[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 47 (Tuesday, March 14, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E217]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TRIBUTE TO DR. VITO IMBASCIANI

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. ADAM B. SCHIFF

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 14, 2023

  Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Vito Imbasciani 
who is retiring after nearly eight years as Secretary of the California 
Department of Veterans Affairs.
  Vito Imbasciani earned his master's degree and doctorate from Cornell 
University before attending the University of Vermont College of 
Medicine where he earned his medical degree. He then attended Yale 
University School of Medicine where he completed his internship and 
residency in general surgery and his fellowship in urology.
  Dr. Imbasciani's highly decorated career began in 1986 as a surgeon 
for the U.S. Army Medical Corps where he continued to serve for nearly 
three decades. During his time serving as a surgeon for the Medical 
Corps he also held the position of State Surgeon for the California 
Army National Guard, where he advised the Adjutant General on health 
issues impacting thousands of national guard members, while working as 
a field surgeon in Iraq and a Level 3 surgeon at the Landstuhl Army 
Hospital in Germany. In total he had four deployments including the 
liberation of Kuwait, Operation Desert Storm and the Global War against 
Terrorism, earning the rank of colonel and receiving awards such as the 
Combat Medic Badge and the Meritorious Service Award. In addition to 
serving his state and country, Dr. Imbasciani worked as Director of 
Government Relations and as a urologic surgeon for Southern California 
Permanente Medical Group (Kaiser Permanente).
  During the time of his military service, Vito had to conceal his 
sexual identity due to the ``Don't Ask, Don't Tell'' policy. However, 
because of the unwavering efforts of then-President Obama which 
resulted in the 2010 repeal of the policy--which Vito was recognized by 
the president as a source of inspiration for--Dr. Imbasciani and 
thousands of other service members can now serve their country openly 
and proudly. Vito's support of the LGBTQ+ community is evident by the 
creation of a lecture fund, with his spouse, George DiSalvo, in 2013 
with the aim of ensuring culturally capable physicians who can provide 
prevention services and medical care specific to the LGBTQ+ community.
  In 2015, Dr. Imbasciani was appointed by then-Governor Jerry Brown as 
Secretary of the California Department of Veterans Affairs and was 
reappointed by Governor Gavin Newson in 2020.
  Under Dr. Imbasciani's stellar leadership, the California Department 
of Veterans Affairs has seen numerous successes, including greatly 
reducing the backlog of veterans' benefit claims, assisting veterans 
with receiving home loans, providing funding for thousands of veteran 
housing units, increasing outreach to women and minority veterans, and 
providing legal assistance to veterans seeking citizenship. Other 
noteworthy accomplishments include introducing the California 
Transition Assistance Program (CalTAP) to educate veterans about their 
benefits, opening a long-awaited cemetery in Monterey County for 
veterans and eligible family members, providing veterans with much-
needed mental health treatment, and one of his personal highlights, 
achieving the best nursing home ratings from U.S. News and World Report 
for their homes in Redding, Yountville, Chula Vista, Barstow and 
Fresno.
  Dr. Vito Imbasciani has been an invaluable asset and outstanding 
public servant and I ask all Members to join me in thanking him for his 
service as Secretary of the California Department of Veterans Affairs.

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