Rita Valenti
Rita Valenti | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Georgia House of Representatives from the 52nd district | |
| In office January 14, 1991 – January 11, 1993 | |
| Preceded by | Eleanor L. Richardson |
| Succeeded by | Henrietta M. Canty |
| Personal details | |
| Party | Democratic |
| Profession | Nurse, activist |
Rita Valenti is an American nurse, activist, and politician. She represented Georgia's 52nd House of Representatives district during the 141st Georgia General Assembly. She is most known for her advocacy in favor of universal health care.
Career
Valenti worked as a registered nurse at Grady Memorial Hospital, working in the trauma, surgical intensive care, and infectious diseases clinics.[1][2] She was a founding member of the Georgians for a Common Sense Health Plan, an advocacy group in favor of establishing a universal health care system.[1][3][4]
Valenti represented Georgia's 52nd House of Representatives district during the 141st Georgia General Assembly, from 1991 to 1993.[5] In 1992, Valenti introduced HB 1531, the Common Sense Health Plan, which would create a universal, single-payer healthcare program in Georgia.[6][7] The program was designed to prioritize preventive care.[6] It failed to pass committee.[6]
Post-House career
After leaving the Georgia House of Representatives, Valenti continued working as a registered nurse at Grady Memorial Hospital.[8] She also continued advocating for universal health care.[9][10][11] She was a founding member of Project South, served on the board of Healthcare-NOW!, and is an active member of National Nurses United and Physicians for a National Health Program.[2][12] Valenti was a spokesperson of disability rights group Let's Get Together, which in 1997 filed a lawsuit against the conversion of Blue Cross from a nonprofit to a for-profit company.[13][14]
As of May 2026, Valenti is retired from nursing.[1]
Personal life
As of 2025, Valenti lives in Clarkston, Georgia.[15]
References
- 1 2 3 Stoikow, Gabriela Henriquez (2026-05-05). "At the intersection of immigration and healthcare, stories "humanize what the systems can obscure"". 285 South. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
- 1 2 "Georgia Information". Physicians for a National Health Program. 2026-05-31. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
- ↑ "Group Proposes Single-Payer Insurance Plan in Georgia". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. June 11, 2009. Retrieved 2026-06-14 – via Physicians for a National Health Program.
- ↑ Miller, Andy (2004-06-22). "Georgia's single payer study". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved 2026-06-14 – via Physicians for a National Health Program.
- ↑ "Members of the General Assembly of Georgia, Senate and House of Representatives, first session of term 1991-92 [Jan. 1991]". Digital Library of Georgia. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
- 1 2 3 Michels, Jonathan (2026-05-31). "A New Single-Payer Effort Is Underway in Georgia". Jacobin. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
- ↑ Perl, Rebecca (12 Feb 1992). "Health Insurance Revamp Proposed". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved 2026-06-14 – via ProQuest.
- ↑ Schneider, Craig (13 Apr 2008). "Grady CEO stands firm: Stephenson has both supporters and critics of her tenure at city hospital". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved 2026-06-14 – via ProQuest.
- ↑ Fay, Tim (13 Jan 1994). "Ex-Decatur lawmaker continues her fight for health-care reform". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved 2026-06-14 – via ProQuest.
- ↑ Cardinale, Matthew Charles (2008-07-14). "HEALTH-US: Unions, Groups Coalesce For Universal Coverage". Inter Press Service. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
- ↑ Jones, Walter C. (24 Sep 2004). "Uninsured list grows in Georgia premiums of health plans are higher". The Augusta Chronicle. Retrieved 2026-06-14 – via ProQuest.
- ↑ Jaffe, Sarah (2017-11-16). "What the South Can Teach the Rest of the Country About Resisting the Right". In These Times. Retrieved 2026-06-14.
- ↑ Miller, Andy (12 July 1998). "Settling suit by consumer groups key to acquisition of Blue Cross 'David and Goliath': Whirlwind negotiations led to endowment of $80 million foundation". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved 2026-06-14 – via ProQuest.
- ↑ Miller, Andy (11 Feb 2001). "Blue Cross near end of its tale of turmoil Six-year saga: Insurance chief to decide whether to approve deal for health insurer's parent". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved 2026-06-14 – via ProQuest.
- ↑ Whisenhunet, Dan (2025-10-19). "Residents trying to pump brakes on I-285 express lanes plan". Decaturish. Retrieved 2026-06-14.