Hazel johnson brown biography

I nthe Army nominated Johnson to become the 16 th chief of the Army Nurse Corpsalong with a promotion to brigadier general — she was the first ever African — American wom a n to achieve th is rank. Gen Johnson overs aw operations in eight Army medical centers, fifty-six community hospitals and one hundred forty-three freestanding clinics in the United States, Japan, Korea, Germany, Italy, and Panama.

S ome of Brig. Gen Johnsons achievements before retiring in include d making polic ies for academic scholarships for ROTC nursing studentscreating standards of practice for the Army Nurse Corps, and implementing quality assurance measures. She also arranged the first Phyllis Verhonick Nursing Research Symposium, created pathways for the future of the Nurse Corps and laid foundation for expanded involvement of Reserve and National Guard nurses in top management positions.

Source s. She then returned to Pennsylvania. She practiced on the medical cardiovascular ward at the Philadelphia Veterans Administration VA Hospital and became head nurse within three months. At the same time, Johnson began coursework toward her baccalaureate degree in nursing at Villanova University. While working at the VA, Johnson also became intrigued by the variety of opportunities and travel offered by the Army Nurse Corps.

She joined the Army in serving first on the female medical-surgical ward at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and subsequently on an obstetrical unit at the th Hospital in Camp Zama, Japan. Following her initial tour inJohnson left the Army and returned to her prior civilian employment at the VA, continuing her part-time study at Villanova.

From toJohnson served as an operating room nurse at Walter Reed. From then untilJohnson taught operating room students at Letterman. Inshe accepted a special assignment, evaluating the MUST mobile unit, self-contained, transportable hospital destined to become the 45th Surgical Hospital in Vietnam. Johnson hoped to accompany the hospital as operating room supervisor but fell ill with a lung infection.

In this action, General Johnson-Brown became: the 16th Chief of the Army Nurse Corps; the first Chief holding an earned doctorate; the 4th Chief to hold the rank of Brigadier General; and the first black woman General in the history of the U. Military Services. As Chief of the U. Brigadier General Johnson-Brown was also responsible for eight Army medical centers, 56 community hospitals, and freestanding clinics in the U.

Prior to her retirement from the military, she also served as an Associate Dean of the Undergraduate Program of the School of Nursing at the University of Maryland School of Nursing from to Twenty-four years later she made history when she was promoted to brigadier general. With this promotion she took charge of 7, nurses in the Army Nurse Corps; the first black woman to hold the post.

During Johnson-Brown's promotion she was quoted saying "Race is an incidence of birth" then furthering this by saying "I hope the criterion for selection did not include race but competence". She obtained a bachelor's degree in nursing from Villanova University ina masters in teaching from Columbia University inand a doctorate in educational administration from The Catholic University of America in Her career was distinguished she won many a medal, including the Army Distinguished Service Medaland was awarded hazel johnson brown biography nurse of the year twice.

After Johnson-Brown retired from the army in she headed the American Nurses Association's government relations unit as well as directed the George Mason University's Center for Health Policy as an assistant professor and later a professor on her own. Johnson-Brown treated everyone the same and demanded that in return. Several times the waitress walked past them to serve white customers first.

When the waitress finally delivered their order, Gen. Johnson-Brown turned it away.

Hazel johnson brown biography

To her mother she said, 'Let's go. Johnson-Brown developed Alzheimer's disease in later life. InJohnson married David Brown. She added on his name to hers and was known from then on as Hazel Johnson-Brown. However, their marriage did not last and they eventually divorced. Johnson-Brown was a Catholic, a member of St. Clare in Clifton, Virginia where her funeral Mass was held.