Public Health Sciences History

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH SCIENCES

The School of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC) in Rochester, New York seeks to improve health through caring, discovery, teaching and learning. Education has traditionally been the ‘centerpiece’ of the URMC, and the University remains committed to integrating excellence in education into the increasingly complex environment of health care. The hallmark of the educational programs is that each is based upon the interdisciplinary bio-psychosocial model that approaches health and disease as a multidimensional continuum influenced by biologic, social and psychological determinants.  Scholarly research has also been a critical component in the history of URMC; the knowledge and skills from a broad spectrum of independent, scientific disciplines are recognized as critical to the clinical advances emanating from scientific breakthroughs.  Given this understanding, the unique theory, tools and methodologies of public health sciences contribute significantly to the study of individual and population health at the University.

Our History

The Department of Community and Preventive Medicine (DCPM), renamed in October 2012 to the Department of Public Health Sciences, was established as a component of the School of Medicine and Dentistry in 1958.  The vision for the Department emerged from the important work of Dr. Albert David Kaiser, a dynamic, community-minded pediatrician who was dedicated to the study of infectious diseases, the care of disadvantaged children, and the promotion of public health in the City of Rochester. The Department’s inaugural Chair, Dr. Robert L. Berg, pioneered a departmental commitment to improvements in community health and rehabilitative services for 26 years.  Lead screening, store-front health clinics and other preventive interventions to disadvantaged populations throughout the nine counties surrounding Rochester were initiated.  In 1974, with increasing breadth and depth of faculty expertise, a Masters program in Community Health (MS) was initiated.  This two-year research degree program was the first of its kind established in a medical school department and accredited by the Council on Education in Public Health (CEPH).  In 1989, this program was restructured to encompass a broader scope and was transitioned to a Master in Public Health (MPH) program. With growing awareness of the unique challenges of health care among international populations, Dr. Berg led the effort to offer medical student education and research opportunities in other countries.  The pursuit of community health in Rochester was evolving to reflect an expanded public health agenda.

Research endeavors in the department continued to grow, particularly related to the field of health services; comprehensive evaluations of managed care and health system programs in the region were spearheaded by departmental investigators.  In 1994, a doctoral program in Health Services also was established.

Our Mission

To improve health and healthcare among diverse populations through research, learning and community partnerships.

Summary

The Department provides a rich and diverse infrastructure for these active research and educational endeavors. The collaborative, collegial relationships among all members of the academic community at the University of Rochester enhance the energetic atmosphere that drives scientific inquiry across all disciplines.  Within this arena, the Department of Public Health Sciences provides an environment that stimulates and supports advances in public health through excellence in research and education in population sciences.