Antonia Coello Novello on a Life of Service

Antonia Coello Novello, MD, 14th Surgeon General of the United States, spoke about her book Duty Calls: Lessons Learned from an Unexpected Life of Service on Sept. 16, 2025. The talk was given in celebration of Hispanic & Latine Heritage Month and as part of the “Perspectives for Inclusion” lecture series.

Novello’s story is one of enduring commitment to public health and leadership, including becoming the first woman and first Hispanic person to serve as Surgeon General of the United States, a long career with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), serving as New York State Commissioner of Health during 9/11, and coordinating health care resources in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her countless awards include the U.S. Army’s Civilian Award for Humanitarian Service, the National Guard Merit Cross Medal, the National Women’s Hall of Fame, and the AMA Board of Trustees Special Award for Meritorious Service.

“One thing that people forget is that the Surgeon General is the eyes and ears of the President. You become an icon and a role model, and that I took more seriously than anything,” she said. Leadership of the country’s health agenda meant “transparency at all costs. The truth, no opinions, just facts. Science at all costs.”

As Surgeon General, she set an agenda for the NIH that included support for research on vaccinations, women’s health, and HIV. Expectations were high, as Novello immediately followed the tenure of C. Everett Koop, the first Surgeon General to acknowledge the AIDS epidemic.

The beginning of Novello’s term marked the arrival of the first HIV medications. She had a section of the AIDS Memorial quilt on prominent display in her office, and when activists from ACT UP arrived, their leader saw that the quilt happened to be the memorial for his partner. The tone transformed immediately from loud and angry protest to tears shared by everyone in the office. The moment solidified their mutual respect, and HIV/AIDS became part of her leadership agenda.

Novello is a prominent role model for young people in her home of Puerto Rico. What does that mean to her? “I am not intending to be the role model for anyone, but if I have to be, I have to be for everyone who is not represented at the top … who never thought there was someone to speak for them.”

Comparing her two areas of expertise in medicine and public health, she said, “Public health teaches you humbleness. Things will happen because you exist. But most of the people will not be alive to see your triumphs. If you’re an egomaniac, the public health system is not for you. If you want to help the humans, even though they don’t know you and never will, that’s the job for you.”

The Perspectives for Inclusion lecture was given in celebration of Hispanic & Latine Heritage Month and was sponsored by the YSM Office of Collaborative Excellence (OCE).