Yale Affiliated Hospitals Program

Currently, through the YAHP, the full-time faculty of the Department of Internal Medicine at Yale, which is primarily based at Yale-New Haven Hospital and the West Haven Veterans Administration Medical Center, provides a series of lectures (including residency noon conferences, subspecialty presentations, ward rounds, and grand rounds) at the nine other hospitals. The total number of lectures provided by Yale faculty through the YAHP now exceeds 700 annually. These lectures comprise a major proportion of the education of the residents at the affiliated institutions. They are widely viewed as an integral component of the individual training programs and are enormously valued by the trainees and the leadership at each hospital.

Since each hospital in the YAHP is unique, the YAHP coordinating office tries to be as flexible and responsive as possible in meeting the needs of each program. Toward this end, the YAHP director and coordinator meet annually with the leadership at the affiliates each spring to plan and organize the coming academic year. This provides a forum for addressing issues, sharing suggestions, experiences, and ideas, and building further upon this unique relationship.

The Department of Internal Medicine is also actively involved in curriculum development and the recruitment of key faculty at each affiliate, which will further strengthen the quality and depth of the affiliation.

Member institutions include Yale University School of Medicine (primary affiliation with Yale-New Haven Hospital York Street Campus and the VA Connecticut Healthcare System at West Haven), Waterbury Hospital, St. Mary’s Hospital, YNHH St. Raphael Campus, Bridgeport Hospital, Greenwich Hospital, Norwalk Hospital, Griffin Hospital, Danbury Hospital, CIFC Greater Danbury Community Health Center and Lawrence & Memorial Hospital. The prime affiliation is between the Department of Internal Medicine at Yale and the medical residency training programs at the affiliated hospitals (except for Lawrence & Memorial Hospital, which does not have a teaching program).

In addition to the lectures, affiliated residents also have access to subspecialty electives at Yale-New Haven Hospital (York Street and St Raphael Campuses) and the VA Connecticut Healthcare System at West Haven, under the direction of the full-time University faculty.

Ad hoc research opportunities with the Department’s full-time faculty involving either basic science or clinical projects can also be arranged on an individual basis. Contacts must be made through the YAHP office.

The administrative leadership at each institution comes together every 3 months for YAHP Quarterly Dinner Meetings, which rotate from affiliate to affiliate. The host program is responsible for a presentation, highlighting recent activities at its institution and within its residency program. YAHP business items are also discussed.

A daylong YAHP Retreat is conducted annually, typically devoted to a specific topic germane to residency education and training. At the retreat, a national speaker is invited to address the group, and faculty and residents from member institutions also present their latest research. Active discussion always ensues, and this has been an excellent forum over the years for the interchange of ideas.

YAHP Working Groups are periodically formed to address shared educational and quality care issues. Currently, the YAHP Quality Improvement Working Group (QIWG) is focusing on the management of hypoglycemia in the inpatient arena. Inpatient data is being collected at 7 member institutions; composite analysis is planned. The Medical Education Working Group (MEWG) is focusing on challenges involved in residency training. For more information about these groups, especially on becoming involved, contact Dr. Inzucchi at silvio.inzucchi@yale.edu.

Today, under the leadership of the Department of Internal Medicine at Yale University, the YAHP is a rich, vibrant, and mutually beneficial collaboration that continues to improve medical education and patient care at its member institutions. As a result, the overall quality of the practice of medicine in Southern Connecticut continues to be enhanced.