Community Service - Yale-New Haven Hospital

Yale-New Haven Hospital is proud to be part of the
vibrant and exciting New Haven community. We are the
busiest provider of patient care services in the region,
caring for the largest number of Medicaid-covered and
uninsured patients in the State, at an under-funded cost of
$99.3 million in 2008. In addition, the hospital sponsors and participates in numerous programs and activities to benefit the people of New Haven and surrounding communities. For more information about the hospital's activities within the community, contact Community and Government Relations, (203) 688-2503.

Economic benefits
of YNHH's services to the community (2007)

	Value
Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) received from state	$6,300,000
YNHH payroll	380,796,424

Free and uncompensated care (at cost)	28,846,000
Medicaid underpayment	91,329,887
Bad Debt	7,705,000
DSH & Urban Pool Payment	(16,498,988)
Department of Community Health*	14,011,739
School-to-career and summer jobs for high school students	33,192
Minority Scholarship Fund (seven new, 14 renewable)	31,537

Community Investment Program - Hill Development Corporation
Hill Summer Youth Program	50,000
Daycare Subsidies	40,000
Hill Scholarship Program	4,500
Hill Community Liaison	50,000

Community Investment Program - City of New Haven
Voluntary Payments	987,750
Gateway Community College Associate Degree in Nursing Program	400,000
Health Outreach Coordinators	280,000
Mayor's Youth Initiative	200,000

Casa Latina	40,000
Lincoln-Bassett School – Language & Literacy Extended Day Program	18,000
Financial contributions to not-for-profit organizations	400,000
Employee donations to United Way of Greater New Haven campaign	159,046
TOTAL	$515,184,087
* includes Adult and Pediatric Dental, AIDS Program, Women’s Center, Adult and Pediatric Primary Care Centers, Nathan Smith Clinic, clinic administration, lead program and Hillhouse, Hill Regional Career and Sheridan school-based health centers

Read the report issued in fall 2008 regarding Yale-New Haven's contributions to the community.

This publication highlights some of the community programs and services provided by Yale-New Haven Hospital.

Health Care Services

Pediatric Dentistry Center
The YNHH Pediatric Dentistry Center provides preventive, comprehensive and urgent dental care for children up to 16 years of age. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call (203) 688-3000.

Mammography Van
Yale-New Haven Hospital's mammography van provides screening mammograms throughout Southern Connecticut, enhancing accessibility to mammography services. The van goes to workplaces, schools, churches, health clinics and other sites in both urban and suburban areas. View the van's current schedule or, for information, contact Barbara Judisch, (203) 688-6800.

School-based Health Centers
Medical visits are important for growing children and teenagers, but work schedules and family pressures make it difficult to get kids to a doctor's appointment. Yale-New Haven Hospital serves students in its eight school-based health centers. Registered nurses provide care at the centers, which are located at:

Support Groups
A variety of support groups are facilitated by YNHH staff. Participation is free.

Nutrition
In addition to nutrition counseling for which there is a nominal charge, nutrition topics are also explored online at Ask the Experts: Nutrition Forum, Nutrition for Health Living and the Nutrition Advisor. The hospital's Nutrition Clinic offers a free Nutrition Info Line, (203) 688-2422.

He@lthLINK
He@lthLINK is a free online subscription service delivering medical news in selected areas of interest. Click here to sign up!

Connecticut Breast and Cervical Cancer
Early Detection Program
Yale-New Haven Hospital is one of the sites in Connecticut offering a comprehensive breast and cervical cancer screening program for medically underserved women. Services such as mammograms, clinical breast exams and Pap smears are offered free of charge for eligible women over age 40. For more information, contact Christine Galla, RN, care coordinator, (203) 688-4562 or Brenda Caulley, outreach coordinator at (203) 688-2572. For an appointment or to determine eligibility, call (203) 688-5555.

AIDS Care Program
The AIDS Care Program was established in 1984 in response to the increasing number of individuals being treated for HIV/AIDS at Yale-New Haven Hospital. The program provides comprehensive care to adults, adolescents and children living with HIV/AIDS and their families and significant others. The scope of services includes outreach, testing, counseling, outpatient and inpatient clinical care, clinical research trials and community support. The AIDS Care Program is staffed by a multidisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, HIV counselors, social workers and clinical researchers. For general information, call (203) 688-3298.

Maternal/Child Health Initiatives
Programs offered through the Women's Center attempt to reduce infant mortality, improve prenatal care and promote continuity of care from birth throughout adulthood, include:

Healthy Families
An early intervention, home visitation program intended to strengthen overburdened families through parent education and support, Healthy Families works extensively with new mothers and focuses on improving the health and welfare of the mother. Healthy Families intervenes early in the infant's life, helping new mothers be better parents and monitoring and supporting the development of the child through the first five years of life. For more information, call Lyla Johnson, (203) 764-5936.

Project ASSERT
Project ASSERT operates in the YNHH adult Emergency Department to assist patients who abuse drugs or alcohol or engage in other high risk behaviors. Staff provides these patients with education and referrals to assist them in the help they need.

Prescription Assistance Program
Yale-New Haven Hospital, through its relationship with the Medical Pharmacy at 50 York Street, offers the Prescription Assistance Program. The program is designed to help YNHH patients who have little or no health insurance, or no pharmacy benefits. It enables Yale-New Haven Hospital patients to take their prescription from any YNHH outpatient clinic, the Emergency Department or at the time of discharge to the Medical Center Pharmacy for discounted prescription medications. For more information, click here or call (203) 688-7064.

Sickle Cell Program
The Sickle Cell Program objectives are to educate the community, patients, families and health care providers about sickle cell disease, and reduce the number of hospitalizations and emergency room visits. The program offers high-risk adults the opportunity to be seen in YNHH's Hematology Clinic from 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays. For more information, contact Ellen Doram, (203) 688-3373.

TB Assistance & Followup
As the result of an endowment left almost 100 years ago by Sarah Winchester, YNHH, through the Winchester Fund, is able to cover the cost of medicine and health care for tuberculosis patients who cannot afford care. For more information, contact the Winchester Chest Clinic, (203) 785-4198

Communitywide Asthma Initiative
To help decrease the devastating impact of asthma on the greater New Haven community, YNHH has led several community-wide asthma initiatives that have reduced hospital utilization by over 50 percent. They include a collaborative model called Healthy Homes, which relies on medical intervention, home remediation, a Safe Home (based on the Lead Safe Home model) and health education and outreach. The Connecticut Department of Public Health also provided an "Easy Breathing" award to train providers throughout the region in the national standard of care for the treatment of asthma. For more information, contact Paulette Mebane, (203) 688-7861.

Wellness Information Network/Community Access Program
With a $1 million grant received in 2001 from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, YNHH is leading the development of the Wellness Information Network (WIN), a community health information network aimed at linking uninsured patients who frequent emergency departments with primary care providers to get the care they need. WIN provides an extensive community resource list of agencies and services such as case management, information networking and patient education.

Patients who go to the Emergency Department at Yale-New Haven Hospital will be treated and asked if they want to participate in WIN. All those interested will receive access to the extensive resources available. Others who meet additional eligibility criteria get an opportunity to see a case manager at a medical home who will assist them in applying for health care coverage and address other health care and social issues.

WIN's collaborating partners:
Yale-New Haven Hospital
Hill Health Center
Fair Haven Community Health Center
New Haven Health Department.

WISEWOMAN
WISEWOMAN (Well-Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation) assesses risks of heart disease and provides preventive health services to medically underserved women. Connecticut is one of only seven states to adopt WISEWOMAN, with YNHH as one of the nine sites in the state to administer the program. For more information, contact Patty DeWitt, (203) 688-2461.

Women's, Infants and Children Program (WIC)
YNHH operates the largest WIC site in New Haven, serving 4,000 women and their children through this federal program. Beyond food vouchers, the WIC staff reaches out into the community to educate and counsel women and children at nutritional risk. For more information, call the WIC office, (203) 688-5150.

Komen S.A.L.O.N. Project
The Komen S.A.L.O.N. (Strategic Alliance for Learning, Outreach and Networking) Project is a health outreach initiative for African-American and Hispanic women over 50 at hair and nail salons in the Greater New Haven area. Participating salons offer breast health education and screening outreach services to increase awareness of early detection for these high-risk populations. The project is funded by the Connecticut Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure®. For more information, contact Patty DeWitt, (203) 688-2461.

Education

Minority Nursing and Allied Health Scholarship Program
Applications for the Yale-New Haven Hospital's Minority Nursing and Allied Health Scholarships are now available.

The hospital will award five scholarships. Each scholarship is $8,000, renewable at $2,000 per year. Students must be a member of a minority group defined as Alaskan native, American Indian, Asian or Pacific Islander, Black or Hispanic, and graduate in June 2008 from a Connecticut high school.

Applicants must reside in Bethany, Branford, Clinton, East Haven, Hamden, Guilford, Madison, New Haven, North Branford, North Haven, Orange, Wallingford, West Haven or Woodbridge. The application deadline is March 15.

School-to-Career Internship Program
YNHH provides internships for high school juniors and seniors attending Wilbur Cross, Hillhouse, Metropolitan and Career Regional high schools. The program consists of a 16-week session in the spring semester followed by a 6-week summer session. For more information, contact Patricia Worthy, YNHH Employee Relations, (203) 688-5226.

Hill Regional Career High School Partnership
Through a unique partnership with this New Haven high school, Yale-New Haven gives students the opportunity to explore medical and other hospital careers, as well as obtain certification as a nurse assistant. For more information, contact Carla Giles, Community Health Department, (203) 688-7092.

Health Adventures
YNHH was one of the first sites chosen for the Health Adventures program by the American Society of Directors of Volunteer Services (ASDVS) of the American Hospital Association. Health Adventures matches adult volunteer mentors with at-risk adolescents, to introduce them to community volunteerism and health care centers. YNHH partners with St. Rita School of Hamden and St. Rose of Lima School in Fair Haven for this innovative program. Students come to YNHH one Saturday per month to learn about a hospital department and the health care career opportunities. For more information, contact Tullio Ossa, Patient Relations/Volunteer Services, (203) 688-4070.

John C. Daniels School Partnership
YNHH recently launched a partnership with John C. Daniels School with the delivery of over 24,000 school supplies in recognition of United Way's day of Caring. The partnership consists of a classroom reading program where YNHH employees read to JCD students and a Lunch Buddy program where staff mentors students during lunch time. Other programs that reinforce classroom curricula will be offered throughout the academic year.

Lincoln Bassett Language and Literacy Extended Day Program
The Lincoln Bassett School in Newhallville was the recipient of a $65,000 grant from YNHH to fund a new Language and Literacy Extended Day Program at the school. The program will enhance language development by providing students with a variety of educational experiences designed to increase vocabulary and language skills.

Washington Elementary School Partnership
This partnership provides students with enhanced academic experiences that demonstrate the relevance of classroom curriculum to skills needed in the workplace and expose them to careers in health care. For more information, contact Dee Melio, YNHH Community and Government Relations, (203) 688-2503.

Financial counseling

Community Advisory Committee
A committee was formed to include representatives from Yale-New Haven Hospital, the New Haven board of Aldermen, Fair Haven Community Health Center, Hill Health Center, the Connecticut Center for a New Economy, the Connecticut Health Policy Project and other community representatives. The purpose of this committee is to assist the hospital with its ongoing and continued review of its financial assistance policies for free and discounted care within the community. For more information, contact William S. Gedge, (203) 688-8097.

Ecumenical Free Bed Fund Committee
This committee is made up of nine local New Haven Churches who are the nominators for over 25 hospital free bed funds, funds donated to the hospital more than 70 years ago. Interest and earnings on the funds are used to provide free care and reduced cost care for patients who qualify for the requirements outlined in the donated funds, which may include membership in their church, local community or civic organization. For more information, contact William S. Gedge, (203) 688-8097.

Financial Counseling Appointments
One-on-one appointments with English- or Spanish-speaking counselors are offered to discuss hospital bills and available free care funds. For more information, call (203) 688-5470, or for HUSKY enrollment, call (203) 688-5473.

Neighborhood redevelopment

Hill Housing Rehabilitation Project
(Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program)
Yale-New Haven Hospital contributed $200,000 to a collaborative project sponsored by the Hill Development Corporation to bring 65 new housing units to the neighborhood adjacent to the medical center. The new homes are targeted to low-income families. For more information, call the Hill Development Corporation, (203) 776-3759.

Hill Rehabilitation Grants
YNHH has been provided $165,000 for the first of its three-year commitment for emergency housing rehabilitation grants for Hill residents to be administered by Hill Development Corp.

Childcare subsidies
The hospital recently provided $40,000 for childcare subsidies for eligible residents to be administered by Hill Development Corporation. The grant will provide subsidies to working families who reside in the Hill neighborhood.

Hill Modular Home Project
YNHH has committed $50,000 to the Hill Development Corporation for a project that includes 20 single-family modular homes to be built in the Hill neighborhood. Other contributors to the development are the City of New Haven, Yale University and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston. The plan has two components: one calls for 10 homes to be targeted for families that make 80% or below the Area Median Income Level, which means an income for a family of four of approximately $52,250 or less; the other component is for 10 homes for families with no income restrictions. In keeping with its community service mission, YNHH's contribution will be directed toward the first component or construction of the low-income homes.

H.O.M.E. Program
As an expression of Yale-New Haven Hospital's commitment to our staff - and to the community we serve - we've developed the YNHH H.O.M.E. (Home Ownership Made Easier) Program. Designed to provide employees with the resources and support to buy their first home, the H.O.M.E. Program offers up to $10,000 in forgivable loans to help full-time employees purchase a home in the city of New Haven.

The H.O.M.E. Program offers classes, counseling and technical assistance through NewAlliance Bank to help employees navigate the home buying process, as well as property maintenance and rehabilitation resources to help them transform their new houses into a home. Click here for more information or to apply for the H.O.M.E. Program. For general information, call the YNHH Benefits Office, (203) 688-2401.

Not-for-Profit Boards and Committees
Hospital staff participates on boards and committees of local not-for-profit organizations and community groups, including:

Advocacy

Health Director’s Forum
In 1998, Yale-New Haven Hospital created a coalition of area health directors serving 12 greater New Haven towns to improve health in their communities. The Health Directors Forum develops, implements and promotes disease prevention and health promotion programs to improve community health status and reduce the number of preventable hospitalizations and emergency department visits in the greater New Haven area. For more inforamtion, contact James Rawlings, Community Health, (203) 688-5645.

Connecticut Coalition for Organ and Tissue Donation
Established by Yale-New Haven Hospital to promote awareness throughout Connecticut about organ and tissue donation, this not-for-profit organization is composed of several member agencies and volunteer members including state chapters of the American Heart Association, the National Kidney Foundation and the American Liver Foundation, as well as the Connecticut Eye Bank and Visual Research Foundation, the ESRD Network of New England, the New England Organ Bank and LifeChoice Donor Services and YNHH Transplant Center. Many donor family members and recipients volunteer their time through various efforts that promote organ and tissue donation. For more information, contact Cheryl Edwards, Yale-New Haven Transplant Center, (203) 785-4237.

Greater New Haven Partnership for a Healthy Community
Yale-New Haven Hospital participates in a consortium of community-based organizations interested in working together to maximize, conserve and marshal resources to improve the health status of Greater New Haven residents. The group seeks to understand the community's health status and potential, develop a health improvement action plan and create a unified voice to influence policy and secure funding. For more information, contact James Rawlings, (203) 688-5645.

Emergency Medical Services
Established in 1993 to coordinate and promote improvement in out-of-hospital emergency medical services activity--including medical response to disasters and hazardous environments--the division participates in a variety of national, regional and local organizations who seek to reduce death and disability resulting from common and unusual emergency situations. The division also supports exploration of innovative programs and research in emergency medical services (EMS) as a vehicle to influence policy and ultimately improve patient outcomes. For more information, contact Emergency Medical Services, (203) 785-4710.

REMEDY: Recovered Medical Equipment for the Developing World
REMEDY is a not-for-profit, humanitarian organization which began at Yale-New Haven Hospital in 1991 to collect unused but discarded medical supplies to donate to hospitals in developing countries. More than $2.5 million of usable medical supplies have been recovered and donated from Yale-New Haven Hospital alone, and REMEDY has helped start similar projects in 200 other hospitals.

Other initiatives

Boys and Girls Club of New Haven
YNHH, a long-time supporter of the Boys and Girls Club located in the Hill neighborhood, recently committed $100,000 to its Futures Campaign to sustain and expand programming for New Haven's youth.

Community Council
The YNHH Community Council serves as a link between the hospital and the community to provide a forum for sharing information and feedback on issues of importance to the hospital and the community in an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect.

Hill Summer Program
YNHH provided $50,000 to fund a free summer youth program in the Hill neighborhood created by Hill Development Corp. in partnership with YNHH. The six-week program provided educational and recreational activities including once weekly field trips to 75 Hill youth.

Mutual Respect Committee
The hospital sponsors a committee composed of staff from areas throughout the hospital who - in addition to promoting effective interpersonal relationships and respect among hospital staff - become involved in community projects. Mutual Respect Committee members organize periodic hospital-wide drives to collect items to help both patients and local community agencies. For more information, contact YNHH Employee Relations, (203) 688-2402.

Latino Advisory Council
Latino Advisory Council, comprised of Latino community leaders and YNHH employees, enhances relationships between YNHH and the Latino community by sharing information about YNHH programs, services and policies and facilitating open discussions on issues of importance to members and their communities relative to YNHH.

United Way Day of Caring
Hundreds of YNHH volunteers make a difference throughout the year by participating in the United Way Day of Caring project. The event, which used to take place on one day, has grown to become a year-round activity. YNHH has embraced the concept and regularly gathers several volunteer groups together to visit not-for-profit organizations and lend a hand.

Day of Caring is a great opportunity for team-building and allows volunteers to make a hands-on impact in the community. For more information or to volunteer, contact Cindy Dabbraccio or Sandy Elkin-Randi, (203) 688-5468.

All information is intended for your general knowledge and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should seek prompt medical care for any specific health issues and consult your physician before starting a new fitness regimen.

Yale-New Haven Hospital Community Service