Patients in the greater Rochester area in need of treatment for kidney stones, prostate issues and bladder cancer will now have better access to less invasive treatment options with shorter recovery times thanks to a Rochester family who continues to give back to the community.
Olindo and Filomena Di Francesco are giving $5 million to Rochester Regional Health’s urology department. With the gift, the health system has established the Di Francesco Urology Institute, which features new state of the art technology that will improve quality of life for patients for decades to come.
“Money doesn’t mean anything if you can’t do things to help others,” said Olindo Di Francesco. “Dr. John Valvo saved my life, and I wanted to do anything I could to give back to Rochester Regional Health.”
Known in the community for their Italian supermarket and philanthropic donations to Saint Padre Pio Chapel, the Di Francescos will now also be known for giving Rochester Regional Health patients access to a state-of-the-art outpatient urologic operating room equipped with the first major breakthrough in urology laser technology in two decades.
“Olindo and Filomena’ s generosity will ensure a lasting legacy for their family and the impact of their donation can already be felt for patients at the Di Francesco Urology Institute,” said physician John Valvo, chief of robotic surgery at Rochester Regional Health.
The Di Francesco Urology Institute provides patients with new treatment options for prostate conditions and kidney stones using the Olympus Solitive SuperPulsed Laser System because of the Di Francescos.
“More than half a million Americans seek medical treatment for kidney stone problems every year and this new laser system will allow us to deliver faster and more efficient care to our patients, breaking the stones in less than half the time it would typically take,” said Louis Eichel, chief of urology at Rochester Regional Health. “This gets patients back on their feet faster.”
“Dr. Valvo improved my quality of life, and the chance to play a part in doing that for someone else—you can’t put a price on that,” said Olindo.
Other patient care investments the health system is making because of the Di Francesco’s generosity, include the Olympus plasma technology and narrow band Imaging technologies.