Renu SIngh Named a 'Woman of Excellence'

Renu Singh, MS, senior associate dean of operations at the School of Nursing and CEO of UR Medicine’s Center for Employee Wellness, was named to the inaugural class of Women of Excellence Award recipients presented by the Rochester Business Journal.

Renu Singh, MS

The award recognizes high-achieving women for their career accomplishments, community involvement, leadership, and sustained commitment to mentoring. The initial class of 34 women from a variety of industries throughout Rochester was honored at a celebration on April 11 at the Joseph A. Floreano Rochester Riverside Convention Center.

Singh has exemplified excellence throughout a nearly 30-year career of leadership in health care program design and implementation within the University of Rochester Medical Center. For the past 18 years, she has served as an associate dean at the UR School of Nursing.

Her most significant professional achievement has been spearheading the development and implementation of the Center for Employee Wellness (CEW). In 2013, the School of Nursing took on the challenge of creating an evidence-based, outcome-driven wellness program for University employees. Building a program from scratch, Singh and her “wellness dream team” ultimately achieved the highest engagement rates for program participation in the University’s history, and the program’s wellness coaching resulted in significant reductions in health risk and sustained improvement in outcomes.

Recognizing the value of the burgeoning UR program to other small- and mid-size employers in the community, Singh developed a scalable and customizable program to meet their needs. Just a few short years later, the CEW now partners with dozens of organizations, reaching nearly 50,000 employees in the region.

“I’m absolutely blown away to be included in this class of amazing women,” said Singh, who leads a team of nearly 50 CEW employees. “I feel blessed to have been mentored and inspired by so many people in my life, and I’m especially grateful for the amazing team that I work with and their commitment to excellence. I’ve been fortunate to be surrounded by colleagues who care so deeply about their work and are always striving for the best.”

As senior associate dean of operations, Singh oversees the school’s support systems, including technology, personnel, and facilities management, and advises Dean Kathy Rideout, EdD, PPCNP-BC, FNAP, on operational concerns, such as strategic planning, program development, and mission-based performance metrics. As associate dean for finance and administration (2000-2015), she helped bolster the financial health of the school, creating and implementing strategies that have led to consistent positive operational surpluses and reserves.

Singh’s community activities have been largely centered on children and empowering young girls through education. Singh serves on the board for Mary Cariola Children’s Center as well as the Jangi Singh School for Girls, founded by her parents and the Singh Family Foundation. She is a member of the United Way Women’s Association and past president of the Monroe Golf Club Women’s Association.