CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Dr. Stephen Noble's passion is saving lives, but his mission is to change them. He's doing so with a children's book highlighting the importance of diversity in medicine.
"If I can serve as, you know, a vessel to create the next L.D. Britt, the next Dr. Bob Higgins... then I'll be happy," said Dr. Noble, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Chesapeake Regional Healthcare. He's also a U.S. Navy veteran.
However, Dr. Noble's career journey incurred early obstacles. He shared a challenge he had to overcome in grade school that sticks out to him.
"As a seventh grader, I wanted to be in an advanced math class. And the school that I was attending at the time didn't believe that I could really do the work and didn't believe in my goal, my vision of becoming a physician," Dr. Noble said. "That put a lot of pressure on me, like, I really have to perform, and I did."
Now, as a board-certified physician and medical director of Chesapeake Regional's Lung Nodule program, Dr. Noble is pushing for more diversity in the medical field.
According to a 2021 study by the University of California, Los Angeles, Black men make up less than 3% of doctors in the U.S. — a figure that's barely changed since 1940.
"By improving that number, we improve the health and welfare of the community," Dr. Noble said. "It really starts when children are young, trying to really inspire them when they're as young as possible."
Dr. Noble's children's book, "The Heart of a Hero," is about Dr. Daniel Hale Williams. At the turn of the 20th century, the Black physician was one of the first in the country to successfully perform open-heart surgery.
"He is a hero of mine," Dr. Noble said. "To really get kids to pursue this career... every child, every individual needs to see themselves as a hero within their own story."
Dr. Noble said he hopes the message behind the book helps transform the face of medicine for future generations.
"The team that takes care of you should reflect the community that you're from," Dr. Noble said. "When people see each other for who they are as people, care is better... Just imagine if we had more getting into the field."
"The Heart of a Hero: The Dr. Daniel Hale Williams Story" is available for purchase through Amazon.