A Rochester public health icon has died.
The family of Rosa Wims announced that the 100-year-old former nurse died on Sunday. One of Rochester’s first Black nurses, Wims paved the way for many more Black female medical professionals to follow.
“I didn't have many role models and to know that someone like her was able to make it happen and make a difference made me say, ‘If I want to be a doctor, I can be a doctor, don't let anyone stand in my way,’” said Dr. Lekeyah Wilson, medical director for community pediatrics and wellness for Rochester Regional.
Wilson said she and Wims often met at hospital board meetings, and Wims would greet everyone with a warm welcome.
“She would welcome you with a great smile, bring you in, and help you get situated,” Wilson said while reminiscing about Wims’ regal presence and philanthropy.
“She was speaking on the behalf of patients and the community and that was just so empowering to see someone like her doing that,” she said.
Wims’ giving nature extended beyond the health care field. She was well-known for hosting pre-Thanksgiving dinners for those in need for decades.
Victoria Record, president of Rochester General College of Health Careers and the Isabella Graham School of practical nursing, said nurses take pride in their ability to protect the public, and Wims was a leading example of that.
“She did that in the care that she provided, but also in the outreach that she had in the community, and making sure that people had the staples of life like food, access, health care,” Record said.
The nursing school has a scholarship that’s named in honor of Wims. Record said scholarship recipients embody Wims’ legacy, which includes care, commitment, community service, and “an interest in moving along in her journey just as they are in themselves.”
