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by Cindy Abole
Public Relations
There are two things
that U.S. Air Force retired Chief Master
Sgt. Jennifer Hooks carries as a reminder
of her 26-year military career prior to
joining MUSC in 2010.
One is a gold two-tone
chief signet ring that she wears on her
right hand. The signet features an image
of an American Indian chief's head, which
symbolizes the U.S. Air Force's top
enlisted rank of a chief master sergeant.
The Indian chief is regarded as the
highest member of the tribe and as an
elder whom others look to for leadership.
Tucked away in her
purse, Hooks also carries a military
challenge coin – a tradition that she and
other military members embrace to
commemorate their military affiliations or
successful missions.
Hooks, the manager for
the Performance Improvement Department in
the medical center's Office of Quality and
Patient Safety, said a military career
afforded her opportunities in various
clinical, administrative and
performance-improvement experiences around
the world.
Hooks has been able to
translate that training and experience to
health care and establish best practices
for quality- driven systemwide projects.
Her efforts cut costs for the medical
center and improved overall patient care.
Hooks' Air Force and post-retirement
health care careers came full circle. Born
in Brooklyn, N.Y., Hooks later moved to
Marion, before enrolling in Trident
Technical College's dental assistant
program in Charleston, where she conducted
her clinical work at MUSC. In the 1980s,
she remembers the Charleston area as a
vibrant military town with the Charleston
Air Force Base, Charleston Naval Base and
Shipyard, and The Citadel as active
entities. She thought, "These folks are
having so much fun. I want to be able to
do that, too."
After much courting by
the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force, she
enlisted as an Air Force dental assistant
in 1985. Her first assignment was working
with the 78th Dental Squadron at Robins
Air Force Base (AFB) in Georgia from 1985
to 1998. Robins AFB was home to the Air
Force Headquarters Reserve Unit so she
cared for military personnel, airmen and
their families. There, she rose from the
rank of airman to master sergeant.
 Jennifer
Hooks, shown at her home in Alaska, is
selected as chief master sergeant in
2005. Hooks is among just 1 percent
promoted from the Air Force's enlisted
ranks to chief. Watch a video on Hooks
at http://bit.ly/MUSC_JenniferHooks.
Hooks also went on to
hold assignments at Hanscom AFB outside of
Boston; Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage,
Alaska; McGuire AFB in Lakehurst, N.J.;
and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in
Wrightstown, N.J., where she retired as
superintendent and principle senior
enlisted advisor of the 87th Medical
Group, with the rank of chief master
sergeant. She was in charge of the
training, progression and performance of
more than 200 enlisted personnel.
Throughout her career,
Hooks completed a variety of leadership
courses and professional training
including the USAF's Noncommissioned
Officer Leadership Academy, Chief Master
Sergeant Leadership Course and other
programs. She also earned both her
bachelor's degree in occupational
education (2005) and a master's degree in
business administration (2010).
In 2007, Hooks
participated in the Air Force's newest
program to improve quality and performance
in airfield operations, intelligence and
defense activities. The program was based
on the Lean Six Sigma methodology to
support one mission at McGuire AFB. Hooks
led the coordination, logistics and
repackaging of several C-17 Globemaster
cargo planes, which were scheduled to
carry food, supplies, emergency equipment
and additional people to Afghanistan. "The
project we focused on could accurately
measure space within a plane and
reconfigure a plan that would logistically
work," she said.
She continued to use the Lean Six Sigma
strategies throughout her work as
superintendent of the 305th Medical Group
and 87th Medical Group.
At MUSC, Hooks trains
and guides managers to understand and
benefit from the Lean Six Sigma
methodology in both the hospital and
university departments. Her six-member
team is able to visit a location and
evaluate the work, methods and processes
to make areas more efficient. "We strive
to help people realize that some change is
good," she said.
Chris Rees, director of Quality and
Patient Safety for the medical center, is
proud to have Hooks on his team.
"Jennifer's presence
and work is helping to push some important
concepts across MUSC. Her knowledge,
training and understanding of key
process-improvement concepts is an
important part of our goals to meet the
clinical enterprise's health strategic
plans. She's a natural leader who's
approachable, communicative, and
dependable and a stabilizing force in an
area that affects change," Rees said.
When asked what she
misses most about military life, Hooks is
quick to share her answers. "Travel and
how many lives I've been able to touch,
especially in humanitarian assignments,"
she said.
 Hooks was involved
in many missions, from providing support
to accommodate Haitian evacuees following
the 2010 earthquake to supporting
community projects in Anchorage, Alaska.
She coordinated medical
screenings and provided legal, housing and
employment assistance to veterans. Those
projects results in Hooks being named
3dWing and Team Elmendorf 2003 Senior NCO
of the Year at Elmendorf AFB. She also
assisted in the 9/11 investigation
identifying Pentagon crash victims using
forensic dentistry.
Hooks and her husband,
Rod, a disabled Air Force veteran, strive
to maintain a grounded family life for
their children, Jazmin and Jalen.
MUSC Performance
Improvement Department
In recent years, improving health care
quality has become a top priority in the
health care system. MUSC's Performance
Improvement Department's passion is to
improve health care performance. The
continuous use of MUSC's standard approach
Improve model has driven the success of
many project teams. For information or to
register for classes, visit http://mcintranet.musc.edu/cceps/I.M.P.R.O.V.E./index.htm.
Friday, Nov.
9, 2012
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