Connecting the Dots Across Yale School of Medicine

In Jennifer Caprio’s office at Yale School of Medicine (YSM), there is a chair beside her desk known as the “therapy chair.” Faculty, staff, and colleagues stop by to talk through challenges, ask questions, or simply decompress. Even Naftali Kaminski, MD, chief of the Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine (Yale-PCCSM), has jokingly claimed a seat. For Caprio, a senior administrative assistant in Yale-PCCSM, those conversations reflect something larger about working at Yale: No role exists in isolation.

That philosophy inspired “Connecting the Dots,” an initiative Caprio launched within the section to help administrative staff better understand the clinical, research, and educational work happening across the school. The idea emerged during an aspiring managers course, when Caprio drafted a mission statement centered on a simple principle: “Every small piece to the big puzzle matters.”

The initiative began with immersive experiences designed to bring staff into spaces they might not otherwise encounter in their day-to-day work. During one early session at the Yale Center for Healthcare Simulation, administrative staff participated in “A Day in the Life of a MICU Doctor,” practicing inserting central lines and ventilating mannequins alongside faculty members. Other events have included “Making a Brainiac’s Dreams Come True” at the Cushing Center, “Uncovering Fossils and Fresh Ideas” at the Yale Peabody Museum, and “Snooze & Schmooze” at the Yale Sleep Medicine Center.

For Caprio, the experiences are not simply educational outings but opportunities for staff to better understand how their work connects to patient care, research, and the broader goals of YSM. “Yale is massive, and learning where we plug into all these pieces helps people understand the importance of their role and how they contribute to the university,” she says.

The initiative has also helped strengthen relationships within the pulmonary administrative team itself. Caprio wanted to create opportunities for people to connect outside of routine workplace interactions. Split across multiple offices and buildings throughout the medical campus, staff members often spend much of the day focused on schedules, logistics, and deadlines.

“‘Connecting the Dots’ is a great initiative that embodies the spirit of our admin team, because they are the connectors that make the work of our faculty, staff, and trainees seamless,” Kaminski says. “They are essential partners in our success.”

Since launching the program, Caprio hopes the initiative will continue to grow—and perhaps inspire similar efforts across other sections and departments at YSM. For her, “Connecting the Dots” is ultimately about helping people feel connected not only to one another but to the university as a whole

“We’re growing, learning, and laughing as a team through these experiences,” Caprio says. “At the same time, we’re recognizing how we fit in and contribute to the larger mission of Yale.”

Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine is one of 10 sections in the Yale Department of Internal Medicine. To learn more about Yale-PCCSM, visit PCCSM's website, or follow them on Facebook and Twitter.