The Year in Review: 2023-2024
From the Dean:
When I arrived at Yale School of Nursing (YSN) in August 2023, I was honored to kick off the celebrations for our centennial. YSN began making history in 1923 as the first school within a university to prepare nurses under an educational rather than an apprenticeship program, and that trailblazing legacy continues today.
It has been a great pleasure to connect with so many of the alumni, faculty, students, and staff who make up our community, and I want to thank all of you for such a warm welcome. I also want to express my gratitude for trusting me with your ideas and hopes for the future of our incredible school. It is clear that the Yale community of nurses and midwives is thriving across the country and around the world.
It is a distinct privilege to now launch YSN’s second century and continue our tradition of innovative scholarship, inclusive pedagogy, and inspiring clinical practice. As we move forward, the school is dedicated to emphasizing four areas of concentration:
Transparency and Inclusivity: Fostering a deep and sustained internal cultural shift toward meaningful and fulfilling participation from all faculty, staff, and students in advancing our mission of “better health for all people.”
Organizational Excellence: Stabilizing the nursing faculty, staffing infrastructure, research funding, and student debt load to ensure a solid foundation for our future.
Cutting Edge Technology and Innovation: Continuing to grow and market YSN’s leading position in the simulation space, expand the use of artificial intelligence (AI) for nursing as a profession, and focus on innovative program development and growth.
Global and National Leading Position: Yale nurses and midwives are the leaders in addressing persistent health and health care challenges such as health disparities, poor health outcomes, a lack of greater accessibility, quality of clinical care, and wellness. We will enhance YSN’s presence in these areas and reintroduce the school at every level.
During our second century, YSN will celebrate our achievements in providing better health for all people and extending the health-wellness span, ensuring better physical and mental health throughout longer, more fulfilling lifespans. Nurse leaders will be recognized as the architects of a future where healthcare is anticipatory, personalized, integrative, and accessible, leading to unprecedented levels of individual, community, and population health and well-being. YSN will be celebrated as the epicenter of innovative healthcare education, research, and advocacy, setting new standards for global health.
I look forward to answering big questions and tackling complex challenges with all of you. As one of our DNP students declared in her commencement speech: “Let’s not wait!”
Sincerely,
Dean Azita Emami
Yale School of Nursing welcomed internationally recognized nursing leader Azita Emami, PhD, MSN, BSN, RNT, RN, FAAN as the 11th dean on August 1, 2023. Shortly after her arrival, Dean Emami launched a listening journey to engage with faculty, students, and staff to gain insight into the school’s history and areas of strength, as well as recommendations for re-envisioning. Dean Emami’s deanship will also include the launch of the school’s second century in the fall of 2024 and the school’s 100th graduating class in 2026. 
Before Yale School of Nursing was founded, nurses in America were considered an unskilled labor force. Caring and compassionate, but the pairs of hands rolling up their sleeves were not considered capable of shaping scientific discourse or guiding healthcare strategy. In an overwhelmingly female profession, nurses were expected to execute the tasks assigned to them by a doctor who was most often male and white. But YSN pioneered a new paradigm for nursing as a profession of highly skilled practitioners, clinical experts, and scientific researchers. As YSN embarked on its centennial year, the milestone provided an opportunity to reflect on 100 years of history, including with exhibited objects at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale School of Medicine. This centennial also served as a platform to address longstanding and shameful health disparities, such as during a conversation with documentary filmmaker Tonya Lewis Lee. Celebrations also included an all-alumni reunion and the 50th anniversary of the Distinguished Alumni Awards.
YSN continues its outreach into the local community, including at the annual Stand Down event for Veteran’s Affairs, at the HAVEN free clinic, the Community Health Care Van, and the family flu clinics at Yale Health. Events
Centennial and off-campus events dominated the calendar this year, and our community embraced the option of attending events virtually as well. In addition to the 10 events in Connecticut, YSN was on the road in Washington, D.C., Florida, New York, Massachusetts, and Washington state. Dean Azita Emami and/or Deputy Dean Tatiana Sadak headlined more than a dozen gatherings, the number of guests topped 1,200. Attendees included alumni from across Yale, students, staff, and faculty. YSN Receives Historic Gift for Community Scholars Program
A $11.1 million gift from a generous anonymous donor – the largest single gift in YSN’s history – will support the YSN Community Scholars program, providing full-tuition scholarships to six students each year in the MSN program or the GEPN program.
YSN Student Captains Winning Team at Global Health Competition
Lindsay Walker ’26 MSN captained a Yale team to first place in the annual Emory Morningside Global Health Case Competition in Atlanta, after previously winning the Yale Global Health Case Competition. This is the second year in a row that a YSN student has been on the winning YIGH team. Kelly Savin ’26 MSN and her team placed third at the Yale Global Health Case Competition.
Creative Writing Awards Enters Third Decade
In a sweep for both poetry and the Class of 2026, Angie Benhard ’26 MSN, Liz Daskalakis ’26 MSN, and Austin Lee ’26 MSN each took home $1,000 as the winners of the 21st annual Creative Writing Awards in April.
Bellos Lecture Welcomes Former ANA President
Duke University’s Ernest J. Grant, PhD, RN, FAAN, delivered the annual Sybil Palmer Bellos lecture, “Nurses as Agents of Change – Making Change Happen: Leadership, Advocacy and Activism in Action.”
Dr. Tatiana Sadak and Students Go to Capitol Hill
YSN Family Nurse Practitioner students Bar Hass ’24 MSN and Craig Manbauman ’25 MSN swapped their scrubs for Capitol Hill clothes when they accompanied Deputy Dean Tatiana Sadak, PhD, PMHNP, RN, FAAN to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) Advocacy Hill Day legislative visits on March 25.
TRANSforming Nursing
Christine Rodriguez recently completed a book with Sigma Publishers titled, “TRANSforming Nursing Education: Infusing Gender-Sensitive Care into Healthcare Curricula,” which is expected to become available in the summer of 2024. This first-of-its-kind book for educators includes clinical pearls, health statistics discussing the transgender community, the creation of inclusive didactic and clinical environments, inclusion pedagogy, and simulation-based education. 
Oscar Anderson ’25 MSN worked in research and communications for 15 years before enrolling in the GEPN program. His career change was inspired by his experiences navigating health care as a transgender man, and the realization that the lack of transgender representation in health care had devastating effects on the transgender community.
Aging Well
Dean Azita Emami and Deputy Dean Tatiana Sadak presented “Aging Well and How Lifestyle and Self Care Affect Long-Term Health” at the Yale Club of New York City in April. The audience included YSN alumni, Yale College alumni, and others curious about the topic. They discussed ways to bridge the gap between lifespan and healthspan; how genes are not fate, and their aspiration to educate Yale nurses to be advocates for precision wellness. Dean Emami leads the school’s aging well initiatives and Deputy Dean Sadak serves as a co-lead on the project.
YSN is a community of extraordinary people, many of whom were highlighted in the media during our centennial year. The Washington Post covered the nursing journey of unique classmates: Vanessa Landegger ’24 MSN and her son Dylan Antonioli ’26 MSN. Decade Award winner Dr. Nicole Seagriff ’11 MSN made a guest appearance on the YaleTalk podcast to discuss the centennial, as well as her work as a two-time cancer survivor and advocate. Yale Alumni Magazine highlighted our milestone year to 100,000 print readers, sharing Dean Emami’s article “A Focus on Equity in Nursing” and President Salovey’s column “Milestones in Nursing.” Dean Emami also co-wrote an opinion editorial in The Hartford Courant titled, “Yale deans: Congress shouldn’t help one set of students by denying essential aid to others.” And Director of the Clinical DNP program Joanne DeSanto Iennaco was interviewed by Chief Healthcare Executive for her research on aggressive encounters between patients and hospital staff.
Yale School of Nursing (YSN) and Yale New Haven Health System (YNHHS) have embarked on a strategic initiative to formalize their academic-clinical partnership, aligning efforts to advance both organizations’ missions. A dedicated workgroup, comprised of leaders from both YSN and YNHHS, is spearheading this collaboration. Through a series of retreats and focused discussions, the workgroup has identified key priority areas critical for mutual growth, including enhancing clinical education, fostering research synergies, and addressing workforce development needs. With a clear and aligned agenda, this partnership is positioned to drive sustainable improvements in patient care, education, and health outcomes.
In addition to formalizing our partnership with YNHHS, we are actively building relationships with other key clinical and community organizations such as Hartford HealthCare System, Fair Haven Community Health Care, the Moses Weitzman Health System, the Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, and other major health systems across Connecticut. These relationships are aimed at enhancing clinical education, expanding academic initiatives, and fostering research collaborations that deliver value to both YSN and our partners.
To strengthen these collaborations and ensure alignment, we are creating a Clinical Community Advisory Board (CCAB) consisting of representatives from all our clinical partner organizations. This board will provide a platform for shared decision-making, allowing us to identify opportunities that maximize mutual benefits. By creating this collaborative structure, we aim to enhance clinical placements, improve patient care outcomes, and generate innovative educational programs that benefit both YSN students and our partner institutions.
We are excited to announce six new leadership appointments this year that will be integral in advancing these initiatives and reinforcing our partnerships.
Diane Kelly
Senior Adviser to the Dean for Clinical Partnership
President of Greenwich Hospital
Executive Vice President & Chief Nurse Executive – Yale New Haven Health
Ena Williams
Adviser to the Dean for Clinical Partnership
Chief Nursing Officer and Senior Vice President – Yale New Haven Hospital
Judith Hahn
Adviser to the Dean for Clinical Partnership
Executive Director of Nursing Professional Practice and Education – Yale New Haven Health System
Anna Cerra
Adviser to the Dean for Clinical Partnership
Chief Nursing Officer of Greenwich Hospital
Mary C. Christoffersen
Adviser to the Dean for Clinical Partnership
Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer at Yale New Haven Health, Bridgeport Hospital
Bernadette Jao
Adviser to the Dean for Clinical Partnership
Associate Director for Nursing and Patient Care Services – Veterans Affairs Connecticut Health Care
The Class of 2024 marked YSN’s 98th commencement, and we proudly launched 106 MSNs and 17 DNPs into the next generation of nursing and midwifery leadership. Our graduates include Roxanne Wright ’24 MSN, a former attorney who also brought parenthood into her midwifery coursework. And Marsha Sinanan ’24 DNP, whose degree project explores supporting Black and Brown nurses after experiencing racism. You can also learn more about Bar Hass ’24 MSN, a former teacher who believes that discussing his deafness with patients enhances the clinical experience.
During this fiscal year, YSN welcomed 19 new staff members across 10 different units and departments. This investment in talent included administrative support, program management, research facilitators in remote locations, and senior leadership expertise. Welcoming these new professionals to our school allows for recourse development and building better infrastructure. Roles such as the Chief Communications and Marketing Officer and the Chief of Staff were added to the community for the first time, meeting pressing needs to advance the school’s mission of better health for all people.
YSN also hosted its first all-staff schoolwide conference, a full day of enrichment and networking activities that culminated in the inaugural YSN Staff Awards ceremony. This pilot event proved the concept and will now move forward as an annual calendar highlight.
YSN faculty includes expert clinicians, like Dr. Lauren Flagg in the pediatric NP – acute care specialty, who was featured in the “Women in Medicine” series. And longstanding experts in the field, such as Dr. Holly Powell Kennedy and Dr. Joan Combellick, whose work in midwifery care was included in an expert review this year. YSN faculty also includes nurse scientists and researchers, who were highlighted during Academic Medicine Week in June. Dr. Soohyun Nam is committed to improving cardiovascular health and quality of life for high-risk, underserved populations, and her current research addresses gaps in the development and implementation of type 2 diabetes screening and delivery of care. Dr. Hermine Poghosyan focuses her research on cancer epidemiology and survivorship research, with a particular interest in cancer health disparities, lung cancer screening, and tobacco use among cancer survivors and the members of their social networks.
Dr. LaRon E. Nelson’s work in the United States focuses on the use of multi-level (e.g., social, structural, behavioral, and clinical) interventions to reduce HIV infections among Black men who have sex with men by increasing HIV testing, uptake, and adherence to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among HIV-uninfected persons, and viral suppression rates among HIV-infected persons. Dr. Zhao Ni’s research focuses on using mobile technologies and artificial intelligence-based interventions to prevent cardiovascular disease and HIV/AIDS.
S. Raquel Ramos was recently selected for the 2024 cohort of the Betty Irene Moore Fellowship for Nurse Leaders and Innovators and was also selected for the seventh cohort of Ambassadors for the Friends of the National Institute of Nursing Research (FNINR). David Vlahov was ranked No. 883 in the world and No. 519 in the United States (the top 5.5%) of all USA medical scientists with a discipline index: D-Index (a narrower focused H-index limited to medicine) with a placement of 519 out of 9,496 who had a score of at least 70. Dr. Vlahov is among the highest-ranked nurses in the US in this index. An expert in the area of LGBTQ health, Nathan Levitt is continuing his work toward his PhD as the first Jonas Scholar at Hunter CUNY.
During this period, Dean Emami also published multiple scientific papers, including “Day-to-day variability of stress biomarkers during a music intervention in people living with dementia and their family caregivers.” Deputy Dean Sadak also contributed to new scholarship during this period, including “Association between pain and fall worry among community-dwelling older people with dementia in the United States,” in the journal Innovation in Aging.
YSN completed a comprehensive hiring plan during this period and a number of exciting searches are ongoing in both research and clinical tracks. Current job openings include the ranks of assistant and associate professor, full-time lecturer, full professor, and tenured full professor.
Faculty pictured in order of appearance in above article.
This year, we successfully transitioned to full management of our online Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program, marking a significant milestone in the growth and evolution of this innovative program. We are now building on a strong foundation to further enhance the academic and student experience. This transition allows us to better align with the specific needs of our students and faculty, ensuring that the program offers a high-quality, flexible, and impactful education.
In line with our unwavering commitment to advancing health for all, we launched an initiative to recruit six exceptional traditional track faculty members who are leaders in nursing science. These innovative nurse scientists will drive forward our PhD and postdoctoral programs, bringing cutting-edge research and new perspectives to our academic community. Their work will not only expand our research capabilities but also support our mission of delivering high-quality education. By providing formal mentorship to faculty and students, they will cultivate a culture of innovation and excellence, positioning YSN as a leader in the next generation of nursing science.
On the global front, we have recently taken significant steps to deepen our international collaborations. We were honored to welcome delegations from Peking University and the University of Hong Kong, with whom we are building robust academic partnerships. These collaborations are focused on developing executive leadership programs and exploring the creation of a joint DNP program, which will further elevate YSN’s global presence and influence in nursing education.
As we look to the future, YSN is diligently preparing for upcoming accreditation processes for both the school and our simulation programs. Simultaneously, we are conducting a comprehensive strategic market analysis to identify opportunities for innovative program development. This proactive approach ensures that YSN remains responsive to the evolving healthcare landscape, positioning us at the forefront of nursing education and healthcare innovation.
The Simulation Team is currently working with vendors focused on Artificial Intelligence (AI), Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), and Extended Reality (XR) technologies in hopes of infusing these modalities into nursing education. Plans for the furnishing of the inaugural XR Immersion & Innovation Lab are being coordinated with tentative completion by Fall 2024.
Yale School of Nursing (YSN) is actively mapping the current and future landscape of AI integration within nursing education, research, and technology. These efforts began with a comprehensive faculty survey to assess existing work and future interests in AI, alongside identifying faculty experts. In response to the provost’s call for faculty-led input, YSN participated in faculty panel on February 14 at the Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning, featuring Dr. Christine Rodriguez, Dr. Zhao Ni, and Dr. S. Raquel Ramos. Future initiatives include establishing a centralized AI infrastructure tailored for nursing research and education, and pioneering AI-integrated clinical education programs. Additionally, YSN plans to enhance simulation technologies with AI, providing students immersive, state-of-the-art learning experiences in response to challenges with clinical placements.
University of Tokyo
YSN announced a bold new collaboration with the University of Tokyo earlier this year. This global partnership aims to reshape the landscape of nursing education through cross-cultural exchange, innovative research, and the development of nurse leaders in both programs. Dr. Jennifer McIntosh led a cutting-edge research immersion trip to the University of Tokyo in the spring for its international program.
Accra School of Hygiene
A cohort of global health track students, guided by Dr. Linda Ghampson, delved into the real-world dynamics and complexities of climate change and public health at the Accra School of Hygiene in Accra, Ghana. YSN signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the school in July 2023 and the symbiotic relationship is an asset to both schools.
The University of Hong Kong School of Nursing
On a spring trip to Hong Kong, Dean Emami delivered the keynote “Doctoral Nursing Education and Wellness for the World” at the East Asian Forum of Nursing Scholars (EAFONS) conference, hosted by the University of Hong Kong (HKU) School of Nursing. She also presented “Nurses as the Key to Global Wellness” at the Hong Kong International Nursing Forum and “Essentials for Educating Nurse-Leaders” at the symposium. As part of the burgeoning partnership between YSN and HKU, Dean Chin-Chin Lin also traveled to Connecticut to sign an MOU between the two institutions.
Peking University
Dean Emami was delighted to welcome a delegation from Peking University and heralded a memorandum of understanding (MOU) during an in-person and livestreamed ceremony presented by YSN’s Office of Global Affairs and Planetary Health (OGAPH). The partnership will build bridges for academic collaboration, developing executive leadership, and a joint DNP program.
To enhance faculty governance, YSN has developed a charter that will clearly outline the responsibilities and reporting structures between the various faculty committees at YSN and the BPO. This charter will help ensure that every faculty member’s perspective is taken into account and their input is effectively integrated into all BPO decision-making processes. By establishing this framework, we are striving to create a more inclusive and representative governance structure that values and upholds faculty participation and ensures all voices are heard. To enhance the faculty impact on BPO’s mission, Dean Emami has created the role of BPO Chair. We are delighted that Alison Moriarty Daley will be the first to serve in this leadership role.
In order to ensure cohesion and integrated YSN leadership a Shared Leadership Council (SLC) has been formed that includes the dean, deputy dean, program chairs, and associate and assistant deans and CoS. The SLC will work collaboratively to advance the greater good and the success of the school in a team-based spirit where Academic, operations, and administrative leadership of YSN work in alignment with shared vision and priorities.
The YSN senior administrators on the SLC are currently developing clear work scopes that identify the specific roles and responsibilities of each position. In line with this, the Board of Permanent Officers (BPO) are codifying a governing charter to establish clear communication lines and structures for our key school committees and working groups. These work scopes and committee charters will be shared transparently, so YSN faculty and staff can clearly identify responsibilities, roles, and how the specific needs of the school are championed by committees and leaders. Every unit across the school has been conducting its own strategic action plan, which lay the groundwork for embarking on AY24-25 re-envisioning in the fall.
