Center History
Milestones
1925
Philanthropist George Eastman donates $4 million to the UR School of Medicine and Dentistry, with a caveat: “to make Rochester one of the healthiest communities in the world.”
1925 - 1997
URMC departments and centers independently integrate community health into their education, patient care, and research activities.
1997
- The URMC becomes a key contributor to Monroe County Department of Health’s (MCDH) HEALTHACTION process to establish community-wide priorities for health improvement.
- A partnership between the URMC and MCDPH called the Center for Rochester’s Health is created to conduct research in support of HEALTHACTION priorities.
1999
URMC announces “audacious” goal to make Rochester the healthiest community by 2020.
2002 - 2005
The 16th U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher M.D., Ph.D., a UR alumni, becomes a senior advisor to URMC’s community health initiatives.
2004
- URMC officially makes community health its fourth core mission.
- Association of American Medical Colleges awards the UR School of Medicine and Dentistry its prestigious Outstanding Community Service Award.
2006
The Center for Community Health (CCH) is established to further advance the community health mission.
2008
CCH is relocated in city-based facility to enhance its awareness and accessibility, especially among at-risk populations
2010
The Center opens a new and innovative Healthy Living Center to help individuals make healthy, lasting changes to improve and maintain their health.
2011
URMC, MCDPH, and five community partners are awarded a 5-year, $3.6 million Community Transformation Grant by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
2017
The Center for Community Health becomes The Center for Community Health & Prevention, to better represent our mission.
Download the history in pdf format
2024
The Center announces Edith Williams, PhD, MS, as its new director, following the fearless leadership of CCHP founder and retiree Nancy Bennett, MD, MS.
Video: Working Toward a Healthy Community
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