Office of Health Equity Research News

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Built to Grow: Firearm Injury Prevention Program Begins New Chapter

Wednesday, June 24, 2026

Previously housed under the Department of Psychiatry, the Firearm Injury Prevention Program will officially move under the Center for Community Health & Prevention (CCHP) starting July 1, 2026. The move is a natural fit, with gun violence prevention being one of the five pillars of the Office of Health Equity Research, part of the CCHP.

Urban Indigenous Community Conversations Aim to Make Treatment for Substance Use Disorders More Accessible to Western New York's Indigenous Population

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), American Indian/Alaska Natives (AIAN) experience the highest rates of substance use disorders (SUD) of any racial or ethnic group in the United States. This disparity is linked to numerous individual, community, and structural risk factors, including historical trauma, and resulting in poverty and mental illness. Community stigmatization surrounding SUD is a significant barrier that hinders treatment-seeking behavior, sobriety, and ongoing recovery within AIAN populations.

To address these disparities, Seneca Scientific Solutions+ and University of Rochester Medicine’s Recovery Center of Excellence partnered to develop and deliver “Indigenous Community Conversations” to rural Indigenous populations. Now, thanks to a Pilot Award granted by the Center for Community Health & Prevention’s Office of Health Equity Research (OHER), the research continues in 2026 with a new geographic focus.

Office of Health Equity Youth Advisory Board Welcomes New Faculty Director

Tuesday, May 19, 2026

As year three for the Office of Health Equity Research's Health Equity Youth Advisors (HEYA) Board comes to a close, an exciting new phase begins under the leadership of Michael Mattiucci, MD, MPH. 

Uniting to Improve Maternal Health Outcomes and Take Action in the Region

Wednesday, April 15, 2026

Some communities in the United States and in the Greater Rochester region face a maternal health crisis, with significantly high rates of preterm birth, low birth weight, and maternal morbidity and mortality. These disparities, coupled with other structural and socioeconomic barriers, including limited transportation, housing instability, and food insecurity, make it hard for affected mothers to advocate for themselves and maintain optimum health before, during, and after childbirth.

The Birth Action Collaborative, a Monroe County-based group convened in 2024 by University of Rochester Medicine’s Center for Community Health & Prevention, is working to drive measurable community-informed improvement across the region.