Golisano Fellowship Tables Festival of Inclusion for 4th Consecutive Year

March 13, 2025

_{Photo: Dr. Holly Brown and Darcie Mersereau with Onolee Stephens from Special Olympics NY}

The Golisano Institute for Developmental Disability Nursing at St. John Fisher was proud to host a table at the Festival of Inclusion for the fourth consecutive year. With over 2,000 members of the local community and nearly 100 Western New York disability organizations attending, the Golisano Institute joined other community organizations in Rochester whose mission is to reduce health inequities facing individuals living with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). The event was sponsored by the Golisano Foundation, the Rochester Best Buddies chapter, and Special Olympics New York. Golisano Institute staff provided information about continuing education, academic undergraduate nursing resources, and the Golisano Fellowship in Developmental Disability Nursing while sharing health-inspired giveaways.  

In addition to the Golisano Institute table, students from the Wegmans School of Nursing conducted free health screenings and education via the Special Olympics Healthy Athletes program. For the Golisano Institute for Developmental Disability, this was the second recent event collaborating with two of the event's lead organizers, Special Olympics New York and the Golisano Foundation. In late February, Dr. Holly Brown and 2023-2024 Golisano Fellow Liz Dollinger, PMHNP from the Wegmans School of Nursing served as clinical co-chairs for the Healthy Athletes program following the Special Olympics New York Winter Games. “We are grateful for these opportunities to partner with Special Olympics to provide health screenings to address the disparities faced by this population,” says Golisano Institute Executive Director Dr. Holly Brown “It’s important to come out and converse with members of the community, both new and familiar. It’s these moments that fortify our collaborations and efforts to transform the quality of healthcare for people with IDD.”