By Quinlan Gray ‘25
If you live in Connecticut, chances are you are familiar with or may have even had a personal healthcare experience with Yale New Haven Hospital (YNNH). Located in New Haven, YNNH is in the heart of downtown and is the second largest employer in the city. Since opening the primary site in 1833, YNNH has continued to expand its facilities and now includes the Smilow Cancer Hospital, Children’s Hospital, Psychiatric Hospital, the Medical Center Pharmacy, and healthcare affiliations with other state-wide hospitals. In Jan. of 2024, I underwent back surgery at YNNH and I have nothing but positive things to share about my experience.
In the fall of 2023, I found out I would need scoliosis surgery to correct a 41% curvature in my spine. When it came time to schedule the surgery, I was given two options by my medical team: YNNH or another hospital slightly further away but with a great reputation for working with pediatric cases like mine. Being more familiar with YNNH and its overall positive reputation, it gave me a certain element of comfort, especially knowing my surgery and post-surgical care would take place at the Children’s Hospital. For those reasons, my family and I opted for YNNH over the other facility and I am grateful I made that choice.
Prior to surgery, I needed to have several preoperative tests and authorizations done. The protocols involved meeting with the primary surgeon several times, meeting with the secondary surgeon for further strategizing, bloodwork and a pre-surgery physical, and speaking with two nurse counselors who work specifically on scoliosis cases. The attention to detail and explanation of all aspects of the surgery, from pre to post, was exceptional. Having the opportunity to speak with the nurse counselors was especially beneficial because they work directly with patients after surgery and they were able to share specific details on what to expect, challenges I might encounter and offer insight on what has helped other patients who have been through this type of surgery. In my opinion, this multi-level communication was really beneficial and I felt fully informed going into this surgery.
On the day of surgery, I arrived very early in the morning, checked in with staff, and was quickly taken to the pre-op area where I was greeted by a friendly nurse who really helped set the tone for the prep process. One after another, various doctors and nurses assigned to my surgery that morning came in to greet me, confirm who I was and what procedure I was there for. Each medical staff member introduced themselves, told me their role and gave me the opportunity to ask questions. Although I was in the pediatric unit and my mother was present, they recognized that I was an older pediatric patient and so they interacted with me directly, which I appreciated. This made me feel even more in control of my care and the process of verifying all the details of my surgery gave me more confidence that my medical team was taking all the steps necessary to prepare for a successful surgery.
The communication continued as I was being wheeled down the hallway into the operating room. My medical team did their best to keep my mindset positive and kept reassuring me that I was strong, I was going to do great, and that I would be okay. One of my anesthesiologists kept me engaged in conversation with her the entire time as she was preparing me to be sedated. She kept me informed and explained the steps she was taking so I would have a heads-up on what was about to happen next. I found this helpful so there were really no surprises, and at the same time she was also trying to settle my mind by asking me about my life and what I loved to do. Our conversation made me feel comforted even though I was about to have a life-changing surgery. I felt supported and grateful that she was trying to keep things focused on the good thoughts and distract me from the nervousness I was feeling.
When I woke up from surgery I was in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). Although I do not recall much from that first night except for how intense my pain was and the loads of medicine they were pumping into me every few hours, my mom shared that the “care in this part of the hospital was next level and the nurse on duty was exceptional.”
The nurse assigned to my case was with me all night. She was so knowledgeable and competent that she put my mother at-ease. Her confidence, communication, and experience with caring for patients who have had this type of surgery was evident according to my mom and made getting through that first night less stressful.
The very next morning physical therapy service arrived at my room on a mission to assist me with sitting up and standing. With my surgery having been less than 24 hours before and me being heavily medicated, we all knew this was going to be a slow and painful process, but my physical therapists never got impatient with me. They allowed me to take my time, explained I would definitely feel dizzy and that was normal, and encouraged me and were ready to catch me in case I passed out, which I did. They worked as a team and knew the scenarios to expect post-surgery and just how much to push me to test that my nerves and muscles were functioning properly. I appreciated their encouragement, kind demeanor and support.
Eventually, I was moved out of the PICU and to the Children’s wing of the hospital where I stayed for the next five days. While in the Children’s wing, I had a very special furry visitor, Nana, come to my room to bring me some joy. Nana is a four-year-old Golden Retriever who is trained as a therapy dog to work with teens and young adults while they are staying at YNNH. When Nana came into my room, I was so excited because I love animals and this was such an unexpected bright spot in my day. Being able to pet her and see how cute and sweet she was made my day! I thought this was such an awesome service that YNNH offered for their patients, and even though I was still in a lot of pain, it still made me feel happier just seeing her.
In addition to the amazing staff of medical professionals, there were also some friendly and attentive cleaning staff and food service staff. Both of the rooms I spent time in were sanitary and as comfortable as they could have been given my situation. When I was practicing how to walk after surgery, the hallways were open and many of the walls were decorated with cute drawings or pictures which made the hospital feel more welcoming. Since I was having trouble tolerating the medicines and was sick for a few days, the kitchen staff worked to accommodate my special requests until I was feeling better.
Being in the hospital is never where anyone really wants to be, and while my time at YNNH was physically grueling, the high-quality level of care and positive interactions with the doctors, nurses, physical therapy and other staff around me made it more tolerable. Based on my experience I feel confident recommending YNNH to others.
The Raider Press 