Women's History Month 2004
Mar. 24th, 2004 12:48 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
sff_corgi_ljAntonia Novello
The future Surgeon General of the United States, Antonia Coello Novello, M.D., M.P.H., was born on August 23, 1944 as Antonia Coello in the small town of Fajardo, Puerto Rico. From birth, the young girl suffered from an abnormality of the colon, which cast a shadow over her entire childhood and adolescence. Her father died when she was only eight and, although surgery might have corrected her condition at that age, she had to wait another ten years to receive effective treatment.
Antonia's mother, a school teacher and later high school principal, stressed the importance of education from an early age. Antonia was precocious, and graduated from high school at age 15. While attending the University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras, she finally underwent surgery to corrected her medical condition. Complications from this operation were to trouble her for the next two years. At age 20, she traveled to the continental United States for treatment at the famous Mayo clinic, where she received the last operation to corect her condition.
Antonia received her Bachelor of Science degree at Rio Piedras in 1965, and her Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Puerto Rico at San Juan in 1970. 1 That same year, she married Dr. Joseph R. Novello, a U.S. Navy flight surgeon 3. Now Dr. Novello, she served her pediatric internship and residency at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (1970-1973), where she was selected 'Intern of the Year,' the first woman at the University of Michigan to gain that distinction (1970). She completed her subspecialty training in pediatric nephrology also at the University of Michigan (1974) and at Georgetown University (1975). 2, 3
In 1978, Dr. Novello began the career in public health that she continues to this day. She joined the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service, a mobile unit of doctors and health professionals who work in poor areas, Indian Reservations, and wherever there is a scarcity of medical personnel. The traditional head of the Commissioned Corps is the Surgeon General of the United States. 3 In 1979, she joined the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland. She was awarded a Masters in Public Health with a concentration in health services administration from the Johns Hopkins University in 1982 while part of NIH. Over the next twelve years, she rose from project officer in the Institute of Arthritis, Metabolism and Digestive Diseases to become Deputy Director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, with responsibility for the direction and administration of the extramural programs and for the coordination of pediatric AIDS research. In addition, she chaired the USPHS Work Group during the reorganization and re-vitalization of the USPHS Commissioned Corps, chaired the HHS Task Force on Pediatric HIV/AIDS, and co-chaired the NIH Advisory Committee on Women's Health Issues.
While at NIH, Dr. Novello also gained experience on Capitol Hill as she was detailed to the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources. In her position as legislative fellow she made major contributions to the drafting and enactment of the Organ Procurement Transplantation Act of 1984 (P.L.98-507) and was successful in drafting warning labels concerning the health risks of cigarette smoking. At NIH, her special interest in pediatric AIDS caught the attention of the White House. 1, 2
In 1990, President George Bush appointed Novello to be Surgeon General of the United States. She was both the first woman and the first Latin American to be appointed to this post. Although she never shrank from controversy, Dr. Novello was an unusually popular Surgeon General, winning special praise for her campaigns to address the health problems of America's young people, whom she called "a generation at risk." 1 She focussed much attention on the problems of underage drinking and smoking. Alarmed by rising rates of lung cancer in women, she became particularly concerned about discouraging teenage girls from smoking. Dr. Novello also spearheaded the Healthy Children Ready to Learn Initiative, and her work inspired the creation of the National Hispanic/Latino Health Initiative. She also worked to raise awareness about the AIDS virus, and especially the plight of children with AIDS. 3
During her tenure as Surgeon General, Novello focused her attention on the health of women, children and minorities, as well as on underage drinking, smoking, and AIDS. She played an important role in launching the Healthy Children Ready to Learn Initiative. She was actively involved in working with other organizations to promote immunization of children and childhood injury prevention efforts. She spoke out often and forcefully about illegal underage drinking, and called upon the Health and Human Services Inspector General to issue a series of eight reports on the subject. Novello also similarly worked to discourage illegal tobacco use by young people, and repeatedly criticized the tobacco industry for appealing to the youth market through the use of cartoon characters such as "Joe Camel." A workshop that she convened led to the emergence of a National Hispanic/Latino Health Initiative. 4 Her anti-smoking stance also led to a comedic face-off against her brother-in-law Don Novello, better known as 'Father Guido Sarducci'.
Novello remained in the post of Surgeon General through June 30, 1993 4
After her surgeon general tenureship ended, she served as United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Special Representative for Health and Nutrition (1993-1996), where she advised the Executive Director on issues pertaining to women, children and youth. In particular, Dr. Novello provided leadership toward the global efforts to eliminate iodine and vitamin A deficiency disorders, immunizing the world's children and preventing smoking and substance abuse in youth. 2
In the 90s, Dr. Novello was Visiting Professor of Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health and Special Director for Community Health Policy. In this capacity, Dr. Novello provided advice and guidance in the development of appropriate research, service and educational programs relevant to improving the health of poor communities, particularly inner city and urban disenfranchised populations. 2
Dr. Novello was nominated by Governor George E. Pataki to be the thirteenth New York State Health Commissioner on June 3, 1999. The nomination was confirmed by the New York State Senate on June 15, 1999.
With the appointment, Dr. Novello heads one of the leading public health agencies in the nation. She is responsible for a $28.5 billion budget, the largest of any New York State agency and over one-third the total of the entire New York State budget. Dr. Novello also heads an agency which includes four health care facilities (with a fifth in the construction phase), two regional offices and field offices, nine district offices as well as the central office, located in Albany.
Dr. Novello, a board-certified pediatrician, is clinical professor of pediatrics at the Georgetown University School of Medicine and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. She is also adjunct professor of pediatrics and communicable diseases at the University of Michigan and adjunct professor of International Health at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. Dr. Novello is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a member of the American Society of Nephrology, the American Society of Pediatric Nephrology, the American Pediatrics Society and the Society for Pediatric Research. She is a member of Alpha Omega Alpha, the national honorary medical society; and holds over thirty honorary doctoral degrees -- in May 2000 Dr. Novello was awarded a Doctor of Public Health from Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health.
She has published extensively for both her profession and the general public. Recently she wrote the foreword to Salud!: A Latina’s Guide to Total Health -- Body, Mind, and Spirit. She has been an extremely popular commencement speaker.
Her numerous awards and honors including Surgeon General's Exemplary Service Medallion and Medal; USPHS Distinguished Service Medal; the U.S. Army Legion of Merit; the US Coast Guard Meritorious Medal; the US Department of the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award; the American Medical Association Nathan B. Davis Award; the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Medal; the Johns Hopkins Society of Scholars Award and the University Alumni Association's Woodrow Wilson Award for Distinguished Government Service; the Elizabeth Blackwell Award; the University of Michigan Medical Center Alumni Award & Alumna Council Athena Award; the Public Health Service Service Commissioned Officer's Association Health Leader of the Year Award; the Ellis Island Medal of Honor; the Elizabeth Ann Seton Award; the Charles C. Shepard Science Award for Scientific Excellence; the American Medical Women's Association Leadership Award; the National Council of La Raza President's Award; the National Council of Alcohol and Drug Dependency Golden Key Award; American Academy of Pediatrics Excellence in Public Service Award; Healthy American Fitness Leaders Award; the National Women's Hall of Fame; Ronald McDonald Children's Charities Award of Excellence; Hispanic Hero Award; Miami Children's Hospital International Hall of Fame; Women at Work Science Award.
1 http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/nov0bio-1, -3
2 http://www.lasmujeres.com/antonianovello/background.shtml
3 http://www.puertorico-herald.org/issues/vol4n12/ProfileANovello-en.shtml
4 http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/history/bionovello.htm
The future Surgeon General of the United States, Antonia Coello Novello, M.D., M.P.H., was born on August 23, 1944 as Antonia Coello in the small town of Fajardo, Puerto Rico. From birth, the young girl suffered from an abnormality of the colon, which cast a shadow over her entire childhood and adolescence. Her father died when she was only eight and, although surgery might have corrected her condition at that age, she had to wait another ten years to receive effective treatment.
Antonia's mother, a school teacher and later high school principal, stressed the importance of education from an early age. Antonia was precocious, and graduated from high school at age 15. While attending the University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras, she finally underwent surgery to corrected her medical condition. Complications from this operation were to trouble her for the next two years. At age 20, she traveled to the continental United States for treatment at the famous Mayo clinic, where she received the last operation to corect her condition.
Antonia received her Bachelor of Science degree at Rio Piedras in 1965, and her Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Puerto Rico at San Juan in 1970. 1 That same year, she married Dr. Joseph R. Novello, a U.S. Navy flight surgeon 3. Now Dr. Novello, she served her pediatric internship and residency at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (1970-1973), where she was selected 'Intern of the Year,' the first woman at the University of Michigan to gain that distinction (1970). She completed her subspecialty training in pediatric nephrology also at the University of Michigan (1974) and at Georgetown University (1975). 2, 3
In 1978, Dr. Novello began the career in public health that she continues to this day. She joined the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service, a mobile unit of doctors and health professionals who work in poor areas, Indian Reservations, and wherever there is a scarcity of medical personnel. The traditional head of the Commissioned Corps is the Surgeon General of the United States. 3 In 1979, she joined the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland. She was awarded a Masters in Public Health with a concentration in health services administration from the Johns Hopkins University in 1982 while part of NIH. Over the next twelve years, she rose from project officer in the Institute of Arthritis, Metabolism and Digestive Diseases to become Deputy Director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, with responsibility for the direction and administration of the extramural programs and for the coordination of pediatric AIDS research. In addition, she chaired the USPHS Work Group during the reorganization and re-vitalization of the USPHS Commissioned Corps, chaired the HHS Task Force on Pediatric HIV/AIDS, and co-chaired the NIH Advisory Committee on Women's Health Issues.
While at NIH, Dr. Novello also gained experience on Capitol Hill as she was detailed to the Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources. In her position as legislative fellow she made major contributions to the drafting and enactment of the Organ Procurement Transplantation Act of 1984 (P.L.98-507) and was successful in drafting warning labels concerning the health risks of cigarette smoking. At NIH, her special interest in pediatric AIDS caught the attention of the White House. 1, 2
In 1990, President George Bush appointed Novello to be Surgeon General of the United States. She was both the first woman and the first Latin American to be appointed to this post. Although she never shrank from controversy, Dr. Novello was an unusually popular Surgeon General, winning special praise for her campaigns to address the health problems of America's young people, whom she called "a generation at risk." 1 She focussed much attention on the problems of underage drinking and smoking. Alarmed by rising rates of lung cancer in women, she became particularly concerned about discouraging teenage girls from smoking. Dr. Novello also spearheaded the Healthy Children Ready to Learn Initiative, and her work inspired the creation of the National Hispanic/Latino Health Initiative. She also worked to raise awareness about the AIDS virus, and especially the plight of children with AIDS. 3
During her tenure as Surgeon General, Novello focused her attention on the health of women, children and minorities, as well as on underage drinking, smoking, and AIDS. She played an important role in launching the Healthy Children Ready to Learn Initiative. She was actively involved in working with other organizations to promote immunization of children and childhood injury prevention efforts. She spoke out often and forcefully about illegal underage drinking, and called upon the Health and Human Services Inspector General to issue a series of eight reports on the subject. Novello also similarly worked to discourage illegal tobacco use by young people, and repeatedly criticized the tobacco industry for appealing to the youth market through the use of cartoon characters such as "Joe Camel." A workshop that she convened led to the emergence of a National Hispanic/Latino Health Initiative. 4 Her anti-smoking stance also led to a comedic face-off against her brother-in-law Don Novello, better known as 'Father Guido Sarducci'.
Novello remained in the post of Surgeon General through June 30, 1993 4
After her surgeon general tenureship ended, she served as United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Special Representative for Health and Nutrition (1993-1996), where she advised the Executive Director on issues pertaining to women, children and youth. In particular, Dr. Novello provided leadership toward the global efforts to eliminate iodine and vitamin A deficiency disorders, immunizing the world's children and preventing smoking and substance abuse in youth. 2
What book or books have meant a lot to you?
One is Love in the Time of Cholera. Every Latin is a romanticist, but especially when it has something that you gain from it. I love autobiographies. All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten. If you look into that book, you absolutely have the values which are best for you. Stand in line, wait your turn, wash your hands, say thank you. You would not believe how much those little things help you in your life when you put them into action.
And again, the element of surprise, I love anything that has to do with patriotism. I think that's very important when you're a woman, because I don't believe honor is gender-specific. I love this business of uniforms and medals and awards. Colin Powell gave me the Legion of Merit Medal when I was the Surgeon General. That is a uniform service medal that is not usually given to the public health service, but he gave it to me. 1
In the 90s, Dr. Novello was Visiting Professor of Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health and Special Director for Community Health Policy. In this capacity, Dr. Novello provided advice and guidance in the development of appropriate research, service and educational programs relevant to improving the health of poor communities, particularly inner city and urban disenfranchised populations. 2
...Regardless of what field someone chooses, be it medicine or art or paleontology, what personal characteristics are most important in your view for success?
I believe that fortitude is key. More than anything, be consistent. Go at it. Go at it. Go at it. There will be friends that will not want you to do your best. There will be life episodes that will obscure you. I would say, believe that you can, but plan. It will not fall in your lap. Plan. And once you've got it, be credible, be consistent and be responsible. It is absolutely crucial. And, when you have the opportunity and you're done, then you must bring somebody else up with you. Because when you're on top, and you forget that some others are just clamoring to join you, you will fall, and when you fall, you will be alone.
Be consistent. Be credible. Have fortitude. Have empathy for the ones who are not in your same position, but whatever you do, your credibility and your dignity will not be hampered. That's all you have left. You can do it, but you must make sure that you plan for it. It sounds ludicrous, but in the new era, everyone will come from a great university. The system will set you apart when you have done something that is different, and that is going to be community and people involvement. In the presence of those two, with all the things that you have from your family and from your upbringing, you will be successful. And when you succeed, don't forget the responsibility of making somebody else succeed with you. 1
Dr. Novello was nominated by Governor George E. Pataki to be the thirteenth New York State Health Commissioner on June 3, 1999. The nomination was confirmed by the New York State Senate on June 15, 1999.
With the appointment, Dr. Novello heads one of the leading public health agencies in the nation. She is responsible for a $28.5 billion budget, the largest of any New York State agency and over one-third the total of the entire New York State budget. Dr. Novello also heads an agency which includes four health care facilities (with a fifth in the construction phase), two regional offices and field offices, nine district offices as well as the central office, located in Albany.
Dr. Novello, a board-certified pediatrician, is clinical professor of pediatrics at the Georgetown University School of Medicine and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. She is also adjunct professor of pediatrics and communicable diseases at the University of Michigan and adjunct professor of International Health at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. Dr. Novello is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a member of the American Society of Nephrology, the American Society of Pediatric Nephrology, the American Pediatrics Society and the Society for Pediatric Research. She is a member of Alpha Omega Alpha, the national honorary medical society; and holds over thirty honorary doctoral degrees -- in May 2000 Dr. Novello was awarded a Doctor of Public Health from Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health.
She has published extensively for both her profession and the general public. Recently she wrote the foreword to Salud!: A Latina’s Guide to Total Health -- Body, Mind, and Spirit. She has been an extremely popular commencement speaker.
Her numerous awards and honors including Surgeon General's Exemplary Service Medallion and Medal; USPHS Distinguished Service Medal; the U.S. Army Legion of Merit; the US Coast Guard Meritorious Medal; the US Department of the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award; the American Medical Association Nathan B. Davis Award; the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Medal; the Johns Hopkins Society of Scholars Award and the University Alumni Association's Woodrow Wilson Award for Distinguished Government Service; the Elizabeth Blackwell Award; the University of Michigan Medical Center Alumni Award & Alumna Council Athena Award; the Public Health Service Service Commissioned Officer's Association Health Leader of the Year Award; the Ellis Island Medal of Honor; the Elizabeth Ann Seton Award; the Charles C. Shepard Science Award for Scientific Excellence; the American Medical Women's Association Leadership Award; the National Council of La Raza President's Award; the National Council of Alcohol and Drug Dependency Golden Key Award; American Academy of Pediatrics Excellence in Public Service Award; Healthy American Fitness Leaders Award; the National Women's Hall of Fame; Ronald McDonald Children's Charities Award of Excellence; Hispanic Hero Award; Miami Children's Hospital International Hall of Fame; Women at Work Science Award.
1 http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/nov0bio-1, -3
2 http://www.lasmujeres.com/antonianovello/background.shtml
3 http://www.puertorico-herald.org/issues/vol4n12/ProfileANovello-en.shtml
4 http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/history/bionovello.htm
