptive strikes, opted not to let nurses and technicians return to work without a settlement. The situation turned ugly and left deep scars between labor and management, costing L+M more than $14 million as it struggled to provide serves with replacement staff.

In a recent meeting with the Editorial Board, Cummings recalled the labor dispute as “extremely painful. It was a great personal and professional disappointment for me that that happened.”

On balance, however, Cummings served his hospital and this community well. His relationship with this newspaper was a good one, with the president and CEO always willing to come in and take our questions in good times and bad.

We are heartened that Yale New Haven, through the national search firm working to find Cummings’ replacement, seeks candidates with “understanding how to remain focused as an institution deeply rooted in, and committed to, the community it serves.” The hospital seeks a “visible leader.”

Though now the member of a large network, L+M remains our community hospital. Its next leader needs to appreciate that fact. The challenges facing health care institutions are sure to continue. So too must the special relationship between Lawrence + Memorial Hospital and the region it serves.