Two Rochester organizations centered on public health are merging to become one new entity.
Common Ground Health and Rochester Regional Health Information Organization are combining to do what they call “bridging the gap between data and action”.
Common Ground is well recognized for its data analysis and community engagement while RRHIO identifies the clinical and social needs of various communities using data. Both operate with the goal of fixing systemic disparities.
“What we bring to the table is the incredible knowledge of how to engage, respond and listen to community, so that data becomes actionable information, and information becomes understanding,” said Wade Norwood, Common Ground Health CEO.
Norwood said both entities have worked hand-in-hand for about a decade — and the merger could only make the community better. He said RRHIO’s expertise with numbers will complement Common Ground’s mission.
“We're not doing this in the traditional for-profit corporate merger sense, where they just want to drive efficiencies,” said Marlene Bessette RRHIO’s CEO. “We're doing this so that we could do more.”
Bessette said together both organizations are designed to “help people help themselves.”
Norwood and Bessette are operating as co-CEOs. Both leaders said the new organization will release its shared identity by the spring.
