TALK OF GREENWOOD
Dr. Jerry Goodwin
Ret. U.S. Army Brigadier General Dr. Norvell “Van” Coots, former president and CEO of Holy Cross Health, a Catholic, not-for-profit health system in Maryland that is part of Trinity Health. Photo Holy Cross Health
First Black Commander Of The Walter Reed Healthcare System and Medical Center
Norvell V. Coots, M.D., MSS, FAAD, passed away on June 12. He was born in Tulsa on Aug. 10, 1958. He was preceded by his parents Dr. William Novell Coots and Theresa P. Coots, also of Tulsa.
In Tulsa, he attended Holland Hall and Bunche Elementary schools. His family was a member of First Baptist Church North Tulsa.
Coots is former president/CEO at Holy Cross Health and the Maryland Region of Trinity Health. He died at the R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, Md., as a result of injuries sustained in a horseback riding incident.
As president/CEO, Coots was responsible for overseeing two hospitals, eight clinics and a state-of-the-art Comprehensive Cancer Center, all strategically located within Montgomery County, Maryland.
He held significant leadership roles. He presided as the chairman of the board for Maryland Physicians Care and served as chairman of the board for the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center Hospital. Furthermore, his involvement extended to membership on the following boards: American Hospital Association and the Maryland Hospital Association. During the challenging times of the pandemic, Coots was a member of the Governor of Maryland’s COVID-19 Task Force.
Prior to his contributions to healthcare leadership, Coots retired as a brigadier general from the United States Army in 2016. A seasoned military leader, he culminated his military service as the commanding general of Regional Health Command Europe, while concurrently serving as the command surgeon for the U.S. Army Europe and 7th Army. His accomplished career also encompassed roles such as deputy commanding general of the U.S. Army Medical Command, assistant surgeon general for Force Projection at the Pentagon, and surgeon general for the U.S. Forces in Afghanistan.
Notably, he held the position as the first Black commander of the historic Walter Reed Healthcare System and Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., from 2008 – 2011.
His educational accomplishments include receiving medical training from Howard University and University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, a master’s degree in Strategy from the Army War College, coupled with a Certificate in Advanced Healthcare Management. He garnered recognition in various spheres, including being listed in Who’s Who In America, and recognition by U. S. Black Engineer magazine as a Top Military Service Professional. His accolades are extensive and include both civilian and military awards, markedly the Scroll of Merit of the National Medical Association and the Army’s Distinguished Service Medal.
His distinguished honors extend to being a Knight of the Legion of Honor of France, Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Gregory the Great (Military Division), Companion of the Moldovan Orders Caritas and Renestera, the Order of Military Medical Merit, and the Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton award for Leadership and Faith. As a dermatologist, Coots was also recognized as a valued member of the American Academy of Dermatology’s Leadership Circle.
By aligning himself with the American Academy of Dermatology’s Leadership Circle, he furthered the Academy’s mission to advance patient care, education, and advocacy in the field of dermatology.
Coots was named to Becker’s Hospital Review’s esteemed list of “105 Physician Leaders to Know” in 2019, as well as “145 Physicians to Know” in 2023.
He was honored with prestigious titles and awards, reflecting his dedication to humanitarian causes and professional excellence. He held the esteemed title of Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Gregory the Great (Military Division). He was recognized as a Knight of the Order of the White Greyhound and had been awarded the Bessarabian Orders Caritas (Charity) and Renastere (Revival) in acknowledgement of his compassionate service initiatives benefiting the orphans of the Republic of Moldova.
In 2002, Coots founded Project Moldova, a program of vocational training for children in the numerous orphanages/boarding schools in Moldova. Funded primarily out-of-pocket, Project Moldova seeks to give the institutionalized children a creative outlet of traditional rug weaving, a sense of purpose, and a sense of self-worth. Over time he traveled to Moldova about once or twice a year to check on the progress of the organization.
He maintained contact with one of the children he originally met while providing dermatological services to the orphanages. Project Moldova is still running today. His remarkable efforts also garnered recognition from the Pearl S. Buck Society for his contributions to the development of a healthcare program for Amerasian orphans in Korea.
He was a Companion of the Military Order of the World Wars and a Compatriot of the Sons of the American Revolution. Moreover, he was a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha and Sigma Pi Phi Fraternities, organizations renowned for their commitment to service and leadership. He was also a member of the Epsilon Boulé of Sigma Pi Phi and served as the chair of the Strategic Planning Committee.
It is no question that when asked who the biggest influences in his life have been, Coots opined with assurance, his parents. The retired general went into medicine, following in his father’s footsteps.
“I think he would have preferred me to be a banker,” jokes Coots. “I often sat at his feet, watching his steadfast dedication, in his office, visiting the sick in the hospital, and making house calls.”
Coots’ mother ran a program called Jobs Unlimited in Tulsa, prior to her becoming the director of the Metropolitan Tulsa Urban League. Coots watched her play her role in the Civil Rights struggle and how she could build strong bridges between Black and white individuals, Christians and Jewish, and how she worked for the good of all Tulsans.
Perhaps inheriting his quick humor and wit from his father, Coots recalled that some of the best advice came from his dad.
“Whenever I would fall, my father would always say, ‘Get up boy…for God’s sake, get up!’ And to this very day I remember that whenever I have stumbled and fallen, literally and figuratively, or encountered obstacles and have felt like giving up, those words still rally me to ‘get up’ and to keep moving. There’s still more work to do.”
Coots spent 36 years in the military, rising to the highest ranks, and has served all over the world. He said his father was influential in helping him achieve his goals to become a military doctor.
“My father was too young for World War I and too old for World War II, but he used to read me military histories and talk to me about duty, honor, and country. He talked about those known as great military leaders, such as Gen. John J. Pershing, Lt. George S. Patton, and Gen. Douglas MacArthur to the point that I thought they were my uncles too! There was no way I was going to be anything but a member of the military.”
He is survived by his wife, Claudia, two teenage children, Maximillan and Catalina, a sister Elizabeth Early, a stepsister, Dr. Denise Holland, and a host of extended family and friends.
A celebration of service of Coots’ life was held at the Washington National Cathedral on July 25.
