After dedicating more than four decades to HIV/AIDS research and treatment, Dr. William Valenti has decided to step down from his position as chief medical officer at Trillium Health.
“I'm not retiring, that's why I really avoid the R word,” Valenti said. “I’m stepping aside, because there's still a lot to be done.”
Valenti remembers being a young and eager assistant professor at the University of Rochester when patients started coming into the emergency room with this novel virus.
“It was just staring me in the face,” he said. “There it is. Now get out there and do something about it.”
As a trained infectious disease physician, Valenti said it was his duty to care for these patients and collaborate with other likeminded individuals who shared the same passion. The result was the Community Health Network, which later became Trillium Health.
A news release from Trillium said that throughout his career, Valenti advocated for combining the “art and science of medicine” in the best interests of his patients. He also participated in early clinical trials, pushed for faster drug approvals, and helped to introduce a “one-stop-shop” model that combined medical care and supportive services for people living with HIV/AIDS.
“We always went against that grain,” Valenti said about he and his colleagues. “We broke so many rules that needed to be broken.”
Trillium is now a Federally Qualified Health Center serving roughly 20,000 patients and clients across Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes.
Jason Barnecut-Kearns, CEO and president of Trillium, in a media release, referred to Valenti as “the heart and soul of HIV care in Rochester.” Valenti said although he's flattered, he would consider himself more as a “catalyst,” the person who mobilized the people to pull together and “get the job done."
“This is a good time to reflect, and get those young people involved, because that's where the energy lies,” Valenti said.
Valenti said now is a good time to turn over the responsibility to his younger colleagues who he believes will continue the work in the field, make new discoveries, and take HIV/AIDS care to the next level.
In the meantime, Valenti still plans on working with Trillium Health Center in some capacity and other community organizations. But his focus will be writing and telling the stories he developed over those 40 plus years, he said.
