History

St. Ann’s Community is Rochester’s leading senior housing and health services provider, with a tradition of quality care for older adults that began over 150 years ago.

We were founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1873 as a ministry of service. Today we provide a complete continuum of care for seniors, offering everything from independent living to 24-hour skilled nursing.

St. Ann’s Community is one of Rochester’s largest private employers, with approximately 1,200 employees who are caring for the most important people on earth. Our philosophy of Person-Centered Care means that each member of our community experiences life fully in a place filled with warmth, compassion and love.

150 Years of Caring for the Most Important People on Earth.

1873 – St. Ann’s began as The Home of Industry on Edinburgh Street in Rochester. It was founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph to provide shelter and to teach a trade to young immigrant women who had no families, so they could support themselves.

1904– The Home of Industry formally changed their name to St. Ann’s Home for the Aged. In order to meet the increasing needs of the Rochester Community, St. Ann’s turned their focus to become a residential care facility for the elderly and moved to their Lake Avenue location.

1963– Sr. Marie Michelle Peartree becomes President & CEO of St. Ann’s Home for the Aged. With nine stories and 354 mostly private rooms, it becomes one of the largest nursing homes in Rochester. Sr. Marie Michelle served on many community and state boards of directors and was elected the first-ever woman President of the National Association of Homes and Services for the Aging.

1973– During her tenure as President and CEO, Sr. Marie Michelle brought modern senior living to Rochester with the opening of The Heritage. With its distinctive shape and 19 stories, The Heritage boasted 239 apartments and served as a retirement community of its day. Eventually overtime as seniors aged in place, it changed from independent living to skilled nursing.

1997– In 1997, the year Sr. Marie Michelle retired, she opened Chapel Oaks, St. Ann’s first retirement community for independent seniors on the Irondequoit campus. Chapel Oaks was only the 2nd retirement community in Rochester at the time, and appealed to seniors looking for an upscale lifestyle. With 120 one- and two-bedroom luxury apartments, dining and housekeeping services, Chapel Oaks allowed seniors to leave the chores of home ownership behind.

1997– Betty Mullin-DiProsa becomes St. Ann’s first lay person to hold the position of President & CEO. Recognizing the solid foundation and reputation St. Ann’s had built, she cultivated a vision and ambitious strategy to take the organization from traditional skilled nursing to the largest senior healthcare and housing system in Rochester. Through the expansion of services and the development and opening of St. Ann’s Community at Cherry Ridge, St. Ann’s grew to serve thousands of seniors throughout the Rochester Area.

2005– St. Ann’s launches a second campus in Webster in response to the increased demand from seniors looking for more quality healthcare and housing service options. St. Ann’s Community at Cherry Ridge is situated on 41 acres, offering 55 cottage homes, 75 apartments, along with 51 assisted living and 24 memory care suites.

2012– The Wegman Care Center with 72 private rooms for skilled nursing and The Leo Center for Caring offering 12 private suites for hospice, open on the Irondequoit Campus. At the same time, St. Ann’s Care Center on the Cherry Ridge campus in Webster, opens with 72 private rooms of skilled nursing.

2014– Michael E. McRae becomes only the third President and CEO to lead the organization in the last 50 years. Michael joined St. Ann’s in 2010 where he advanced from Vice President of Operations to Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer then CEO. Under Michael’ s leadership, St. Ann’s has increased the number of seniors served through independent housing, guided the organization’s strategic repositioning of services on two campuses – including two state of the art skilled nursing facilities – and partnered with Rochester Regional Hospital to open the only Advanced Wound Healing Center in a Skilled Nursing facility in New York State.

2019– St. Ann’s Home launches a $40 million renovation project with a focus on bringing person-centered care to each and every resident. The options for retirement living also grew in 2019, offering seniors additional choices of where to live.

2022– The renovation of St. Ann’s Home is completed, offering additional places to gather, larger resident living areas and private rooms, enhanced heating and cooling systems, and updated finishes to make every day more comfortable.