Beth Hawks, Ph.D., MHA

Dr. Hawks, Associate Professor of Health Administration & Policy, is a scholar and practitioner-educator whose work sits at the vital intersection of public management, health policy, and organizational performance in care delivery. With a career spanning over two decades of healthcare leadership—including service as a Commander in the United States Navy Medical Service Corps.

Dr. Hawks brings an unparalleled depth of operational expertise to the George Mason University community. A dedicated mentor and award-winning educator, Dr. Hawks’ honors include the David F. Cruess Outstanding Educator Award and the Innovation in Teaching Award from the F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University. She has held significant academic leadership roles, including Vice Chair for Graduate Programs and Director of the Master of Health Administration and Policy Program at the Uniformed Services University. Nationally, she serves as the Chair-Elect of the Interprofessional Education Faculty Forum for the Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA).

Dr. Hawks’ research focuses on enhancing health services and provider performance, with specific expertise in the regulation of U.S. nursing homes and care delivery in the Military Health System. Applying a practitioner lens, her scholarship addresses critical contemporary issues, including the impacts of the Affordable Care Act on health disparities and the integration of health systems science into clinical environments.

Degrees

Ph.D., Public Administration & Policy, American University
MHA, University of Scranton
BS, Health Poliy & Administration, The Pennsylvania State University

Research/Scholarship Interests

• Health Policy Evaluation
• Public Management
• Organizational Performance

Select Publications

Yoon, J., & Hawks, B. A. (2025). Improvement in physical and mental health attributable to the Affordable Care Act. Frontiers in Health Services, 5, 1466958. https://doi.org/10.3389/frhs.2025.1466958

Hawks, B. A., Perloff, J., Kumar, V. S., Larson, M. J., & Chapman, J. D. (2025). Looking at military health system surgical procedures through the lens of an episode grouper. Healthcare, 13(1), 100759. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hjdsi.2024.100759

Betancourt, C. A., Goldberg, D. G., Hawks, B. A., & Kitsantas, P. (2023). Perspectives of homeless veterans living with substance use disorders (SUD) and mental illness. Heliyon, 9(10), Article e20364. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e20364

Betancourt, C. A., Kitsantas, P., Goldberg, D. G., & Hawks, B. A. (2022). Prescription opioid misuse and suicidal behaviors among US veterans: A cross-sectional study from the 2015–2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-022-09813-w

Betancourt, C. A., Kitsantas, P., Goldberg, D. G., & Hawks, B. A. (2021). Substance use relapse among veterans at termination of treatment for substance use disorders. Military Medicine, Article usab280. https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usab280

Amirkhanyan, A. A., An, S.-H., Hawks, B. A., & Meier, K. J. (2020). Learning on the job: The impact of job tenure and management strategies on nursing home performance. Administration & Society, 52(4), 593–630. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095399719874755

Honors and Awards

David F. Cruess Outstanding Educator Award, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine,

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD (2022)

Innovation in Teaching Award (Basic Science), F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine,

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD (2022)

Faculty Impact Award, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD (2021)

Dean’s Annual Faculty Teaching Award (Basic Sciences), F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine,

Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD (2021)

Faculty Impact Award, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD (2019)

Charles H. Levine 2017 Ph.D. Student Manuscript Award, American University, School of Public Affairs, “How Competition and Transparency Interact: Case Study Results from U.S. Nursing Homes" (2017)

Professional Affiliations/Memberships

Member, The American College of Healthcare Executives 

Member, The Association of University Programs in Health Administration