Yale-New Haven Hospital (YNHH) is a 944-bed tertiary referral center which includes the 201-bed Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital and the 76-bed Yale-New Haven Psychiatric Hospital. It is the primary teaching hospital for Yale University School of Medicine (YSM). Yale-New Haven is accredited by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and regularly ranks among the best hospitals in the U.S. Yale-New Haven receives national and international referrals and, in conjunction with YSM and the Yale Cancer Center, is nationally recognized for its commitment to teaching and clinical research.
The history of Yale-New Haven Hospital goes back to 1826 when the General Hospital Society of Connecticut was chartered as the first hospital in Connecticut and the fourth voluntary hospital in the nation, and was affiliated with the Medical Institution of Yale College. In 1884, the hospital's name was changed to New Haven Hospital. In 1945, an affiliation with nearby Grace Hospital led to a name change: Grace-New Haven Hospital. In 1965, a more formal agreement with the university officially created Yale-New Haven Hospital. It started as a charitable institution for the care of the poor but soon expanded its role to encompass all the community.
Yale-New Haven Hospital strives to serve as a public health advocate for the community and provides support and services that are needed in the area. Yale-New Haven Hospital has one of the oldest organized hospital volunteer programs in the country. It offers diverse volunteer roles in order to fit individual time schedules, abilities and interests. It is a remarkable care and research facility that is renowned worldwide as a pioneer in medical diagnostics, disease treatment, research, technology and transplantation.