Pediatric Links with the Community (PLC) is an innovative and award-winning program that is part of the residency experience in Rochester. PLC is now entering its eighth year of teaching pediatric residents and medical students about community-based health care and nurturing their advocacy for the health of children in Rochester, N.Y. In 2000, the PLC program received the Ambulatory Pediatric Association Outstanding Teaching Award for the best educational program in the country. And in 2001, the program was honored with the Professional Education Award by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The goals of the program are to:

• Enhance pediatric residents' and medical students' knowledge about community-oriented and community-based health care, especially for those children who lack access to care because of social or economic conditions or special health needs
• Implement meaningful partnerships between the Pediatrics Residency program and community-based organizations in order to teach residents and benefit children
• Inspire future pediatricians to improve the health of children in their communities

Pediatric, medicine-pediatric, and family medicine residents participate in a two-week PLC rotation during the first or second year of training and have additional opportunities for community elective and longitudinal experiences as senior residents. While working with PLC, residents provide supervised medical care and health education for impoverished children and families, and participate in community health agency activities. Residents work in collaboration with programs including:

• ABC - Head Start
• The Advocacy Center
• AIDS Rochester
• Alternatives for Battered Women
• American Lung Association
• ArcWorks
• Baby Love
• Bethany House
• Better Days Ahead Family Support Groups
• The Boys and Girls Club of Rochester
• Building Healthy Children
• Cameron Community Ministries
• Camp Broncho Power - Asthma Camp
• Child Protective Services
• Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program
• Children’s Center
• CompassionNet
• Coffee Connection
• CP Rochester
• Crisis Nursery of Greater Rochester
• Daystar
• DePaul: Avenues to Independence
• Early Intervention
• Epilepsy Foundation
• Facilitated Enrollment
• Family Resource Centers of Crestwood Children’s Center
• FoodLink
• Foster Care Pediatric Clinic
• Grace Community Village
• Healthy Home
• Hillside Children’s Center
• Jennifer House – Male and Female Prison Outreach
• Lakeside Child and Family Center
• Lifetime Care
• Mary Cariola Children’s Center
• Mercy Outreach Center
• Monroe County Family and Drug Courts
• Mount Hope Family Center
• Pathways to Peace
• Planned Parenthood
• REACH Program
• Refugee Health Program – NYSDOH
• Rochester Committee on Refugee Resettlement
• Rochester School for the Deaf
• School #14
• Society for the Protection and Care of Children (SPCC)
• Threshold Center for Alternative Services
• Wilson Commencement Park
• Women, Infants and Children (WIC)

For more information, please contact Pediatric Links with the Community/Child Advocacy Resident Education (PLC/CARE) Program at the following addresses:

PLC Community Office: Child and Family Health Services Monroe County Department of Health 691 St. Paul Street, 4th floor Rochester, New York 14605-1798 Phone: (585) 753-5233 Fax: (585) 753-5272

PLC University Office: Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong 601 Elmwood Avenue, Box 777 Rochester, New York 14642 Phone: (585) 273-3737 Fax: (585) 273-1037

Or send an email to info@PLCCARE.org or to Santina Tu at Santina_Tu@urmc.rochester.edu