Newsbriefs

YNHHS employees’ medical insurance expands telehealth coverage

Yale New Haven Health Urgent Care’s telehealth service is now covered as a tier 1 provider for employees who have Yale New Haven Health’s medical plan. The service is available 24/7 for minor medical illnesses and injuries. For more information or to access telehealth care, visit ynhhs.org/get-care-now.

Scholarship applications accepted beginning March 1

Applications will be accepted starting March 1 for the Frances Grindell Care Associate Scholarship for YNHH care associates pursuing nursing degrees. To be eligible, employees must be in good employment standing and working at least 24 hours per week for at least one year as a care associate. Scholarships of up to $750 for full-time employees and $500 for part-time employees will be awarded annually to qualified applicants who have been accepted by or are enrolled in a Connecticut registered nursing licensure program. Applications must be submitted online only. Applicants will be required to submit official transcripts and a letter of recommendation from a YNHH manager and complete an application questionnaire. Visit HRConnect for more information. The scholarship fund was established by the children of the late Frances Q. Grindell, RN, a YNHH nurse for 44 years, to honor her love for education and dedication to nursing.  

Wear blue to support colorectal cancer awareness March 1

Mark your calendars for Friday, March 1, as Yale New Haven Health’s Digestive Health service line marks Wear Blue Day (employee dress code applies). The day helps bring greater awareness of the fight against colorectal cancer, the third most common cancer in men and women and third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States. The good news is that colon cancer screenings can save lives. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people begin regular screenings starting at age 45. Colonoscopy has more benefits than other types of screening, but other options are available. Speak to your provider to determine the best test for you.

Peer support training class March 6

YNHHS employees are invited to enroll in the next virtual Peer Support training class 1 - 4:30 pm Wednesday, March 6. Completing the class makes employees eligible to serve on their location’s Peer Support Team but does not commit them to do so. Peer Support Teams are volunteers from clinical and non-clinical departments who support colleagues who are going through a difficult time. While not professionally trained mental health experts, Peer Support members are equipped to facilitate small groups or be there to comfort individuals. To register for the March 6 training visit LMS and search for Peer Support Training. Course materials, including the Zoom link, will be provided once registration is complete. Questions? Emal [email protected]. 

Call for proposals: YNHHS Innovation Awards 

Yale New Haven Health and Yale University employees are invited to submit proposals for the YNHHS Staff and Faculty Innovation Awards. Proposals are due by March 6 and should focus on creative ways to improve operations in any of these categories:

• New care delivery models 
• Care anywhere 
• Health equity 
• Automating the enterprise 
• Generative AI

Proposals should include:

• A description of an unmet clinical need and its magnitude
• The project’s focus area(s)
• Detailed description of how the proposed solution solves the identified problem
• Estimates for the number of people affected by the identified problem and the potential impact of the proposed solution

Four top proposals will each receive up to $100,000. Visit ynhhs.org/innovation to learn more and submit a proposal.

Tune in to the Virtual Care Symposium March 13

Employees are invited to join experts from across the country for presentations on innovations in virtual care at the 2024 Virtual Care Symposium, “From Novelty to Sustainability – How to Embed Virtual Care into the Post-Pandemic Healthcare Delivery Template,” 1 - 5 pm Wednesday, March 13. Presentations include AI and Technology Enabled Clinical Workflow Redesign: Virtual Nursing, Telesitting and AI enabled documentation, moderated by Lee Schwamm, MD, YNHHS senior vice president and chief digital health officer and Yale School of Medicine associate dean, Digital Strategy and Transformation. 

Other presentations include:

• Virtual Primary Care: Successes and struggles with integrating virtual care models into primary care
• Selling the ROI for Virtual Care: Senior healthcare executives will evaluate three ROI presentations in a Shark Tank-style format
• Leveraging Community Spaces to Expand Virtual Care Access: Using public libraries to meet communities’ information and virtual care needs 
  hard copy newsletter version:

This event is free. For more information and to register, visit Virtual Care Consensus.