The mission of the Saccomanno Research Institute is to expand medical and scientific knowledge in areas that improve the health and well being of residents of the region, with an emphasis on respiratory illness and disease. The Institute is also building an infrastructure for research in areas of health concern identified by the St. Mary's Hospital medical community. The Institute continues to build on the more than 50 years of widely recognized research by the late Geno Saccomanno, PhD, MD, in diagnostic applications of sputum cytology.
The Institute strives to make progress against genetic, environmental, and occupational diseases affecting area residents. First, the Institute focuses on epidemiology, the study of public exposure to environmental and occupational threats that may result in long-term ailments, such as lung disease. In addition, the history and characteristics of residents of Mesa County and surrounding areas provide unique opportunities to conduct basic and clinical studies examining the genetics of disease susceptibility, more effective means of detecting early signs of disease and treating patients, and disease outcomes.