YNHH Donaldson Firm

Donaldson Firm is one of the Specialty Inpatient rotations of the Yale School of Medicine Traditional Residency in Internal Medicine. The “Firm” concept is established to create a dedicated inpatient team of faculty physicians and YNHH caregivers to provide excellent clinical care and educate house staff and students.

The firm is named after Robert M. Donaldson who served twice in critical leadership positions at the Yale School of Medicine. He joined the Yale faculty in 1973 and later served as vice chair and acting chair of the Department of Internal Medicine. From 1991 to 1992, he was acting dean and a great supporter of the AIDS Program, staff and patients. In his retirement, he volunteered and cared for patients in the HIV/AIDS Nathan Smith Clinic at Yale New Haven Hospital.

The goals for this rotation are:

• Understand fundamental diagnostic and management approaches to HIV-infected patients, including comorbidities (mental health, substance abuse and Hepatitis C)
• Understand fundamental diagnostic and management approaches to general ID issues (endocarditis, meningitis, skin and soft tissue infections, etc.)
• Understand ID issues involved in the care of medicine inpatients, including management of TB and antibiotic use
• Understand hospital-wide infection control initiatives