Family Donates $5 Million to Establish Urology Institute

A new urology institute will be established through Rochester Regional Health, thanks to the generosity of the Di Francesco family.

The Di Francesco Urology Institute will be serving patients in the greater Rochester community, courtesy of a $5 million donation from Olindo and Filomena Di Francesco. New state-of-the-art technology and an expansion of the Rochester Regional Health urology department will allow providers to deliver faster and more efficient care while treating kidney stones, prostate infections, and bladder cancer.

Establishing the Institute

The Di Francesco Urology Institute was created when the Di Francescos left a generous gift to Rochester Regional. It was a health crisis Olindo sought treatment for through Rochester Regional Health’s urology department that lead to his donation.

As embedded members of the Rochester community, the Di Francesco family is known for their Italian supermarket and philanthropic donations to Saint Padre Pio Chapel.

Following Olindo Di Francesco’s battle with a life-threatening condition, the family decided they wanted to help others have access to the same high-quality care by working with the health system.

“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.”

Through the Institute, a state-of-the-art outpatient urologic operating room will be equipped with the first major breakthrough in urology laser technology in two decades.

Investing in new technologies

Through the Di Francesco Urology Institute, several new innovative tools are part of its standard of care.

Rochester Regional Health is investing in the Olympus Soltive SuperPulsed Laser System, which will assist providers in delivering faster and more efficient care for patients seeking treatment for kidney stones. The portable technology is designed to allow shorter procedures for and lessen patient discomfort with quicker recovery times.

The acquisition of Olympus Plasma technology and Narrow Band Imaging technologies will also bring the latest in urology innovation to the Di Francesco Urology Institute. The Olympus Plasma technology helps surgeons perform minimally invasive surgery on enlarged prostates. Use of the Narrow Band Imaging uses different spectrums of light to make endoscopies more effective in identifying bladder cancer.

“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 John Valvo, MD, Chief of Robotic Surgery at Rochester Regional Health.