When she first came to Rochester almost four decades ago, Dr. Nancy Bennett worked on a project that was designed to increase vaccination of elderly people for the flu.
Looking back, Bennett said that particular outreach sparked her lifelong commitment to public health.
“To really see the work that you're doing have an impact on people's lives and spare them from disease, essentially, is really what I found motivating,” she said.
Bennett, who is affectionately called “Nana” by her peers and others, once served as Monroe County’s deputy health commissioner and later founded the Center for Community Health and Prevention. The center offers a variety of programs and initiatives that help create a healthier community through addressing the inequities in the health care system.
Bennett equates her work to a form of social justice.
“I've really seen health as a microcosm of the bigger society and the issues we have with respect to fairness and equity,” she said. “I've always wanted for everyone to be as privileged as I've been.”
For years, Bennett led vaccination efforts for flu, HPV and COVID-19 among the most vulnerable and underserved communities. Now after 40 years of community health leadership, the center’s director has announced her retirement.
“You just get to a certain point where you feel as though your voice has been heard, and that you've contributed probably what you have to contribute,” Bennett said.
She said it’s time for new voices, ideas and directions. Bennett hopes that the next generation of health care leaders will enjoy the work as much as she did.
“It was always fun,” she said, “I was always doing something I wanted to be doing and that I cared about deeply.”
In a statement released by URMC, Common Ground Health CEO Wade Norwood acknowledged Bennett as a trailblazer who “set a great foundation for the next chapter.”
Despite the current challenges in health care, Bennett said she is proud of what she and her team have been able to accomplish and contribute to the cause.
“I'm very happy with the teams I'm leaving behind and what they will do in the future,” she said. “I feel very confident about that.”
Bennett plans to stay on as director of The Center for Community Health and Prevention until her successor is named. She still anticipates doing some volunteer or consulting work after retirement.
