Antonia Coello Novello (born August 23, 1944) is a Puerto Rican physician and public health administrator.

She was a vice admiral in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and served as 14th Surgeon General of the United States from 1990 to 1993.

[5] In 1973, Novello and her husband moved to Washington D.C. to begin her residency in pediatric nephrology at Georgetown University School of Medicine Hospital until 1976.

[7] Novello held various positions at NIH before being appointed to Assistant Surgeon General grade in the PHSCC[citation needed] and assignment as the deputy director of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) in 1986.

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 spoke out often and forcefully about illegal underage drinking, and called upon the United States Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General to issue a series of reports on the subject.

[8] Novello left the post of Surgeon General on June 30, 1993, with the administration of President Bill Clinton praising her for her "vigor and talent.

She was assigned to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) as Special Representative for Health and Nutrition from 1993 to 1996 reverting to her permanent two-star rank of rear admiral.

[9] On June 26, 2009, in a plea deal with prosecutors, Novello pleaded guilty to one felony count of filing a false instrument involving a worker's duties.

[11] She was sentenced to pay $22,500 in restitution, a $5,000 fine, and spend 250 hours doing community service at a medical clinic for uninsured patients.

[13] As of December 31, 2014, Novello retired from her position as an executive director of public health policy at Florida Hospital - Orlando.

[16] She was the sister-in-law of Saturday Night Live alumnus Don Novello, creator of the character persona Father Guido Sarducci.