A community built around better health.

A Place Where Rochester Comes Together

The Rochester Academy of Medicine serves as a neutral and welcoming space for collaboration.

In a city shaped by major health systems, including the University of Rochester Medical Center and Rochester Regional Health, RAOM provides common ground where professionals can come together openly to share ideas, address challenges, and work toward better outcomes.

Organizations across the region choose RAOM to host educational programs because it is a place where all are welcome—and where meaningful connection happens.

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.