Community partners, former honorees, and this year’s Satcher Award recipients attended an awards reception and networking event at the Highline Rochester on May 8. The event celebrated individuals and teams who have worked to remove barriers to care, improve access to resources, and address social factors affecting health in local neighborhoods.
Edith Williams, PhD, MS, director of the Center for Community Health & Prevention (CCHP) and founding director of the Office of Health Equity Research, said: “It was incredible to feel the synergy in the room and to celebrate collaboration and partnership. It is a true honor to continue to highlight those actively working to identify and dismantle barriers to care, improve access to resources, and address the social drivers of health right here in our neighborhoods.”
AnaPaula Cupertino, PhD received the Senior Faculty Award for her leadership ensuring community voices inform research priorities at University of Rochester Medicine Wilmot Cancer Institute. Her efforts include supporting research projects on cancer disparities through Wilmot’s Cancer Community Action Council (CCAC) as well as bringing a national research program mobile enrollment van into underrepresented neighborhoods.
Melissa Heatly, PhD earned recognition as Early-Stage Faculty Awardee for expanding school mental health services with Rochester City School District. Under her leadership over three years, RCSD schools offering clinical mental health services increased from eight sites to 24. Her work now reaches nearly 70 school districts across New York State.
The URochester Medicine Food Pantry team was also honored for growing a hospital-based emergency food pantry that has provided critical food supplies more than 7,600 times since its launch in early 2021. The program began as a pilot project guided by the Health Equity Program Support Office (HEPSO) in partnership with Foodlink.
Tanisha Gamble-Snead received the Staff Award for coordinating programs that support digital health education and language accessibility through HEPSO’s Navigating Health Care Equitably initiative. She collaborated closely with community organizations including Community Health Workers Association of Rochester (CHWAR).
A Special Public Health Grand Rounds was held following day at University of Rochester School of Nursing featuring Daniel E. Dawes from Meharry Medical College discussing how political determinants shape public health outcomes.
