The early years: Learning the ropes, listening to advice

When I started out as a young, eager assistant professor at the University of Rochester Medical Center, I was appointed hospital epidemiologist.

You’re probably saying, “What is that?”

A reminder on how to fight infections. Provided by Dr. Bill Valenti

Which is what I said. Turns out, it’s the hospital disease detective, and I was responsible for infection prevention programs. Two infection control nurses worked with me, Marge Messner and Pat Hogan, now Pat Pincus. They taught me the ropes, and they introduced me to the Association for Professionals in Infection Control (APIC).

I thought of this as I continue to go more than 40 years of my archives, which will be going to the UR for its AIDS archives. One thing I found was a pin I wore to encourage people to wash their hands. It says “Keep on Scrubbing.”

I came upon something else that has been in a desk drawer for many years.

This card case was a gift, and it had been in a desk drawer for many years. Provided by Dr. Bill Valenti

I had been elected to the board of directors of APIC, and we would have meetings all over the place. At the same time, I was in the process of coming out. So I would sometimes find myself after dinner in nightclubs, sort of seeing what was going on.

For posterity: with Bill Brown on Coronado in 1985. Provided by Dr. Bill Valenti.

In San Diego, I met a man named Bill Brown. He was in the hospitality business – director of catering for a hotel in San Diego. We hit it off, and over the next two years would visit each other.

I learned from him that the hospitality business isn’t that different than medicine. It’s about getting the message out to people and doing whatever you can to help them get through whatever is in front of them.

Back in my role as hospital epidemiologist when AIDS hit, I started doing interviews to get the word out. Bill and I talked about how difficult that was because I was a little rough around the edges. I said it’s hard to get out there because I don’t want to sound like I’m promoting myself.

One year for my birthday, he sent me a beautiful sterling card case, engraved with my initials, WMV. He enclosed one of his cards with the message: “When you work the crowds, think of me. Happy Birthday. Love, Bill.”

Around 1995, I got a call from his partner, telling me that Bill had died. He was going through Bill’s address book and found my contact information.

Birthday message with advice on messaging. Provided by Dr. Bill Valenti

I talked with him for a while about my memories of Bill. He would say, “When a guest in the hospitality business asks you for something, you do whatever you need to do to get them what they need and message it all correctly.”

I think about those days a lot, those formative years. I was totally unprepared. But I had people behind me. People like Bill Brown, who smoothed off those rough edges. I can still see him.