Our history

The history of Yale-New Haven Hospital extends 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.

After renting temporary quarters and raising $5,000 toward the purchase of land and construction, a new 13-bed hospital opened in 1833 on seven and a half acres of land bordered by Cedar Street and Howard, Davenport and Congress avenues. The original building, called the State Hospital, was designed by prominent New Haven architect Ithiel Town and cost $13,000.

In 1826 the hospital was affiliated with the Medical Institution of Yale College, which had been founded in 1810. In 1884, the hospital's name was changed to New Haven Hospital, and it served as the primary teaching hospital for the Yale medical school. U.S. medical education, which had begun as a simple apprenticeship system, evolved to become a formal educational plan based on alliances between medical schools and hospitals.

In 1917, the Yale School of Medicine and New Haven Hospital—whose early relationship was characterized by "town vs. gown" conflicts—came together with a formal agreement of affiliation and marked the beginning of our modern medical center. 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.

Founded as a charitable institution for the care of the poor, the role of the hospital soon expanded to include care for the entire community. In its early days sailors from New Haven's busy seaport came to the hospital for care; during the Civil War, more than 25,000 U.S. Army soldiers were hospitalized here; and in subsequent wars, Yale-New Haven was on alert as a designated military hospital.

Today, YNHH is a 944-bed private, nonprofit facility that ranks among the premier medical centers in the nation. Yale-New Haven is the largest acute care provider in southern Connecticut and one of the Northeast's major referral centers.

The heart of Yale-New Haven Hospital is a cluster of three pavilions bounded by South Frontage Road, Park Street, Howard Avenue and York Street. Of these three, the East Pavilion opened in 1950, followed in 1982 by the South Pavilion and in 1993 by Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital (West Pavilion) and the atrium. In 2000, Yale-New Haven Hospital acquired the nearby Yale Psychiatric Institute and opened Yale-New Haven Psychiatric Hospital. In 2003, ground was broken on the Yale-New Haven Shoreline Medical Center to be built in Guilford, Connecticut.

Taking into account nearby outpatient and primary care facilities, along with administrative offices, Yale-New Haven Hospital covers 1.9 million square feet and employs about 6,000 people.

Milestones in medicine

A historical listing of major events and procedures occuring at Yale-New Haven Hospital dating back to 1826. Also includes a specified list of milestones in transplantation.

Historical photo gallery

A gallery of annotated illustrations and photographs tracing the history of Yale-New Haven Hospital from its beginnings in 1826.

Voices from Yale-New Haven

When Yale-New Haven Hospital celebrated its 175th anniversary, the hospital invited patients, staff and the community to share stories, poems or other creative writings portraying examples of extraordinary courage and caring experienced at Yale-New Haven, as well as stories that provide historical insights about life and work at Yale-New Haven or its predecessor organizations. Read many of the stories submitted.

Hospital archives

The Yale-New Haven Hospital Archives, established with funding from the YNHH Auxiliary, welcomes donations such as hospital annual reports, newsletters, brochures, books, policy and procedure manuals, telephone directories, handbooks, personal papers of staff and physicians that relate to hospital work, photographs, slides, hospital and departmental correspondence, charters, bylaws and organizational charts.

To donate materials, contact Bethany Hipple, (203) 688-5450.

Return to: YNHH general information page

Last revised: April 13, 2006 (mv)

Home page URL: http://www.ynhh.org

All information is intended for your general knowledge and is not a substitute for medical advice or treatment for specific medical conditions. You should seek prompt medical care for any specific health issues and consult your physician before starting a new fitness regimen.