It’s another busy night in the controlled chaos that one 2nd Lieutenant knows as the hospital ward.

Evaluating 15 patients, all with different ailments, but each had one thing in common - a need for a nurse to provide them with life-saving care.

Fast forward 22-years and those humble beginnings seem like a lifetime ago to the now Lt. Col. Heather Perez, who is the chief nurse at Moody and in charge of approximately 300 nurses and medical technicians.

“I love this job (because) we take care of the warrior, on top of the military family, dependents, and retirees,” Perez said, who is the 23d Medical Operation Support Squadron commander. “(It’s about) making a difference in people’s lives for the better, whether it’s making a difference in people’s health or making a difference in my people’s careers through mentoring as a nurse.”

Now, Perez spends her days ensuring her Airmen have what they need to provide their patients with the best medical care possible.

“As the chief nurse, I oversee all of the nursing practices and make sure that we are meeting the standards of practice,” said Perez. “Whether it is tools for everyday nursing practices or tools to make them successful in their military career or civilian careers I want them to be successful. I want them to be successful professionally and personally, because that’s going to help them be the best nurses or technicians they can be in taking care of their patients.

“Sometimes we don’t focus as much on the mentorship of our civilians, officers, and Airmen, but I try to focus on that,” Perez added. “I develop them so that they don’t have to go through the same struggles that I may have went through. I try to empower them and give them the knowledge that I have because I don’t need to hoard it. Knowledge is power for them and the more they have the better they’re going to be.”

Perez uses her vast nursing experiences to improve medical processes, ensure patient safety, and manage education and training.

“Every day our nurses and techs are interacting with patients and sometimes have to make decisions that will affect the lives of those patients,” said Master Sgt. Jason Bradley, 23d MDOS superintendent. “Knowing that Lt Col. Perez has confidence in us and in our training processes provides a level of self-assurance that enables our staff to do the right thing at the right time. She is able to take the compassionate quality of being a nurse and use that as a strength to lead our personell in the dynamic healthcare setting. 

“Having an experienced nurse like Lt. Col. Perez lets us take a smart measured approach to problem solving.  She knows what questions to ask and if we don't know the answers she probably knows someone who does. That kind of experience is invaluable and hard to find.”