Newsbriefs

New EFR classes focus on moving forward, cultivating hope

As we continue to navigate the changes and challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, mindfulness, resiliency and self-care can be powerful tools to help us cope. Yale New Haven Health’s Employee and Family Resources program has three new courses that will teach employees practical strategies to boost resilience and optimism as we keep pressing forward. 

• Survive and Thrive: Cultivating Hope, a single-session course, is available Tuesdays, May 11 or May 25 at noon, or Thursdays, May 13 or May 27 at 9 am. 
• Mindful Well-being: Moving Forward, Staying Present, a six-week course, occurs Wednesdays at 3 pm, May 12 - June 16. 
• Develop Resilience in the Face of Adversity, a six-week course, will be Fridays at 12:30 pm, May 21 - June 25.

All sessions are virtual. Visit the Employee Well-being and Resources intranet page for details (in network only). Register on the Infor Learning Management System.

Comic relief workshop May 13

Patients, employees and the public are invited to a free Smilow Wellness Workshop, “Comic Relief - Humor as an Essential Coping Skill,” 4 - 5:15 pm Thursday, May 13. Health psychologist Brian Luke Seaward will explain how humor is an essential coping skill, especially during challenging times. The Smilow Wellness Workshop will be held via Zoom. Register online.

Employee service members, veterans invited to group photo May 14

In honor of Armed Forces Day USA, Yale New Haven Hospital’s Veterans Affiliation Group invites employees who are veterans of or currently serving in the U.S. Armed Forces to participate in a group photo, 7 am Friday, May 14. The photo will be at the Yale University lacrosse field (corner of Derby and Central avenues, by Reese Stadium) to allow social distancing. Each participant will receive an American flag, and breakfast will be provided. COVID restrictions on gatherings prevented YNHH from holding its traditional employee Veterans Day gatherings last November. The May 14 event will honor U.S. veterans and current service members, including those hit particularly hard during the pandemic, and those who have served on the front lines in the military and now serve in health care on a different front line. For more information, contact Bolivar Baez, [email protected].

Stamp Out Stroke webinar May 19

May is Stroke Awareness Month and employees are invited to a webinar, Stamp Out Stroke: Stroke Awareness Town Hall, noon to 1 pm Wednesday, May 19. To register, visit the employee intranet. The event will include opening remarks by leaders of stroke teams at Bridgeport, Greenwich, L+M, Westerly and Yale New Haven hospitals, along with general information about strokes and stroke prevention, a message from a stroke survivor and a question and answer segment. To learn more about the Stamp Out Stroke Program, visit the Yale New Haven Hospital Stroke Center intranet page (in network only). The webinar is presented by Yale New Haven Stroke Systems of Care and Yale School of Medicine.

Vascular Center earns national award

The Heart and Vascular Center at Yale New Haven Hospital recently received a three-star participation award for 2020 from the Society for Vascular Surgery’s Vascular Quality Initiative Participation Awards Program. This is the third consecutive year YNHH has received this award, based in part on patient safety and quality improvement efforts. The award recognizes the HVC’s care of patients receiving specific vascular treatments, including those for abdominal aortic aneurysms, peripheral arterial disease and carotid artery disease.