Women's History Month is celebrated annually in March to honor and recognize women's contributions, achievements, and struggles. GlobalMindED is proud to highlight the voices and work of influential women.
Dr. Antonia Coello Novello, born in Puerto Rico, and the 14th Surgeon General of the United States, has had a distinguished career in medicine and in service to others.
From Adversity to the First Female and First Hispanic United States Surgeon General: Meet Dr. Antonia Coello Novello
What is your personal/professional story?
I was born with a condition called congenital megacolon which resulted in a digestive disorder. I was left with severe complications after a botched surgery to correct the problem when I was 18. In addition, although I would not know it for ten years, my fallopian tubes had been damaged in that surgery, resulting in infertility. But I persisted – graduating from college and attending medical school. A kind medical school professor arranged for my treatment at the Mayo Clinic where they fixed the damage that could be remedied, and I completed my medical school education. Then I became a United States Public Health Service officer and in 1990 was appointed by President George H.W. Bush as the 14th United States Surgeon General – the first female and the first Hispanic in that position. In 2001, during my term as Commissioner of the Department of Health of the State of New York, I was responsible for the health response required as a result of the terrorist attacks of 9/11. During my career, I also earned a master's and doctorate in public health from Johns Hopkins. In 2009, without explanation or information, I was charged with felonies in New York state which I learned about when I read the front page of The New York Times. I pled guilty to one as my mother had a heart attack and I needed to focus my attention on my mother’s care. Since 2017, I have provided humanitarian service in Puerto Rico to assist with recovery efforts from hurricanes, earthquakes, and the pandemic.
Where does your passion to serve come from?
My mother had a career as a teacher and a principal that lasted 69 years. She ingrained in my brother and me the principles of high integrity, always doing your very best, and remembering your family and friends. An additional principle was that the best service comes from anonymity. These form the foundation of my passion to serve.
How can GlobalMindED help you reach your goals?
I want young Latinas to know that it is possible to start with a normal background and through education and hard work achieve their dreams and still be close and loving with their friends and family. I’m from a middle-sized town in Puerto Rico. My mother, stepfather, and brother were my family. Our family wasn’t rich, but we weren’t poor either. My mother was a teacher and school principal. I had a good education but not at a mainland university. Education was crucial. You don’t have to be driven to be number one, you just have to have the desire to be beyond what you are today. Then plan, have an agenda, and, if possible, one or more mentors who trust your abilities and who will help you accomplish your plan. It is okay if it takes you longer to graduate from college than other students. Most Latinos finish college in six years rather than four because they also usually work thirty hours a week. Many attend local/two-year colleges because of their parents’ desire to keep them close to the nest. In addition, 44% of them are first generation students.
You have to decide what legacy you want to leave and then go for it. My path included getting additional education. Thus, I was prepared, and preparation successfully met opportunity which equaled success. Do the job that nobody else wants to do and do it well. Under promise and over deliver. Pick your battles carefully. Surprise wins the war.
I was born in Fajardo, Puerto Rico with a disease that caused me to be hospitalized for two weeks every summer until I was 18. My mother would not let me feel sorry for myself. She had high expectations for me. There isn’t anybody including me who thought I would be Surgeon General of the United States or Health Commissioner of the State of New York during September 11.
I made it despite the odds. It wasn’t easy and I have the scars to prove it. Being first is never easy. I intended to be a good role model always doing the right thing. Nothing is impossible if you really want to get there. Keep going. Trust your gut. Don’t let anybody hold you back. After reading my story, documented in my memoir, Duty Calls: Lessons Learned from an Unexpected Life of Service, you will see that if I could do it, so can you.
Dr. Novello spent most of her professional career at the National Institutes of Health, where in 1986 she became Deputy Director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. In 1990, Dr. Novello was sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor to serve as the 14th Surgeon General of the US Public Health Service. In 1999 Governor George E. Pataki nominated Dr. Novello to be the 13th New York State Health Commissioner; one of the leading health agencies in the nation with an annual budget of $49 billion. Next, Dr. Novello served as Vice President for Women and Children, and Executive Director of Public Health Policy at Florida Hospital. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she became the spokesperson, public health advocate, and provider and administrator of vaccines for Puerto Rico. For her actions, she received the Civilian Award for Humanitarian Service from the US Army and the National Guard Merit Cross Medal.
Dr. Novello holds fifty-eight Honoris Causa Doctoral degrees and countless awards. Among them are the Department of Defense Legion of Merit Medal, the Smithsonian Institution-James Smithson Bicentennial Medal, the National Governor’s Association Distinguished Service to State Government Award after September 11, the YWCA Racial Justice Award, the AMA Board of Trustees Special Award for Meritorious Service, and COSSMHO Humanitarian Award for Lifetime Achievement. She also won the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Medal, the Legacy Award for Science - Smithsonian Institution Latino Center; and the Leadership Award from the Hispanic Heritage Awards, Kennedy Center.
She was inducted into the International Women in Medicine Hall of Fame (American Medical Women Association) in 1990 and the National Women’s Hall of Fame (Seneca Falls, New York) in 1994. In 2020 she was listed as one of the one hundred women of the century in commemoration of the 19th amendment and one of the one hundred American women who changed the World. In 2022, the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute established the Antonia Novello Humanitarian Award honoring her service to humanity.
