How do you capture a year like 2020? A year when every aspect of our lives was profoundly changed, when our health care systems were challenged like never before, and when our resilience was put to the test every day.
It’s an overwhelming task. Where to even begin? But when I look back at all of the extraordinary aspects of 2020, there is one thing that stands out above all else—and that is the people at Yale Medicine, YSM, the university, and Yale New Haven Health System, and the way they came together and worked tirelessly toward a common goal.
Despite the stress, the relentless challenges, and the emotional toll, there was also a tremendous positive energy at Yale in 2020. Researchers working exhaustively to understand the virus; clinicians treating and comforting patients isolated from their families; clinical managers and administrators planning for the surge and finding innovative ways to cope with PPE shortages; doctors from across the practice volunteering to work in the MICU; schedulers learning to work remotely while converting thousands of appointments to telehealth; health care workers comforting, supporting, and looking out for one another. These are the things I will remember when I look back on 2020.
I thank every Yale Medicine employee for your extraordinary work under incredibly difficult circumstances in 2020, and I thank our partners at YNHHS and throughout the University for collaborating with us on both clinical care and research efforts. I have never been prouder to work at Yale Medicine, and I hope each of you feels the same way. Let us never forget the spirit of determination, care, and collaboration that has distinguished our organization throughout this pandemic.
Since 2020 was a year like no other, this Annual Report is also very different from those of previous years. We tried to capture the essence of 2020, along with some of the major accomplishments of the year, with short narratives and with photos and quotes from a few of the people at YM who played key roles in our COVID-19 response. At the end of the report, you will find links to articles about some of our COVID-related work that appeared on Yale websites throughout the year. I hope you find this report to be informative and thought-provoking – and once again, I thank you for everything you do for Yale Medicine.
Paul Taheri, MD, MBA
Deputy Dean for Clinical Affairs, YSM
CEO, Yale Medicine