The Doctor Is In

Monday, Feb 4th: “If you ain’t first, you’re last.” “Service is the rent you pay for living.” Forceful, competitive, and intensely ambitious, former US Surgeon General Antonia Novello delivered an inspirational, tough as nails speech to a packed crowd at the Buell Theater as part of the 2008 Unique Lives lecture series. Appointed by George H.W. Bush, Dr Novello is the first woman and first Hispanic to be appointed as US Surgeon General, serving from 1990 to 1993. She then was the UNICEF Special Representative for Health and Nutrition from 1993 until 1996. After a few years in academia at Johns Hopkins University, she served as Commissioner of Health for the State of New York from 1999 to 2007. A registered Republican, Dr Novello was considering running against Hillary Clinton for her New York Senate seat in 2006, but in the end, she decided against it.

Dr Novello is a pediatrician who specializes in AIDS and kidney disease in children. Born in Puerto Rico, she was the first Hispanic to become the nation’s chief doctor. According to a New York Times article at the time, in appointing her to the post, the White House under George HW Bush made sure that she would support his opposition to abortion except in the case of rape or incest.

Her brother-in-law is the actor Don Novello, who famously played the chain-smoking priest Father Guido Sarducci on Saturday Night Live in the late 1970’s. Novello bought the priest’s ensemble for $7.50 at a St Vicent’s de Paul thrift store. In 1981, he was arrested by the Swiss guards in Vatican City for “impersonating a priest” while doing a photo shoot for Time magazine.

Her predecessor as US Surgeon General, Dr Koop, redefined the post and increased its prominence by becoming a strong advocate on various health issues. During her tenure, Dr Novello focused on the health of women, children, and minorities as well as the specific issues of underage drinking, AIDS, and the marketing of tobacco to teenagers.