YNHH celebrates a new "joint" venture

The hospital officially opened its newest Center for Musculoskeletal Care unit on Verdi 4 East at the Saint Raphael Campus with a Nov. 28 ribbon-cutting. The unit features all private rooms and advanced technology and equipment, including TV monitors in each patient room for virtual physical therapy. While hospitalized and after discharge, at home, appropriate patients will use a video program called VERA (Virtual Exercise Rehabilitation Assistant) that coaches them through prescribed physical therapy exercises and sends progress reports back to their physical therapists. Richard D'Aquila, YNHH president, and Mary O'Connor, MD, director, Center for Musculoskeletal Care, YNHH and Yale School of Medicine, were among the speakers at the ribboncutting. Other attendees included unit staff members (l-r): Lorraine Novella, RN, patient service manager; Amanda DeFilippo, patient care associate; Renae Voira, business associate; and Julie Torello, RN, assistant PSM.