While most Quad-Citians gingerly dance around any references to sexually transmitted disease, Dr. Louis Katz brazenly led with blunt candor. He was "disgusted" when a nation went gaga over Magic Johnson's confession of an HIV infection. While much of America viewed Johnson as a sympathetic, heterosexual face on an emerging epidemic, Katz saw him as a recklessly irresponsible, promiscuous disease pathogen.

"But if it wakes people up, you accept the good with the bad," he told the Times in 1991.

Katz is retiring from the Community Health Care Regional Virology Center and from his position as hospital epidemiologist at Genesis Medical Center. He'll continue as medical director for the Scott County Health Department, so we're confident his candid leadership will continue to benefit the Quad-Cities.

Katz talked publicly and bluntly about syphillis, herpes, gonorrhea and, most often AIDS, offering factual, actionable information on topics overrun by hysteria.

-- In 1982, on herpes, a common and treatable skin virus: "Herpes was made for the middle class in California who like to psycho-babble about their problems."

-- In 1995 on the need for a Q-C residential center for AIDS patients: "We've got a guy in the hospital now. He doesn't need to be in the hospital. But he has nowhere else to go."

-- In 1995 on condoms: "I'll believe until I die that anti-condom talk comes from people with a moral agenda. Morals are fine for them, but that's not the reality that I deal with at the health clinic."

Katz' morality was demonstrated through compassionate treatment and provocative public advocacy, not judgment and condemnation. He personally treated hundreds in our community who wouldn't be touched, let alone treated, elsewhere.

"From the early '80s until the mid-'90s, the bottom line was, whatever you did, these folks died," Katz recalled. "Some pretty neat people, too."

At a time when moralistic judgment was the typical first reaction to AIDS in our community, Katz plunged into personal treatment and public advocacy. His zealous support for HIV patients and oversight of our regional blood bank's blood supply helped make our community healthier.

Much more lucrative specialties exist for medical doctors. Today, we thank Dr. Katz for distinguishing himself in a specialty that continues to save Quad-City lives.