A generous gift from a Class of 1985 medical alumnus has established the Vito D. Imbasciani, M.D.’85 and George Di Salvo LGBTQ Lectureship Endowed Fund at the University of Vermont College of Medicine. The Fund’s aim is to ensure the preparation of culturally-competent physicians who can provide medical care and prevention services that are specific to LGBTQ populations.

Imbasciani, a urologic surgeon based in Los Angeles, Calif., and his spouse, George DiSalvo, were inspired to fund the new Imbasciani/DiSalvo Endowed LGBT Lecture following a December 2013 visit and presentation to the UVM College of Medicine by alumnus Donald Evans, M.D.’62, a retired primary care physician and HIV/AIDS patient care pioneer and champion from Connecticut.

An officer in the medical corps of the U.S. Army for more than 28 years and a veteran of two wars, Imbasciani completed four active duty tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Despite this service, he was unable to acknowledge or discuss his gay status throughout his military career, and therefore, unable to have his spouse or children onsite upon departure for deployments or returning home from war. In June 2012, he was selected to introduce President Barack Obama at a fundraising event in Los Angeles, Calif. While delivering his remarks, Imbasciani, whom the president recognized as a source of inspiration for his 2010 repeal of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, said “thanks to the unyielding efforts of President Obama, I can serve my country openly and proudly, with my family at my side.”

In addition to his service to the College of Medicine as a Class Agent, Imbasciani, who works at Southern California Permanente Medical Group, serves as chief medical officer for the California State National Guard, and as a member of the California Medical Association’s board of trustees. He has a long history as an advocate for such issues as health care reform, veteran medical programs and improved public health policy. In addition to his M.D., he holds a master’s degree and Ph.D. from Cornell University and was a Fulbright Scholar recipient. Prior to attending medical school, he served as a professor of music history at Middlebury College.

The first Imbasciani/DiSalvo Endowed LGBT Lecture will take place at the UVM College of Medicine on December 12, 2014.

Visit the UVM College of Medicine’s Development and Alumni Relations website.