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Yale Medicine Magazine December 2025, Issue 175, Yale University. School Of Medicine

Yale Medicine Magazine - alumni bulletin and magazine

This is the December 2025 issue of Yale Medicine Magazine, issue 175. Prepared in cooperation with the alumni and development offices at the School of Medicine. Earlier volumes are called Yale School of Medicine alumni bulletins, dating from v.1 (1953) through v.13 (1965) and Yale Medicine: alumni bulletin of the School of Medicine, v.1 (1965) through v. 52, no.1. (Autumn 2017).

From Clinic To Court: Feminist Organizing And The Fight For Birth Control In Griswold V. Connecticut, Lynn Q. Lee

Kaplan Senior Essay Prize for Use of Library Special Collections

In 1961, Planned Parenthood League of Connecticut (PPLC) Director Estelle Griswold and Yale School of Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Chair Dr. Charles Lee Buxton were arrested. Charged with opening an illegal birth control clinic in New Haven, the two embarked on a four-year battle to overturn Connecticut’s decades-old anti-birth control law. The resulting Supreme Court case, Griswold v. Connecticut (1965), was the culmination of decades of advocacy, coalition building, and cultural conflict over reproductive rights in one of the nation’s most restrictive states.

Griswold v. Connecticut established the constitutional right to marital privacy, creating the protection needed for …

Providing Safe Gastric Feedings In Pediatric Patients On High Flow Nasal Cannula Respiratory Support, Olivia Joyce Chan

Yale School of Nursing Digital Theses

Purpose: HFNC is used to manage pediatric respiratory distress, but concerns aboutgastric air insufflation and aspiration risk lead to delayed feedings. There is no standardized practice guiding gastric feedings in children on HFNC. This project developed and implemented a decision tree to guide clinical decision-making for gastric feedings for children on HFNC. Methods: A HFNC feeding safety decision tree was developed following literature review and implemented in a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). The primary outcome evaluated HFNC flow rates when starting gastric feeds. Secondary outcomes include adverse events (AEs), physiologic distress, and PICU/hospital LOS. Data were analyzed using Chi-Square …

Implementation Of Teamstepps® In A Peri-Operative Environment In An Urban Medical Center, Chris Chantler

Yale School of Nursing Digital Theses

Problem and Context: Preventable Patient Harm (PPH) continues to occur frequently in healthcare. Failures in communication, poorly functioning teams, and a lack of shared mental models (SMMs) continue to challenge healthcare organizations. The purpose of this PI project was to improve communication and teamwork, among team members in a Peri-Operative setting. TeamSTEPPS® was selected as the training curriculum. Multiple parameters, including perceptions of teamwork, and safety metrics were evaluated pre and post-intervention.

Intervention: TeamSTEPPS® was selected as the training curriculum. TeamSTEPPS® is a highly adaptable curriculum designed to address these gaps and to improve team function in the healthcare setting. …

Reducing Opioid Use Following Posterior Spinal Fusion Procedures: A Pilot Project, Kevin Matthew Cornett

Yale School of Nursing Digital Theses

Importance: Opioid misuse and mortality remain a prevalent problem in the United States and there is a high rate of chronic opioid-use after spinal fusions. Current guidelines recommend the optimization of non-opioid analgesics as a primary pain control strategy with opioids acting as a secondary agent. Objective: To pilot an analgesic decision tree (ADT) featuring non-opioid analgesics to reduce postoperative pain, opioid consumption, and the incidence of adverse events during the first 48 hours after patients undergo a posterior spinal fusion. Methods: A literature review of opioid-sparing analgesics was conducted and a protocol developed as an interdisciplinary collaboration. The ADT …

Implementing A Screening Algorithm For Depression Diagnosis, Management And Referrals In Primary Care, Jorge Correia

Yale School of Nursing Digital Theses

Depression is a major cause of mortality, morbidity, disability, and economic costs in theUnited States. Everyday millions of Americans navigate our complex healthcare field to find the best solution to their problem. Due to a shortage of specialized psychiatric providers, often these people must rely on the primary care settings to get the help they need. However, the lack of knowledge in screening and management of mood disorders causes many of these patients to fall through the cracks or get substandard quality of mental health care. The goal of this quality improvement project was to develop and implement a screening …

Changing The Paradigm For Newly Graduated Nurses’ Intent To Leave Through An Emeritus Rn Virtual Mentoring Program In An Acute Care Hospital Setting, Lacy Eynon

Yale School of Nursing Digital Theses

The U.S. nursing shortage presents a critical challenge to healthcare organizations, withwide-reaching implications for patient safety and financial sustainability. High nurse turnover contributes to increased staffing costs, estimated at $56,300 average cost per nurse replaced. This shortage directly impacts patient outcomes including increased rates of medical errors, patient mortality and decreased overall quality of care. Supporting early-career nurses through mentorship programs is a promising strategy to improve professional development and retention, thereby addressing clinical and economic consequences workforce shortages. This DNP Project developed and implemented an Emeritus RN Virtual Mentoring Program utilizing experienced emeritus nurses to mentor nurses with less …

Readmission Reduction Of 1st Year Transplant Recipients, Kristin Freed

Yale School of Nursing Digital Theses

Abstract Readmission Reduction of 1st Year Transplant Recipients Clear communication with patients at their health-literacy level improves patient outcomes, fosters trust, and is associated with readmission reduction. Readmission of transplant recipients are correlated with morbidity, medical errors, higher healthcare economic costs, and indicative of decreased survival post- transplant. Literature suggests that up to 72% of transplant recipients may have low health literacy increasing risk of readmission. The Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality created the REALM-SF assessment as a tool for medical providers to evaluate a patient’s health literacy status in a timely manner. This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) …

New Leader Mentoring: Guiding Nursing Leaders Of The Future, Renee Marie Hammond

Yale School of Nursing Digital Theses

Nursing leaders throughout our health care system are retiring or leaving at an alarming rate – over 60% of the nursing leader workforce is expected to leave in the next five years. Retention of new nurse leaders is crucial to retention of clinical nurses, morale, and patient outcomes. Development of a formal mentorship program between new nurse leaders and experienced nurse leaders is essential to reducing the intent to leave of leaders. The Aims of this project are to develop a mentorship program for new nurse leaders using an adaptation of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership Core Competencies, to …

Empowering Emerging Air Medical Leaders Through A Novel Professional Development Program Adapting National Nursing And Healthcare Management Competencies To A Multi-State Air Medical Service, Christopher Hardman

Yale School of Nursing Digital Theses

Empowering Emerging Air Medical Leaders through a Novel Professional Development Program Adapting National Nursing and Healthcare Management Competencies to a Multi-State Air Medical ServiceHigh turnover in the nursing workforce has led to clinicians with limited experience being promoted to leadership roles without proper training or support. Nurse leaders directly impact clinical outcomes and retention. The financial burden of turnover is significant, as health systems must continually replace employees. Despite this, limited evidence exists on effective professional development and retention strategies in non-traditional, non-hospital settings. This DNP project sought to adapt and implement a novel professional development program, derived from the …

Nursing Innovation As A Solution To Improve Care Delivery, Danielle Therese Huseman-Maratea

Yale School of Nursing Digital Theses

Healthcare in the United States is complex and expensive. The 2023 per capita national health expenditure for the United States was $14,570 and 31% of national health expenditures were related to hospital care (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024). Healthcare innovation is a solution to this problem as it can improve quality and reduce cost (Walker, 2011). The value of nurses’ contribution around innovation tables was demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic (Koszalinski et. al, 2021). A 2020 study conducted by Johnson & Johnson, the American Nurses Association, and the American Organization for Nursing Leadership found that only 46 percent …

Improving Equity In Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk, Jordan Levandoski

Yale School of Nursing Digital Theses

The current use of racial categorization in Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease (ASCVD) risk, limits assessment of confounders beyond cholesterol. The Life’s Essential Eight (LE8) categories of healthy diet, sleep, physical activity, smoking, body mass index, hypertension, total cholesterol, and blood glucose could reduce two million ASCVD events per year. The documentation of Z codes 55 – 65 describe social drivers of health (SDH) like housing, economics, and social systems which complicate care. Development of the ASCVD risk assessment and management protocol (ASCVD-RAMP) assessed ASCVD risk without race modification in patients aged 45 – 75 and improved health equity by pairing SDH …

Exergaming Physical Exercise Program Protocol For Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment, Yushiu Lin

Yale School of Nursing Digital Theses

Physical inactivity is a risk factor for dementia and may accelerate the progression ofmild cognitive impairment (MCI). Older adults with MCI often engage in insufficient exercise, increasing their risk. This clinical intervention evaluated the effects of an exergaming physical exercise program on cognitive function and balance in older adults with MCI. Cognitive function was measured using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), while balance was evaluated with the Romberg Test. The aims involved developing and implementing an eight-week exergaming physical exercise program, using a pre-packaged, non-immersive virtual reality (VR) application. Results indicated a significant improvement in cognitive function following increased physical …

Cultural Intelligence For Advanced Practice Providers: Moving A Contextually Based Model Forward For Workforce Training, René Padilla

Yale School of Nursing Digital Theses

Cultural Intelligence for Advanced Practice Providers: Moving a Contextually Based Model Forward for Workforce TrainingCultural Intelligence (CQ) among clinicians in primary care for the Hispanic population is inadequate (Da Costa, 2023). Cultural diversity training for patient care has been identified as a need to improve outcomes since the 1960s (Lin et al., 2017). In 2000, the Office of Minority Health (OMH) at the US Department of Health released the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Healthcare and updated those standards in 2013. Mainous et al. (2020) found that only 35% of primary care providers (PCPs) knew of …

Promoting Mental Health Awareness And Reducing Stigma In Spanish-Speaking Communities Through Educational Interventions, Kelly Medina Prado

Yale School of Nursing Digital Theses

Background: Spanish-speaking Latino populations in the U.S. experience significant disparities in mental health access driven by language barriers, low mental health literacy, and cultural stigma. These factors contribute to the underutilization of services, early treatment dropout, and poor outcomes.

Objective: This quality improvement project aimed to develop, implement, and evaluate a culturally and linguistically tailored mental health education intervention designed to increase mental health literacy and reduce stigma among Spanish-speaking Latino adults in a federally qualified health center.

Methods: A total of four group sessions were conducted over an eight-week period. The sessions were delivered in Spanish and included culturally …

Improving The Reporting And Tracking Of Hospital-Acquired Pressure Injuries, Melinda Rosado

Yale School of Nursing Digital Theses

Hospital-acquired pressure injuries (HAPIs) affect millions of patients a year, impacting patient safety and creating a significant financial burden for healthcare systems. Inadequate reporting and tracking of HAPIs lead to delays in care, inaccurate data reporting and missed opportunities for quality improvement. This is in large part due to a lack of training and education around HAPIs, poor communication of injuries during hand-off and a lack of system integration. A process improvement program to improve the reporting and tracking accuracy of HAPIs was piloted on two post-surgical units in a large urban cancer center. This initiative combined comprehensive training via …

Changing The Vantage Point Of Nurses Toward Evidence-Based Practice: Embedding Storytelling Into A Novel On-Demand Micro-Learning Program, Janet Ruscoe

Yale School of Nursing Digital Theses

CMS withholds billions in payments to fund VBP and incentivize hospitals to improve care. Achievements in TPS, which includes patient satisfaction and safety domains, is an opportunity to earn back incentive payments. Advancing nurses' adoption of EBP helps keep patients safe, improves satisfaction, and supports hospital financial viability (Kemp et al., 2023). However, gaps exist in the competency and application of EBP (Melnyk et al., 2018). A curriculum was developed to improve nurses' perceptions of EBP value. A storytelling, micro-learning approach was utilized to deliver the EBP-relevant knowledge. The digital platform provided on-demand, unlimited re-entry features that optimized flexibility, convenience, …

Provider Mindfulness: Changing Implicit Bias And Improving Perinatal Health Outcomes For Patients With Adverse Social Determinants Of Health, Nina Sarah Simon

Yale School of Nursing Digital Theses

AbstractProvider Mindfulness: Changing Implicit Bias and Improving Perinatal Health Outcomes for Patients with Adverse Social Determinants of Health Purpose: Implicit bias is an unconscious prejudice or preexisting belief developed over time toward another group. It can influence provider judgement, treatment decisions and levels of care. The purpose of this DNP Quality Improvement (QI) project was to improve patient care and provider knowledge on how implicit bias affects perinatal health for those with adverse social determinants of health (SDOH). Methods: A 53-second daily mindfulness intervention was developed and implemented among 8 obstetric providers caring for a population at risk for bias …

Developing A Standardized Workplace Violence Prevention Program For Healthcare Leaders To Enhance Safety, Kaleena Soorma

Yale School of Nursing Digital Theses

Abstract

Developing a Standardized Workplace Violence Prevention Program for Healthcare Leaders to Enhance Safety

The increasing threat of Type 2 workplace violence (client on staff) in healthcare disproportionately impacts employees such as Nurses. Desensitization to this growing trend in healthcare has contributed to perceptions that WPV has become an unavoidable risk, especially for those delivering care in high-risk areas such as the emergency department (ED).

The critical need to reevaluate WPV prevention strategies in healthcare, while highlighting systemic failures such as underreporting, is integral to driving a culture of safety. This project aimed to provide a post-incident Type 2 WPV …

Implementing A Patient-Centered Pediatric Obesity Protocol In A Population With Social And Environmental Risk Factors, Carolyn Walsh

Yale School of Nursing Digital Theses

Children and adolescents exposed to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and negative social determinants of health (SDoH) have an increased risk of developing pediatric obesity. The American Academy of Pediatrics Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Treatment of Children and Adolescents with Obesity (2023) recommends assessing these factors in children with obesity. At a School-Based Health Center (SBHC), the standard of care for pediatric obesity did not include ACEs and SDoH screening, highlighting a gap in practice. This Doctor of Nursing Practice project developed, implemented, and evaluated a patient-centered pediatric obesity protocol incorporating ACEs, SDoH screening, and referrals to patient-centered …

The Eurosystem’S Instruments, European Central Bank (Ecb)

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No abstract provided.

Types Of Eu Law, European Commission

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No abstract provided.

Bcbs Dashboards, Bank For International Settlements: Basel Committee On Banking Supervision

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No abstract provided.

State Aid For Ing: The Facts And Figures, Ing Financial Services Llc

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No abstract provided.

A Theory Of Economic Justice, Marshall Paul Forrester

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

This dissertation develops a theory of economic justice. It begins with an economic state of nature, much like Hobbes's political state of nature. In the economic state of nature, there is no economic cooperation through the division of labor and specialization, and everyone is very poor. The purpose of the dissertation is to identify the conditions for just economic cooperation. I argue that each participant in economic cooperation should be rewarded according to their contributions. The first chapter draws on Henry George to argue that there is a fundamental difference between land and the other two factors of production, labor …

Language, Categorization, And Control: Examining Exclusion In Refugee Regimes Through The Shift From Muhājir To Lājiʾ, Cormac M. Thorpe

Harvey M. Applebaum ’59 Award

No abstract provided.

Essays On Political Violence And Democratic Competition In Western Democracies, Moritz Emanuel Bondeli

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

This dissertation sheds new light on the causes of political violence as well as its consequences for democratic competition, focusing on Western democracies. My first essay examines the interplay of policing, political violence and democratic backsliding in Weimar Germany. It establishes that the preferences and incentives of law enforcement officials are central to understanding variation in political violence in this context. The essay combines original quantitative data on law enforcement staffing and party mobilization efforts with secondary data on incidents of lethal political violence and electoral outcomes to build an original county-level panel dataset for the German state of Prussia, …

Chromatin Architecture And Dynamics In Native Folding States, Tianyu Yuan

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

The central question in chromatin architecture and dynamics is how meter-long DNA strands are organized within a micrometer-sized nucleus while maintaining regulation of all genomic activities. While some organizational principles have been identified and validated through both theoretical models and experiments, controversies between alternative mechanisms persist,continually refining and enriching our understanding of chromatin architecture and dynamics. At the intermediate length scale, chromatin architecture is characterized by topologically associating domains (TADs), revealed through experimental Hi-C contact maps. This organization can be explained and modeled using loop extrusion factor (LEF) models, which rely on the correlation between TAD boundaries and the genomic …

Games In A High-Dimensional World: An Interplay Between Machine Learning And Game Theory, Anargyros Oikonomou

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

Motivated by the growing number of applications at the intersection of game theory and machine learning, including alignment, AI agents like automated bidders, training generative models, and high-dimensional mechanism design, this dissertation explores the interplay between the two fields. Specifically, we show how machine learning can gain insights from game-theoretic multi-agent optimization techniques and how game theory can benefit from machine learning techniques. The first part of this work focuses on leveraging game-theoretic insights to improve optimization algorithms in multi-agent machine learning. Traditional methods, such as gradient descent, often fail to converge when training multi-agent systems with competing objectives. This …

Chk2 Sustains Mitotic Plk1 Activity To Promote Proper Chromosome Segregation, Elizabeth Maureen Black

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) protects against genome instability by ensuring timely and accurate mitotic cell division, and its activity is tightly regulated throughout the cell cycle. Although the pathways that initially activate PLK1 in G2 are well-characterized, the factors that directly regulate mitotic PLK1 remain poorly understood. Here, I identify that human PLK1 activity is sustained by the DNA damage response kinase Checkpoint kinase 2 (Chk2) in mitosis. Chk2 directly phosphorylates PLK1 T210, a residue on its T-loop whose phosphorylation is essential for full PLK1 kinase activity. Loss of Chk2-dependent PLK1 activity causes increased mitotic errors, including chromosome misalignment, chromosome …