New London — Christine Meola has been named vice president of development for L+M Healthcare, a Yale New Haven Health member that includes Lawrence + Memorial Hospital, Westerly Hospital, the Visiting Nurse Association of Southeastern Connecticut and other ambulatory services throughout the region.

Meola, whose appointment is effective June 1, will provide strategic direction, leadership and daily management to the staff of the Lawrence + Memorial Hospital Development Office and the Westerly Hospital Foundation. She will be responsible for the development and fundraising activities of both hospitals, including direct response, major and planned giving, corporate and foundation relations, events and donor relations.

Bill Stanley will begin a new role as vice president of government and community relations, reporting to Meola.

“Christine is an experienced, performance-driven, development leader with a passion for innovative patient care,” said Patrick Green, president and chief executive officer of L+M Healthcare. “She is joining a team that is dedicated to supporting our regional strategy for eastern Connecticut and southern Rhode Island for our health care delivery network which enables us to provide extraordinary care for our patients, offer support programs, and enhance our facilities with state-of-the-art technologies that impact and save lives, close to home.”

Meola has extensive experience in both higher education and health care, L+M Healthcare said in a release.

She served as vice president for development and alumni relations at Pace University, executive director of the Columbus Citizens Foundation, director of development for NY-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and assistant vice president for development at Fordham University. Prior to joining L+M Healthcare, Meola, a former resident of Connecticut, served as a fundraising consultant for higher education in Michigan.

“Returning to health care fundraising has been a dream of mine for some time,” she said. “I am looking forward to working with Patrick, the outstanding leadership team and the development staff to further the work of building relationships within the community and advancing the mission of L+M Healthcare. This is a pivotal time in history where individuals and corporations who believe in philanthropy will be looking to support hospitals and health care.”

Meola earned a master’s degree in sociology from Fordham University and bachelor’s degree in psychology from the same institution.