Antonia Novello

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  Antonia Novello
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  Antonia Novello
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  Antonia Novello
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  Antonia Novello
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  Antonia Novello
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  Antonia Novello
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  Antonia Novello
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  Antonia Novello
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  Antonia Novello
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  Antonia Novello
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  Antonia Novello
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  Antonia Novello

Antonia Novello

Antonia Coello Novello (born August 23, 1944) is a Puerto Rican physician and public health administrator. She was the first woman and the first Hispanic to serve as Surgeon General of the United States. Her tenure as Surgeon General was from 1990 to 1993 under President George H. W. Bush.

Early Life and Education

Antonia Novello was born in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. She was diagnosed with a congenital megacolon at birth, which required multiple surgeries during her childhood. Despite these challenges, she excelled academically. Novello attended the University of Puerto Rico, where she earned her Bachelor of Science degree in 1965 and her Doctor of Medicine degree in 1970.

After completing her medical degree, Novello moved to the United States to further her education. She completed her internship and residency in pediatrics at the University of Michigan Medical Center. She later earned a Master of Public Health degree from the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health in 1982.

Career

Early Career

Novello began her career in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 1978, where she worked in the National Institute of Arthritis, Diabetes, and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Her work focused on pediatric nephrology.

Surgeon General of the United States

In 1990, President George H. W. Bush appointed Novello as the 14th Surgeon General of the United States. During her tenure, she focused on the health of women, children, and minorities. She was particularly concerned with the AIDS epidemic, tobacco use among youth, and alcohol abuse.

Novello was known for her efforts to raise awareness about the dangers of smoking, especially among young people. She also worked to improve health care access for minorities and to address the health disparities they faced.

Later Career

After serving as Surgeon General, Novello became a representative of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and later served as the Commissioner of Health for the state of New York from 1999 to 2006.

Legacy

Antonia Novello's tenure as Surgeon General was marked by her dedication to public health and her efforts to address health disparities. She remains a prominent figure in the field of public health and an inspiration to many, particularly women and minorities in medicine.

Related Pages

• Surgeon General of the United States
• Public health
• National Institutes of Health
• University of Puerto Rico
• Johns Hopkins University