Yale Surgery 2022: The Year in Pictures

Old Traditions, New Normals

With COVID still hanging on, but with less severe cases, relaxed pandemic guidelines allowed the Department to resume in-person traditions, both old and new. Here are 10 of them:

• Relaxed pandemic guidelines allowed the Department to resume in-person Grand Rounds, and its longstanding “photo day" on the steps of Sterling Hall of Medicine. 

• More than 35 faculty joined the Department since the start of the pandemic, some meeting only for the first time in 2022. The General Surgery, Trauma and Surgical Critical Care teams saw the most significant growth, toward the Department’s goal of expanding services to Lawrence + Memorial Hospital and across the system.

• A new tradition, the YNHH/YM “Week of Gratitude” was held in March 2022 as an opportunity to formally acknowledge two years of heroic work since the onset of the pandemic.

• The Department hosted its first Yale Surgery Citizens Awards reception with a springtime BBQ for more than 60 honorees.

• A new Commencement Cocktails reception hosted by the Vice Chair cabinet honored graduates across the training programs. To date, each program's graduation celebrations were held independently.

• Yale Surgery liaisons for YSM’s Status of Women in Medicine Committee started a social series for women surgical faculty, who, for the first time, comprise 30% of the Department.

• Dr. Nita Ahuja’s State of the Department, “Roots & Blooms,” was a reminder that growth and resiliency depends on the support of an interconnected root system.

• With most physicians and staff working remote for part of the week, hybrid meetings and “Zoom rooms” became the new normal. Mask requirements were limited to patient-settings.

• A formal reception in October honored 11 faculty rank promotions; and the appointment of Dr. Benjamin Judson as Charles W. Ohse endowed Professor of Surgery. 

• Yale School of Medicine Dean Dr. Nancy Brown was among the more than 350 guests to attend the Department’s holiday party at Hotel Marcel, and strike a pose in the selfie booth!