Announcement of Initial Health Enhancement Recognition for Local Neighborhoods

Announcement of Initial Health Enhancement Recognition for Local Neighborhoods

The Dr. David Satcher Community Health Improvement Awards were announced last night at the University of Rochester Medical Center, recognising individuals who have made significant contributions to community health in the greater Rochester region.

The recipients of the awards are faculty, staff, and community partners of the University of Rochester Medical Center. Among the awardees are Dr. Katrina Korfmacher, Dr. Peter Szilagyi, M.D., M.P.H., Mardy Sandler, L.M.S.W., and Senator Jim Alesi.

Dr. Katrina Korfmacher, Ph.D., has spent the last decade focused on reducing lead exposure for children in Monroe County, culminating in a historic lead abatement ordinance passed by the City of Rochester in 2005. Her relentless efforts have seen the number of children with elevated blood lead levels reduced from 1,293 children in 2002 to 363 children in 2008.

Dr. Peter Szilagyi, M.D., M.P.H., was recognised for his 23 years as a leader in improving healthcare for underserved children, particularly in reducing disparities in immunization rates in the inner city of Rochester.

Mardy Sandler, L.M.S.W., has worked for thirty-four years to improve the well-being of the community's families, women, and children. Her work includes the development of the Parent and Child Training Program (PACT) and the Baby Love home visit program, which have reduced infant mortality, premature births, low birth weight rates, and neonatal intensive care unit admission rates. The Baby Love program is an integral part of two community-wide initiatives - the Rochester Early Enhancement Program and Rochester Healthy Start.

Senator Jim Alesi received an honorary award for his advocacy and support for outreach and health education programs aimed at underserved populations. He has secured funding for the Center for Community Health's Healthy Living and Vida en Salud programs, a physical activity and health promotion program in the African American and Latino communities, and the Healthy Living Library, a unique educational community resource dedicated to health and wellness.

The work of the award recipients and the programs they have helped create rest upon deep-rooted relationships in the community. Dr. David Satcher, for whom the awards are named, served as the 16th Surgeon General under President Bill Clinton and received medical training at the University of Rochester Medical Center in the 1970s. The center, now named in his honour, is led by Dr. Barney Graham, the Founding Director of the David Satcher Global Health Equity Institute. The center's focus is on global health equity, addressing disparities in health outcomes worldwide.

Dr. Nancy M. Bennett, M.D., director of the Center for Community Health at the University of Rochester Medical Center, stated that the awardees are powerful role models and their programs are examples of what can be achieved through academic-community partnerships. Bradford C. Berk, M.D., Ph.D., CEO of the medical center, stated that Senator Alesi's efforts are making a difference and improving the health of the most vulnerable in the community. These efforts not only serve as a foundation for new endeavours but are also national models for improving public health.

1. The Dr. David Satcher Community Health Improvement Awards honors individuals contributing significantly to community health in Rochester region.
2. The recipients are faculty, staff, and community partners of the University of Rochester Medical Center.
3. Dr. Katrina Korfmacher, focused on reducing lead exposure for Monroe County children, played a crucial role in a 2005 lead abatement ordinance.
4. Her work reduced the number of children with elevated blood lead levels from 1,293 children in 2002 to 363 children in 2008.
5. Dr. Peter Szilagyi, known for 23 years of work improving healthcare for underserved children, particularly in reducing inner-city Rochester immunization rate disparities.
6. Mardy Sandler, with 34 years of experience, improves community well-being, developing programs like PACT and Baby Love, reducing infant mortality, premature births, low birth weight rates, and NICU admission rates.
7. Baby Love program is integral part of two community-wide initiatives - Rochester Early Enhancement Program and Rochester Healthy Start.
8. Senator Jim Alesi, honored for advocacy and support for outreach and health education programs, secured funding for Healthy Living and Vida en Salud programs, a physical activity and health promotion program in African American and Latino communities.
9. The Healthy Living Library, a unique educational community resource dedicated to health and wellness, is another of his contributions.
10. Dr. David Satcher, namesake of the awards, served as 16th Surgeon General under President Bill Clinton and received medical training at the University of Rochester Medical Center in the 1970s.
11. The center, now named in his honor, is led by Dr. Barney Graham, the Founding Director of the David Satcher Global Health Equity Institute.
12. The center's focus is on global health equity, addressing disparities in health outcomes worldwide.
13. Dr. Nancy M. Bennett, M.D., director of the Center for Community Health, recognizes the awardees as powerful role models and their programs as examples of what can be achieved through academic-community partnerships.
14. Bradford C. Berk, M.D., Ph.D., CEO of the medical center, acknowledges Senator Alesi's efforts as making a difference and improving the health of the most vulnerable in the community.
15. These efforts serve as a foundation for new endeavors and are national models for improving public health.
16. Science plays a vital role in community health, as shown by the awardees' evidence-based strategies to address various medical-conditions such as chronic diseases, cancer, respiratory conditions, and digestive-health issues.
17. The workplace-wellness aspect is crucial, as employers can implement science-based therapies-and-treatments to promote cardiovascular-health, mental-health, and eye-health among their employees.
18. In these times, fitness-and-exercise, hearing, and skin-care become important aspects of health-and-wellness.
19. Autoimmune-disorders, neurological-disorders, and skin-conditions require medical attention and careful management.
20. Furthermore, a healthy lifestyle, including proper nutrition, rest, and stress management, is essential for maintaining overall health.
21. Healthcare is not limited to medicine, but also encompasses psychology and therapies to address mental-health concerns.
22. Among other field, technological advancements in medicine enable early diagnosis and innovative therapies, benefiting patients with medical-conditions such as cancer and neurological-disorders.
23. More than medical conditions, health-and-wellness also concerns general well-being and quality of life, including aspects like finance, home-and-garden, personal-finance, and relationships.
24. With the rise of technology, there are opportunities in industries like banking-and-insurance, data-and-cloud-computing, artificial-intelligence, cybersecurity, education-and-self-development, personal-growth, and inventing.
25. These industries can bring about big-wins, yet individuals must be aware of responsible gambling, as it can negatively impact personal and financial well-being.
26. Social media, movies-and-tv, celebrity culture, career-development, casino-and-gambling, pet care, travel, cars, books, and fashion-and-beauty can be sources of enjoyment, but moderation is key to maintaining overall health.
27. Health has different aspects, including taking care of one's hearing, eye-health, skin-care, and overall fitness-and-exercise like yoga and cycling classes.
28. Proper nutrition, like a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins, is crucial for maintaining digestive-health and overall well-being.
29. Investing in one's future, whether through wealth-management, purchasing gadgets, or saving for retirement, is an important part of financial-health and overall well-being.
30. It's essential to build a strong community, as relationships can provide emotional support, fostering overall mental-health and well-being.
31. Pets, as companions, can offer numerous benefits for people's mental-health, while travel, cars, and hobbies like reading and gardening can contribute to overall life satisfaction and personal growth.

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