Award-Winning Community Health Initiatives
The founder of Eastman Kodak Company, George Eastman, gave monies to start the University of Rochester Medical Center with the provision that the health of the entire community be a priority. Innovative primary care initiatives that support community health have been consistent factors in fulfilling this mission ever since.
URMC participates in a variety of initiatives to address community needs. Among them:
- Lazos Fuertes ("Strong Ties") a bilingual/bicultural mental health resource for under-served Hispanics.
- "Get the Lead Out," a partnership with a city neighborhood to reduce lead poisoning.
- In collaboration with the Monroe County Health Department, URMC's Center for Community Health is dedicated to improving health outcomes in this community and in the region.
In recognition of its long-standing, major institutional commitment to community health improvement, the University of Rochester Medical Center was honored by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) with its 2004 Outstanding Community Service Award.
In 2003, URMC estimates that more than 20 departments within the Medical Center led more than 70 community outreach programs. Additionally, 159 Rochester community-based research projects, funded at $39 million, are ongoing in our community.
Dr. Enrico Caiola completed a combined residency in internal medicine and medical pediatrics at URMC. After a general medicine fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic, he returned to Rochester to practice with the Culver Medical Group. He speaks Spanish and Italian as second languages.
Your practice cares for a city population that is predominately black, Hispanic, Southeast Asian, and Eastern European.What drew you to this work?
I decided early on that I wanted to practice medicine in an area where I thought there was the greatest need. When I was in medical school, there was a request for volunteers to help out at a homeless shelter. I did that; it opened my eyes.
After your fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic, what brought you back?
URMC's reputation as a progressive institution is really strong. It was one of the first academic centers to offer the combined internal medicine-pediatric residency.
Then, too, my mentors at the Cleveland Clinic thought highly of URMC and that was persuasive. Plus, I have family members in nearby Buffalo, and wanted to be near them.
How do you spend your time at the Culver Medical Group?
This is a training site for URMC residents in ambulatory care. Half my time is spent supervising and teaching residents; the other half is with patients, many of whom don't speak English, or speak it with difficulty.
When my patients are in the hospital, I see them there. I don't have to; there is an excellent hospitalist program, but I want to offer this special population that level of continuity and reassurance.