The impact of Yale nurses can be found across the country, and indeed the world, but nowhere is YSN's mission of "better health care for all people" felt more profoundly than in Yale's own backyard, the city of New Haven. This issue of Yale Nursing Matters highlights YSN's extensive involvement in its local community, particularly through the clinical practice of our faculty and students. YSN is unique among top-tier schools of nursing because of our long-term recognition of the importance of faculty practice. Faculty practice provides the basis for students' high-quality education, as well as networks supporting their research and policy endeavors.

We are also proud to report on the continuing success of the HAVEN Free Clinic, a partnership begun in 2005 between Yale University's health professional students and the Fair Haven Community Health Center. For New Haven's large underinsured population, this student-run facility provides critical access to primary care. For students, the clinic provides invaluable real-world experience, not only in the practice of nursing, but also in the everyday challenges of bringing health care to underserved communities.

The New Haven region provides rich opportunities for community involvement. YSN makes an impact through the volunteer efforts of our students, faculty, staff, and alumnae/i. Most exemplary is this year's Community Service Award recipient, student Everol Ennis '09, for his dedication to New Haven's homeless and elderly residents.

Of course, the contributions of YSN's family go far beyond our local area. We describe the extensive relief efforts of alumna Anne Hutchinson '84 in the Gulf Coast region following Hurricane Katrina on page 32, and the ongoing mission work of YSN's Director of Public Affairs, John Powers, in the Dominican Republic on page 11.

Finally, I am grateful to Congresswoman Rosa L. DeLauro for writing the "Truth of the Matter" column. Born and raised in New Haven's Wooster Square area, Ms. DeLauro is now serving her ninth term in Congress and sits on the influential House Appropriations and Budget Committees. As a longtime friend to YSN and to the profession of nursing, she is well known for her efforts to ensure that our communities benefit from accessible health care.

I hope you will join us in our effort to truly make "better health care for all people" a reality. Get involved, stop by and visit when you are in New Haven, and contact me with your ideas.

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