A community built around better health.

A Place Where Rochester Comes Together

The Rochester Academy of Medicine serves as an independent and welcoming home for Rochester’s healthcare community—a place where people can come together across institutions, professions, and perspectives.

In a region shaped by leading health systems, independent practices, universities, and a diverse community of healthcare professionals, the Academy provides common ground where physicians, nurses, pharmacists, allied health professionals, administrators, researchers, educators, and others can connect beyond traditional institutional boundaries.

But we believe the conversation should extend beyond healthcare professionals.

The Academy also values the voices of patients, caregivers, and members of the community. Their experiences, questions, and perspectives help us understand where greater education is needed and shape the programs and conversations we bring to both Rochester’s medical community and the public.

Through professional education, public programs, community partnerships, and opportunities for meaningful collaboration, the Rochester Academy of Medicine brings people together to share knowledge, explore important questions, and learn from one another.

Because better health does not come from one institution, one profession, or one perspective.

It comes from a community willing to learn together.

History

A Legacy of Knowledge, Evolving with Purpose

RAOM has served the Rochester community for more than 125 years.

Founded in 1899 as the city’s central medical library, the RAOM was a place where physicians gathered to study, research, and share knowledge through an extensive collection of medical texts and periodicals. RAOM owes much of its permanence and character to the generosity of the Lyon family. In the late 1930s, the family donated their East Avenue home to provide RAOM with a lasting headquarters, ensuring it could continue to grow as a center for medical learning and community engagement.

That gift helped transform RAOM from a collection-based institution into a place where physicians and the broader community could gather, collaborate, and advance healthcare in Rochester for generations to come.

Purpose

An audience seated in a large auditorium, viewed from above, with many people looking at tablets or notes on wooden desks.
Black and white photo of three women, with one seated and two standing behind her, in an indoor setting with decorative wooden panels and plants. The seated woman is wearing a light-colored dress and dark shoes, holding a flower, and smiling at the camera. The standing women are dressed in dark dresses and are looking at the seated woman, with the woman in the middle holding her hand. The photo has the text "The Lyons Family with Helen Keller."
Medical team walking down a corridor in hospital, wearing scrubs and surgical caps.

What We Do Today

Today, RAOM is a hub for education, dialogue, and community engagement.

Through clinical lectures, continuing education, and public-facing programs, we provide trusted, evidence-based information to both healthcare professionals and the broader community. Programs like Ask the Experts bring forward credible voices to address important topics, cut through misinformation, and offer clear, reliable insight.

RAOM has also expanded beyond a physician-only model. Our membership and leadership now include nurses, social workers, chiropractors, educators, and community members, bringing diverse perspectives to conversations around healthcare delivery and improvement.