MANSFIELD — A Mansfield Hospital heart surgeon will be recognized as an honorary professor at the historical university he received his degree.
Dr. Jose Norberto, a cardiothoracic surgeon at OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital, will receive the distinction at the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo, UASD, next month.
The honor recognizes his contributions to cardiothoracic and oncological surgery, as well as his accomplishment of becoming the first Dominican to perform a heart transplant.
An honorary professor title is a huge accomplishment in itself, but this one is extra special for Dr. Norberto. His parents, brother, and uncles graduated from the same university.
“For somebody who has such a close tie to the university, this is very special,” Dr. Norberto said.
While Dr. Norberto has deep personal ties to UASD, its significance goes further. Both his mother and father grew up extremely poor in the Dominican Republic.
He recalled stories of his father heading to school for the day with just one piece of bread and a coffee, knowing that would be his only meal of the day.
Against all odds, he found a way to graduate and become a dentist, becoming the first man in his family to earn a university degree. His mother also graduated from the university and later became a history professor at the college.
“I came to this world in a different environment than they grew up,” Dr. Norberto said. “I was medium class. They were poor. I felt if they were able to go to college and get a degree, I had no excuse but to achieve that as well.
“I was very, very moved by what they went through compared to how much easier I had it.”
After graduating from UASD magna cum laude, Dr. Norberto came to the United States in 1990 to complete his cardiac surgery training at the Ohio State University. During that time, he became the first Dominican to perform a heart transplant.
He then led the open heart surgery program at Fairfield Medical Center for 17 years before joining OhioHealth as a cardiothoracic surgeon.
While Dr. Norberto left the Dominican Republic decades ago, he’s found several opportunities to go back. Most notably, to give back to the community that gave him the foundation of his work ethic and knowledge.
Dr. Norberto went on several mission trips to Santo Domingo to operate on patients in need of care, free of charge. It was his way of paying forward the good fortune he felt he was given at UASD, especially knowing so many people in his home town were still struggling.
Dr. Norberto will be honored at UASD on May 14. He looks forward to his wife and brothers joining him for the ceremony. And while his parents are now deceased, he knows they’ll be watching over him, beaming with pride.