Interdisciplinary lecture brings together clinicians, physicians, and bereaved parents to advance standardized, compassionate care for families experiencing stillbirth and newborn loss across five delivery network hospitals
New Haven, CT (March 6, 2026) – Compassionate care backed by evidence-based protocols is a signature of every good health system. When navigating the loss of a child, that compassion becomes even more important. Last month, the Park Street Auditorium at Yale New Haven Hospital in New Haven was the venue for The Joseph Keane Fund Perinatal Bereavement Lecture, focusing on perinatal bereavement compassionate care. "From Compassion to Clinical Excellence – Launching System-Wide Perinatal Bereavement Care Pathways Across Yale New Haven Health" centered on the exchange of best practices across the health system, making sure families and providers feel supported when they need it most.
The event underscores Yale New Haven Health's position as a national leader in perinatal bereavement care. It represents the culmination of more than a decade of collaboration between the health system and the Joseph Keane Fund, founded in 2012 by Jessica and Tim Keane following the stillbirth of their son, Joseph, to promote compassionate care and implement standardized protocols for families facing perinatal loss.
CDC research reveals the heartbreak of stillbirth or newborn loss affects approximately 41,000 mothers each year in the United States, and its impact extends far beyond. Lifelong consequences of this loss are felt by parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles and the medical professionals involved.
No family should ever feel alone in their grief,
said Jessica Keane. That’s why it matters so deeply to promote compassionate care and to ensure hospitals follow standardized protocols for perinatal loss. Families deserve support, guidance and dignity on the worst day of their lives.
I spent my career in business solving complex problems," said Tim Keane, Co-Founder. "Losing Joseph — and learning the research data on long-term impact of perinatal loss on families and providers — showed me the most impactful problem I could ever work on. Over one-third of mothers develop PTSD, suicide risk increases four-fold, and relationships often fracture. Those numbers made it clear we needed to take action. What began as a program providing material resources has snowballed into a clinical pathway embedded in Epic across the entire Yale New Haven Health System.
The lecture discussed innovative advancements and unveiled the pathways designed to standardize best practices across Yale New Haven Health. Speakers discussed clinical pathways including a multidisciplinary approach, mental health support and perspectives from patients and providers. They emphasized the impact of acknowledging the loss.
"Supporting families through perinatal loss means holding space for their grief while gently guiding them toward healing, said Elisabeth Schneider, a perinatal bereavement counselor at Bridgeport Hospital. No one should have to walk this path alone. That’s why this program is so important to have systemwide.
Honoring the life that was lost, no matter how brief, creates a space for families to grieve, to remember and ultimately to heal,
said Angela Montgomery, MD, a neonatologist and director of Perinatal-Neonatal Palliative Care services at Yale New Haven Hospital. It’s a vital part of their journey toward finding meaning after unimaginable loss.
The speakers included the founders of the Joseph Keane Fund at Yale New Haven Health, Jessica M.Ed. and Tim Keane, MBA; Stephen Thung, MD, chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Bridgeport Hospital; Angela Montgomery, MD, neonatologist and director of Perinatal-Neonatal Palliative Care services at YNHH; Michael Berman, MD, from Mount Sinai Medical Center and founder of Maternl; Eleanor Blythe, PA, Program Manager for Care Signature at Yale New Haven Hospital; Katie Streit, RN, perinatal bereavement council at Greenwich Hospital; Elisabeth Schneider, perinatal bereavement counselor at Bridgeport Hospital; and Leslie Shannehan, perinatal bereavement coordinator at Bridgeport Hospital.
The lecture was held in memory of Joseph Keane, Grace Anne Schneider, and William Shannehan.
To learn more about the Joseph Keane Fund and how you can support it, or if you are a healthcare provider interested in the program or educational series for continuing medical education (CME) credits, please reach out for more information.
Yale New Haven Health (YNHHS), the largest and most comprehensive healthcare system in Connecticut, is recognized for advanced clinical care, quality, service, cost effectiveness and commitment to improving the health status of the communities it serves. YNHHS includes five hospitals – Bridgeport, Greenwich, Lawrence + Memorial, Westerly and Yale New Haven hospitals, several specialty networks and Northeast Medical Group, a non-profit medical foundation with several hundred community-based and hospital-employed physicians. YNHHS is affiliated with Yale University and Yale Medicine, the clinical practice of the Yale School of Medicine and the largest academic multi-specialty practice in New England. Yale New Haven Hospital is the primary teaching hospital of Yale School of Medicine. www.ynhhs.org
