Elizabeth Coté

Dr. Elizabeth A. Coté, M.D., MPA, is a physician executive, health policy expert, and health justice leader whose career has spanned the front lines of global health, including work in post-war Iraq, post-earthquake Haiti, and service within the White House. Coté earned a bachelor's degree from Wellesley College, a medical degree from Harvard Medical School, and a master's degree from Harvard Kennedy School of Government. After a pediatric internship at Massachusetts General Hospital, she trained in anesthesia at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

As Operation Smile's senior vice president of global programs, Coté leads the organization's efforts to advance accessible and sustainable surgical and medical training in communities worldwide. Initiatives under her leadership include launching competency-based, place-based surgical training programs to upskill local providers, expanding Women in Medicine to support women entering and advancing in medical professions globally, building preventive and rehabilitative services for children receiving surgery, and partnering with educational institutions such as College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa and World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists to expand the global health workforce pipeline. Coté has stated, "Talent exists everywhere, but access to essential medical training does not," a conviction that informs her work across Operation Smile facilities in more than 30 countries.

Before joining Operation Smile, Coté served as clinical director and primary physician for a rural indigenous American community, managed the collection of health indicators across more than 20 countries at the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris, contributed to rebuilding the Iraqi Ministry of Health as a special assistant at the U.S. Department of Defense, and held an international diplomatic role for the U.S. Department of State. In Haiti, she provided medical relief to earthquake victims and implemented a mobile medical record system to track patients and prevent family separation. In Chennai, India, she founded a program to train orphanage caregivers in preventing and detecting newborn disease, establishing occupational standards that contributed to a significant reduction in newborn deaths.

Coté was appointed a White House Fellow and served the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, working with states to implement policy changes and payment reforms under the Affordable Care Act. She has also served as an Aspen Institute health innovator, medical director of Catholic Charities in Maine, and president and chief equity and inclusion officer at HYKE, a benefits decision support tool. Previously, she was chief health officer at National Institute for Children's Health Quality, focusing on reducing health disparities and overseeing pediatric health improvement projects.

Coté's awards and honors include the Aspen Health Innovator Fellowship, McNulty Foundation Global Response Fund Award, U.S. Indian Health Service Clinical Innovation Award, White House Fellowship, Dean's Community Service Award from Harvard Medical School, Zuckerman Fellowship from Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and Joint Civilian Service Achievement Award from the U.S. Department of Defense. Coté is recognized for her expertise in global health equity, surgical access, and workforce development, drawing on extensive experience in clinical care, executive leadership, and health policy to advance quality medical care worldwide.