Hospital nurses clad in a much earlier version of scrubs used gas lanterns during night rounds, circa 1899.
- Photo courtesy of the YNHH Archives
Yale New Haven Hospital was founded as the General Hospital Society of Connecticut in 1826. The original 13-bed hospital, called the State Hospital, opened in 1833 on seven-and-a-half acres of land …
OK – this is the official statement on the hospital’s beginnings, and it’s important historical information.
But it really doesn’t capture what the founders set in motion when they created Connecticut’s first hospital 200 years ago: The hundreds of thousands of people born here, including national leaders, athletes, artists and academics. The unflagging care of the injured and ill during multiple wars and pandemics. The breakthroughs that have changed medicine – like the first uses of penicillin and chemotherapy and first open-heart surgery in the U.S. The tens of thousands of physicians and other healthcare professionals trained here. Most importantly, the millions of lives saved and improved by the skilled, compassionate, dedicated and daring people who have worked at our hospital over the past 200 years.
Join us as we celebrate YNHH’s inspiring history and exciting future. Watch for information about special activities throughout 2026 and get ready to wish YNHH a happy birthday!
