One of the co-founders of Trillium Health Centers announced Thursday that he is stepping down after decades of service.
Dr. William Valenti is a nationally recognized HIV/ AIDS physician who helped define Rochester’s response to the disease in 1981, when the virus first emerged.
A few years later, Valenti and a few colleagues from the University of Rochester established the Community Health Network — now known as Trillium — to provide health care for those living with HIV/AIDS in the community.
Trillium President and CEO Jason Barnecut-Kearns in a statement called Valenti the “heart and soul of HIV care in Rochester.”
Valenti’s career includes serving as an adviser to the CDC and New York state’s health department.
He will continue to serve on the boards of the Rochester Area Community Foundation and the Rochester Academy of Medicine.
Trillium Health will celebrate Valenti’s career on Dec. 11, which is World AIDS Day.
