Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Dr. Bill Valenti on 40 years of championing HIV care

Dr. Bill Valenti with host Evan Dawson on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Friday, October 10, 2025
Mary Hussong-Kallen
/
WXXI
Dr. Bill Valenti with host Evan Dawson on "Connections with Evan Dawson" on Friday, October 10, 2025
A smiling man with short dark hair wearing a blue button-down shirt and a grey blazer. He is holding a pair of eyeglasses. The word "Connections" appears on the left side of the photo in vertical letters.
WXXI News

"The heart and soul of HIV care in Rochester."

That's how Trillium Health President Jason Barnecut-Kearns describes Dr. Bill Valenti.

After dedicating more than 40 years to treating and providing services for people living with HIV/AIDS, Valenti is stepping down from his post as chief of innovation and staff physician at Trillium.

But — as he emphasized to WXXI's Racquel Stephen earlier this week — he's not retiring. Valenti says there's more work to be done.

This hour, we sit down with Dr. Valenti to discuss his career, the advancements he and his colleagues have made when it comes to HIV care, the challenges the field has overcome, and those it continues to face.

Our guest:

Evan Dawson is the host of "Connections with Evan Dawson." He joined WXXI in January 2014 after working at 13WHAM-TV, where he served as morning news anchor. He was hired as a reporter for 13WHAM-TV in 2003 before being promoted to anchor in 2007.
Megan Mack is the executive producer of "Connections with Evan Dawson" and live/televised engagement programming.
Elissa Orlando is a producer for “Connections with Evan Dawson.” She returns part-time to WXXI News after stepping back from a long career in public media and in translational science.
Julie Williams is an associate producer for "Connections with Evan Dawson." She started at WXXI in 2019 and has been working on Connections since 2022.