YSM Transforming Anatomy Education with XR Technology
Box at Yale Retirement
YSM Centralized Ticketing System
YSM Faculty Offer Letters Phase 3
YSM Expanded Finance and Administration Forms
YSPH New Career Platform Enhances Student Support
Yale Health Technology Launches Strategic Innovation
Integrated Research & Technology Support at Yale Health Sciences
HSIT Key Metrics
Explore Yale Software Resources via the ITS Software Library
Review of Key IT Service Changes for the Health Campus
Employee Spotlight
The Dean’s Workshop on Oct. 21, Yale Biomedical Imaging Institute: Advancing the Understanding of Health & Guiding Treatment. A live demonstration showcased Apple Vision Pro (AVP) immersive capabilities and its potential to deepen anatomical comprehension.
APPLE VISION PRO STUDY ENHANCES ANATOMICAL LEARNING AT YSM: Human anatomy has long challenged medical students in terms of visualization and spatial understanding. A new initiative at Yale School of Medicine is addressing this using spatial computing and extended reality (XR). In collaboration with the Department of Surgery, the educational technology & innovation (ETI) team, and the Section of Anatomy, Yale is piloting the Apple Vision Pro (AVP) headset to enhance anatomy education.
The XR Exploration Study, led by Ye Xu and supported by Health Sciences IT, involves approximately 20 first-year medical students during their Human Anatomy course. Each student participates in a 45-minute session using AVP to interact with 3D models of abdominal and pelvic anatomy, supplementing traditional cadaver-based learning. The study aims to assess engagement, knowledge retention, confidence, and perceptions of XR’s educational value.
Initial trials have begun. The team presented the study design and goals at the Dean’s Workshop on Oct. 21. This initiative not only exemplifies the integration of immersive technology into complex anatomical education but also lays the groundwork for future applications in surgical training, treatment planning, and patient-centered care. It reflects Yale’s commitment to innovation in medical education and the strategic use of emerging technologies to improve learning outcomes.
BOX AT YALE RETIREMENT – PREPARE FOR THE TRANSITION: In a formal announcement from John P. Barden, ITS announced that the Box at Yale service will be retired on March 31, 2026. This change supports Yale’s broader goal of streamlining collaboration and improving data security. To support this change, Yale offers free access to Microsoft 365 tools – including OneDrive, Teams, and SharePoint – for secure file storage and collaboration. The announcement also noted that 15% of the community has already migrated their Box data since the launch of the Collaboration Counts project in 2024. Progress is ahead of schedule.
Currently, more than 8,000 users are utilizing over 450 TB of storage with 90,000 collaborators – highlighting the scale and importance of this transition.
Reasons for the Change:
Better Collaboration: Microsoft 365 tools offer a unified platform for sharing and working together.
Improved Data Management: These tools support secure and compliant data handling.
Enhanced Security: Advanced features help protect your data and ensure only authorized access.
Streamlined Tools: Reducing duplicate platforms helps us focus resources and simplify our digital environment.
YSM CENTRALIZED TICKETING SYSTEM – PLANNED INITIAL GO-LIVE: JANUARY 2026: Currently, administrative units within Yale School of Medicine (YSM) manage their own independent support intake processes. This decentralized structure results in fragmented pathways for users to submit requests, often leading to inefficiencies such as delayed responses, inconsistent communication, and limited visibility into request status and resolution timelines.
To address these challenges, the centralized ticketing system (CTS) initiative will unify support intake across YSM. CTS is designed to streamline operations, improve response and resolution times, enhance transparency, and enable robust reporting on service performance metrics.
Phase 1 of the initiative will introduce a self-service portal that empowers users to easily submit requests and track their status in real time. The rollout will begin with YSM facilities in January 2026, followed by the controller’s office in February, and financial planning & Analysis in March.
FACULTY OFFER LETTERS PHASE 3 – PLANNED GO-LIVE END OF OCTOBER: On Oct. 27, Phase 3 went live for the Faculty offer letters initiative, introducing several key enhancements that streamline the offer letter process and significantly improve the user experience:
Center Director Approval Workflow - Offer letters requiring center director involvement are automatically routed for approval, with signatures inserted into the final document. The “Name of Center” field has been updated from a free-text entry to a dropdown menu, and a directory of center director signatories is now maintained.
Redesigned Dashboard - The previous “Submitted/Processing” view has been replaced with a dynamic, data-driven dashboard featuring four interactive pie charts linked to detailed reports:
Academic Unit: Offers by department and section, including section-level detail.
Pipeline: Breakdown of offer letters by stage, including approved letters.
Rank: Offers by faculty rank.
Track: Distribution by faculty track.
RFP and FSRP Integration - Data from RFP and FSRP systems is now automatically integrated, reducing duplicative data entry and improving efficiency.
DocuSign Integration - Candidates now receive secure DocuSign emails with links to their offer letters, pre-filled with personal and position details. After consenting to electronic records, they can complete required signature fields, with the system auto-populating the date upon signing. If the signature is not completed within five calendar days, the system sends an automated reminder email to finalize the process.
COMING SOON: EXPANDED YSM FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION FORMS: As part of ongoing efforts to improve administrative efficiency, three new electronic OSP forms will be added to the YSM Finance and Administration (F&A) Forms suite, with a planned go-live in Nov. 2025:
Form 1306 FR.01 – Cost Sharing Approval Request
Form 1306 FR.02 – Facilities and Administrative ("F&A") Rate Reduction/Waiver Request
Form 1310 FR.04 – Principal Investigator ("PI") Status Request Form
These additions will further streamline workflows and reduce manual processing across departments.NEW CAREER PLATFORM ENHANCES STUDENT SUPPORT: Yale School of Public Health’s (YSPH) career management team recently launched a new career platform, 12twenty, for MPH and MS students. This platform serves as a centralized hub for career advising appointments, job and internship postings, a resource library, and outcome data.
Over 700 MPH and MS students and recent graduates now have access to the portal. Within the first 90 days of launch, more than 150 career advising appointments were scheduled through the system. The YSPH career management team is enthusiastic about using this tool to support students in their professional development.
Health Sciences IT (HSIT) supported the implementation of this university-wide application by ensuring it complies with institutional information security standards and aligns with broader infrastructure policies.YALE HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES STRATEGIC INNOVATION WITH PHASE ONE DEPLOYMENT: In October, the Yale Health technology group activated key elements of innovation and high-performance as envisioned in the 2030 Strategic Plan. Phase one included the installation of next generation 10ZiG thin client desktops across several clinical areas, enabling virtual desktop delivery. Additionally, over 500 virtual desktops were upgraded to Windows 11, ensuring compliance with Yale University ITS standards and alignment with Microsoft’s operating system policies.
When IT initiatives align with the organizational plan, technology becomes a bridge connecting members to better experiences – driving operational excellence through efficiency, reliability, and seamless care delivery in support of Yale Health’s mission.
Team members emphasized that aligning IT efforts with strategic goals prioritizes a patient-centric approach, enhancing the overall experience and contributing to better outcomes and higher standards of care.
The business intelligence and analytics work was also highlighted as a key enabler of insight-driven decisions. By making information easier to access and understand, teams across Yale Health are empowered to make choices that truly enhance patient and member care.INTEGRATED RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT AT YALE HEALTH SCIENCES: Yale's Health Sciences Specialty Systems offers extensive research support through a combination of YARC's accredited animal care services, Y-TRIC's advanced imaging capabilities, and Health Sciences IT's foundational technology infrastructure. Services span animal housing and veterinary care to state-of-the-art multimodality imaging and analytics – empowering researchers to achieve transformational discoveries.
The team guides projects from initial design through rollout using modern IT solutions, ensuring technology remains current and effective. Security practices are rigorously reviewed, and vulnerability remediation is coordinated to maintain robust cybersecurity and regulatory compliance. This steadfast support is especially critical for departments like YARC and Y-TRIC, where integration of research and technology is paramount.HSIT SERVICES DELIVER RECORD SUPPORT AND INNOVATION ACROSS HEALTH CAMPUS: HSIT teams delivered exceptional support and innovation, resolving over 1,000 desktop support requests, managing hundreds of AV events, and driving forward dozens of active IT projects across Yale’s health campus.
Desktop Support:
With a technician-to-user ratio of 1:450, the TSS desktop support team resolved 1,077 requests in August, supporting more than 14,000 faculty and staff across YSM, YSN, and YSPH.
AV Services:
AV teams provided 1,514 hours of on-site event support, covering 65 rooms, five auditoriums, and 20+ classrooms, and resolved 199 requests in August.
Software & Application Development:
Supporting 7,000 clinical providers and nearly 1,000 Salesforce users, the team delivered 64 feature requests and managed six active projects.
Research Infrastructure:
The RS team supported 16 departments and nine principal investigators, with 22 Hopper projects underway.
Campus Health & Educational Technology:
Campus health systems impacted over 10,000 students and 5,000 faculty, with 129 feature requests delivered in August. Educational technology teams managed 14 active projects and supported hundreds of learners and faculty.
Portfolio Management & Analytics:
Financial stewardship included managing $500K monthly cost recovery and overseeing 34 active IT projects. Enterprise analytics delivered 5 new PowerBI report series to 220 users.
HSIT’s commitment to operational excellence and innovation continues to drive improvements in service delivery, research infrastructure, and educational technology, positioning Yale’s health campus for future success.Discover and Manage Yale Software Through the ITS Software Library: Yale community members are encouraged to visit the Software Directory (software.yale.edu) to explore the wide range of software available for teaching, research, and administrative needs.
The Software Directory provides an easy-to-navigate interface where users can:
View software available through Yale
See whether a program has an associated fee
Learn how to access, install, and download software
It’s important to note that many vendor software licenses expire annually. To ensure uninterrupted access, users should return to the Software Directory for information on how to renew or reactivate their licenses.OCTOBER 2025 TIPS AND REMINDERS FOR IT SERVICE CHANGES FOR HEALTH CAMPUS:
Artificial Intelligence Tools
Trint
Trint utilizes automated speech recognition (ASR) and natural language processing (NLP) to transform speech into text. This powerful tool enables users to make video and audio files searchable, editable, and shareable, thus enhancing their overall value. Yale researchers have the opportunity to request a Trint license for a limited time at no cost, similar to borrowing a book from a library.
For frequently asked questions about Trint at Yale, please visit our FAQs page.
Software Support
Box at Yale
As previously announced on October 9th, Yale ITS will retire the Box at Yale service on March 31, 2026. Currently there are more than 8,000 users utilizing more than 450 TB of storage with 90,000 collaborators.
Users are encouraged to transition their files to free, Yale-supported Microsoft 365 tools such as OneDrive, Teams, and SharePoint. For more details on available storage options, please click here.
Windows 11 Upgrade: Support Ending for Windows 10
Microsoft will end support for Windows 10 on Oct. 14, 2025. In response, Yale ITS will begin upgrading compatible managed devices to Windows 11 from October 20 through Dec. 5, 2025. Managed devices that are not compatible with Windows 11 will automatically receive 12 months of extended security updates (ESU) licensing. These devices should be replaced within that timeframe to comply with university security standards. Unmanaged devices will not be upgraded automatically; users of such devices must take manual action to upgrade or request ESU licensing.
Departments with numerous incompatible devices should anticipate potential budget impacts. To facilitate planning and communication, device-level reports have been distributed to finance and administration leadership.
Yale University transitioned from an enterprise licensing model to a rate-based enterprise model for Adobe Creative Cloud in August. To continue using Adobe software for daily tasks, licenses are available for purchase in the IT Software Catalog.
Andres Rua, HSIT manager of application development, solved a recurring issue with Adobe Sign access. For automatic archived backups, Rua built a power automate flow that saves completed agreements to a private HSIT Teams channel organized by user with 99.9% uptime. Each July, a YNHH affiliate requests a bulk download of completed agreements, but because access depends on Yale email accounts, key notifications were often missed. Since the transition from Adobe Sign to DocuSign, he saved the day by setting up view-only SharePoint access for both this user's ynhh.org and yale.edu accounts making downloads fast and secure. Thanks to Rua’s smart solution, accessing archived documents is now simple, reliable, and user-friendly.
BOX AT YALE RETIREMENT – PREPARE FOR THE TRANSITION: In a formal announcement from John P. Barden, ITS announced that the 
