Novello, Antonia C.

Novello, Antonia C.

(1944– ) pediatrician, public health official; born in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. She graduated from medical school at the University of Puerto Rico (1970) and had her residency and subspecialty training in pediatric nephrology at the University of Michigan (1974) and Georgetown University (1975). In 1978 she left private practice to join the U.S. Public Health Service; she was appointed its director and surgeon general of the United States (1990), the first woman and the first Hispanic to hold the position.