School Notes: School of Nursing
March/April 2009

YSN community service awards presented to two local women

Yale School of Nursing recently presented Diversity Action Community Service awards to two local women who are leaders in bringing better health care to underserved populations.

Connecticut state senator Toni Nathaniel Harp was recognized for her role as Homeless Service Director at Hill Health Center, a community center targeting special populations, such as homeless people and persons with AIDS. Senator Harp has prioritized managed care reform, helping uninsured children, raising the minimum wage, advocating economic development for cities, encouraging an early detection system for child abuse, supporting truancy court, and ensuring the safety of children in child care.

YSN alumna Lucinda Canty ’94MSN is a certified nurse-midwife with 14 years' experience providing care in the Hartford area. She was honored for her leadership as the founder of Soutoura Health and Wellness Center, which promotes quality health care and education to women and adolescents. Canty has developed educational and support programs for pregnant teens and teen mothers, and she provides teen reproductive health workshops at local schools and community agencies. In 2008, she was inducted as a Connecticut Health Foundation Health Leadership Fellow.

"These two remarkable women embody the spirit of YSN's mission -- 'better health care for all' -- and we truly are pleased to recognize Ms. Canty and Ms. Harp for their hard work and dedication to serving the communities of Connecticut," said Kris Fennie, chair of the YSN Diversity Action Committee.

Nursing library opens in China with YSN book donations

Thanks to the efforts of Yale School of Nursing's faculty and staff, a new library of nursing has opened in China with more than 4,000 books. The Shanghai Lida Polytechnic Institute opened its English Nursing Library in November after a five-year project at YSN to amass thousands of nursing textbooks and monographs.

The new library is one of the largest and most comprehensive English language collections on nursing in the People's Republic of China. It is also accessible to students from other area universities.

The official opening was attended by YSN staffer Sydney Martin of the dean's office. Ms. Martin, who participated in the project since its beginning, helped dedicate the library's plaque with Institute chairman Shan Zhao Hui before a large audience of government officials, journalists, and university students and faculty.

YSN gets a permanent home

Yale University recently purchased the School of Nursing building at 100 Church Street South, the site of New Haven's former Lee High School. YSN had leased the building from Church Street Development Associates since June of 1996. "We are thrilled with the possibilities, and planning is under way," said Margaret Grey ’76MSN, YSN dean and Annie Goodrich Professor. The $33 million deal for the property was completed in late November.