A Visionary’s Dream Realized

Rino Aldrighetti, who led the Pulmonary Hypertension Association for nearly two decades, died in May 2022 from brain cancer.

“Rino was a dreamer and a visionary,” says Colleen Brunetti, immediate past chair, PHA Board of Trustees. “Status quo was never enough. He was forever coming up with new innovative ideas for PHA to grow and increase our impact.”

Aldrighetti, the first PHA employee, was hired in 1999 as part-time executive director. He soon became full-time and later was promoted to president and CEO. He retired in 2016 after PHA’s International PH Conference and Scientific Sessions.

“Rino was in it not for the job, nor to establish a career, nor even to create an exemplary organization,” says Michael McGoon, MD,” a member of PHA’s Scientific Advisory Committee (now Scientific Leadership Council) since its 1992 inception.

“Rino was in it because he clearly saw that the potential of this patient-centric organization grounded in clinical science. He knew PHA could do something meaningful for patients.”

Tall with a commanding but friendly personality, Aldrighetti shepherded PHA from a small grassroots organization to the largest pulmonary hypertension organization in the world. Under his leadership, PHA became a professionally staffed organization, rapidly expanding the organization’s fundraising, budget and services.

“When you think of this period in PHA’s development, I hope that you will think that I tried my hardest to lead this organization with integrity and a deep and abiding desire to change the history of this disease for the good of patients,” Aldrighetti said in his retirement speech at PHA 2016.

Fierce, Caring Advocate

Brunetti realized Aldrighetti’s commitment to people with PH when she met him at PHA’s PH Professional Network Symposium not long after she was diagnosed. She related her challenges in trying to reach her specialty pharmacy about medication delivery problems.

“Rino picked up his phone and dialed that contact directly,” she recalls. “In that moment, I knew we had the most fierce and caring advocate as the head of PHA, and we were so lucky.”

Embracing Research

Described as a risk taker, Aldrighetti embraced and supported initiatives to improve access and quality of PH care, fund research and build a vibrant support group network. He opened PHA’s first Silver Spring, Maryland, office and hired its second employee.

“He embraced support for research to improve the lives of PH patients and rose to the challenge of fundraising,” says Greg Elliott, MD. Aldrighetti supported the Research Room at Conference and embraced the idea of creating a network of accredited PH care centers modeled after a Cystic Fibrosis Foundation program, Elliott says.

Aldrighetti’s many accomplishments included PHA’s launch of Advances in Pulmonary Hypertension, the first medical journal dedicated to PH.

He also was committed to expand PHA’s culture globally. He recognized that each country or region incorporate PHA’s ethos of concern for patients and worked with representatives in other countries to build a network of PH organizations worldwide, McGoon says. His passion for international collaboration led to the 2010 establishment of the International Leaders Summit at PHA’s conference.