Michael D. Mendoza, M.D., M.P.H., M.S.

Dr. Michael Mendoza is currently Professor in the Departments of Family Medicine, Public Health Sciences, and Nursing at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry.

Dr. Mendoza broadly aims to improve population health through collaborations between primary healthcare deliv...

Dr. Michael Mendoza is currently Professor in the Departments of Family Medicine, Public Health Sciences, and Nursing at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry.

Dr. Mendoza broadly aims to improve population health through collaborations between primary healthcare delivery and public health practice. His clinical practice emphasizes evidence-based care, chronic illness prevention and management, and the integration of behavioral health in primary care. As an advocate for public health, Dr. Mendoza seeks to bridge the innovation and clinical rigor of academic primary care with the strengths of trusted community assets and partnerships, all with a keen eye toward health equity. ?

Dr. Mendoza most recently served as the 9th Commissioner of Public Health for Monroe County, NY where he oversaw the Monroe County Health Department, its 283 employees and its $80+ million budget. During his eight-year tenure in this role, Dr. Mendoza led the county response to the opioid overdose crisis, he advocated for health equity and expanding the public health workforce, and he led the county response to various communicable disease outbreaks including ZIKA, measles, and most notably the COVID-19 pandemic.

As a board-certified family physician, Dr. Mendoza has maintained his outpatient primary care practice at Highland Family Medicine as well as inpatient duties at Highland Hospital. He joined the faculty at the University of Rochester in 2009 and was appointed to serve as Medical Director at Highland Family Medicine, one of the largest family medicine residency teaching practices in the country.??

As a recognized community and regional leader, Dr. Mendoza has held board and committee roles in the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, the New York State Academy of Family Physicians, and the New York State Association of County Health Officials. Locally, Dr. Mendoza is a member of the Board of Directors of several local community-based organizations including Willow Domestic Violence Center of Rochester where he served as Chair of the Board during the COVID pandemic, as well as Common Ground Health and the Greater Rochester Regional Health Information Organization.

He was named "Teacher of the Year" by the Illinois Academy of Family Physicians and has authored or co-authored numerous peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters. His scholarly interests include studying and implementing practice-based innovations that promote quality and patient safety in underserved clinical settings, and capacity development for the primary care and public health workforce. His prior research focused on pay-for-performance incentive programs in underserved settings and the effects of community-based faculty development on the quality of medical student education. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Originally from Chicago, IL, Dr. Mendoza received his undergraduate and medical degrees from The University of Chicago. He received his Masters Degree in Public Health from The University of Illinois - Chicago, and he obtained his Masters Degree in Business Administration from the Simon Business School at the University of Rochester. He completed his residency training in Family and Community Medicine at the University of California - San Francisco, and served an additional year as Chief Resident. He completed a Fellowship Program in Resident Teaching at UCSF and the Certificate Program in Biomedical Informatics at the Oregon Health and Science University. In his spare time, Dr. Mendoza enjoys spending time with his kids and his miniature goldendoodle, running, cycling, cooking, and photography.

@DrMikeMendoza (LinkedIn, twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram)