William M Novick

William M. Novick, M.D., M.S., is the Paul Nemir Jr., M.D. Professor of International Child Health and Professor of Surgery at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Dr. Novick is a pediatric cardiac surgeon whose career has been defined not by where he could work, but by where he was most needed. He is also the Founder, CEO, and Medical Director of the Novick Cardiac Alliance and is affiliated with the Global Surgical Institute.

For decades, Dr. Novick has traveled to some of the world’s most under-resourced and unstable regions, performing life-saving heart surgeries for children who would otherwise have no access to care. His work goes beyond medicine. He has dedicated his life to building sustainable cardiac programs, training local medical teams, and leaving behind systems that continue to save lives long after he departs.

From conflict zones to developing nations, his mission has remained constant: to ensure that a child’s chance at survival is not determined by geography. In Blue Babies, Bombs & Bad Places, Dr. Novick brings readers inside this reality with clarity, honesty, and urgency. The book reflects not only the technical challenges of performing surgery in extreme conditions, but also the human stories that define his work—families, resilience, and the difficult choices that come with practicing medicine on the front lines.

His work has also been captured in the documentary TINY HEARTS, which visually chronicles the environments and missions described in his writing, offering audiences a deeper understanding of the world behind the book.

Dr. Novick’s story is one of commitment, responsibility, and a belief that access to life-saving care should never depend on where a child is born.