Living History Project

Mission

As a group, the Living History Project aims to elevate patients’ life histories and stories in the hospital setting by interviewing patients about their lives and composing written life narratives that are shared with both the patients and their medical teams. By sharing patients’ life histories, we aim to humanize and personalize patients’ experiences of care at Yale-New Haven Hospital. Additionally, we seek to assist our members in developing their skills as writers and patient advocates through a series of workshops, writing events, and discussions with guest speakers on narrative medicine with the ultimate goal of enabling our volunteers to best improve the patient experience.

Student Leaders

Michelle So – Coordinator/President

Activities

Writing Stories for YNHH Patients Direct Service LHP volunteers sign up for weekly shifts at YNHH to write Living Histories for patients. Yale Living History Project Volunteer Bonding Direct Service After our training each semester, we want to ensure there is bonding between volunteers involved in LHP. We hope to hold different events, such as small outings, to encourage talk and discussion about narrative medicine and how more we can enhance the Living History Project at the Yale New Haven Hospital. Writing Living Histories Direct Service Volunteers will collect patients’ stories and write them into a living history (like a biography). Each volunteer is responsible for writing one living history per shift. These are then delivered to patients, their families, and their medical professionals. Living History Workshop Social/Cultural/Team-Building There will be a series of workshops held by the Living History Project. The workshop will go over how to interview patients, compile information, and write a meaningful life history.

How Others Get Involved

Interested volunteers can email yalelivinghistoryproject@gmail.com. New volunteers are onboarded in the fall, though exceptions can be made for current Yale New Haven Hospital volunteers.