Yale New Haven was the state’s first hospital, opening in 1826 as the General Hospital Society of Connecticut. The Hospital of Saint Raphael, which integrated with YNHH in 2012, was founded by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth in 1907.
- A statue of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, Sisters of Charity founder, faces the Saint Raphael Campus main entrance.
- YNHH has more than 100 locations throughout Connecticut. Some are within other hospitals, such as the Smilow Cancer Hospital Care Center at St. Francis Hospital in Hartford; Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital’s Bridgeport Campus at Bridgeport Hospital; and the YNHH Rehabilitation and Wellness Center at the Bridgeport Hospital Milford Campus.
- YNHH medical milestones include the first successful clinical use of penicillin and first use of chemotherapy to treat cancer in 1942; the world’s first intensive care unit for newborns in 1960; and the first 18-patient linked living organ donor swap in Connecticut in 2017.
- When complete in 2027, the Adams Neurosciences Center will include a room with virtual reality (VR) technology that can help patients regain movement, balance and other capabilities. Patients will immerse themselves in the VR experience via a giant screen that will show simulated scenarios such as walks in the woods. As patients move through the scenarios, sensors will provide detailed data about them so clinicians can tailor their treatment and rehabilitation.
- YNHH maintenance mechanics are responsible for several water features at the York Street Campus, including the Atrium fountain. They periodically drain the fountain to make any needed repairs and collect coins people throw into the fountain. The coins are cashed in and donated to the YNHH Auxiliary Toy Closet program.
- Food and Nutrition at YNHH served a whopping 175,465 cafeteria customers in December 2024 alone – 137,311 at the York Street Campus and 38,154 at the Saint Raphael Campus.
