Bertina M. Hooks, MD
Physician · Coach · Author · Speaker
"The fire didn't destroy me. It set me free."
The Journey
Bertina M. Hooks is a board-certified internal medicine physician whose career has been defined by both clinical excellence and profound personal transformation. After years of navigating the demanding landscape of modern medicine, she found herself confronting a reality familiar to many physicians: profound burnout and a creeping loss of identity.
But it was a sudden, life-altering medical crisis — a diagnosis of necrotizing fasciitis that resulted in amputation — that forced a complete reimagining of her life and career. This profound challenge became the catalyst for her evolution.
Today, Dr. Hooks stands not just as a physician, but as the founder of Pinnacle Business Academy, where she guides other healthcare professionals through their own career pivots and reinventions. Through her coaching, speaking, and the Mindful Practice Podcast, she creates space for the conversations medicine often silences: disability, equity, burnout, and the courage it takes to change course.
Her upcoming book, From Fire to Freedom (Fall 2026, Phoenix Ascend Press), chronicles this extraordinary journey, offering both a memoir of survival and a roadmap for others seeking alignment in their professional lives.
Credentials & Roles
MD, Creighton University School of Medicine (2006)
Board-Certified Internal Medicine Physician
Founder, Pinnacle Business Academy
Host, Mindful Practice Podcast
Author, From Fire to Freedom (Fall 2026)
Medical-Legal Consultant & Expert Witness
Founder, Phoenix Ascend Press
Permission to Evolve
"We enter medicine believing it is a lifelong, unchangeable identity. But you are allowed to change. You are allowed to outgrow the spaces you once fought to enter. Giving yourself permission to evolve isn't failure — it is the bravest thing you will ever do."
— Bertina M. Hooks
Educate, Motivate & Inspire
Dr. Hooks is available for keynotes, workshops, and panel discussions.
Physician Burnout: The Crisis We're Not Talking About Honestly
From Burnout to Breakthrough: A Framework for Physician Reinvention
Disability in Medicine: Identity, Practice, and Possibility
Leading with Resilience: Rebuilding Identity Beyond the White Coat
The Physician Entrepreneur: Building Purpose-Driven Second Acts
From Fire to Freedom: A Keynote on Transformation, Renewal & Resilience
Explore the Ecosystem
Pinnacle Business Academy
Coaching and strategy for physician entrepreneurs and career pivoters.
From Fire to Freedom
The upcoming memoir of survival, resilience, and reclaiming identity.
Phoenix Ascend Press
Independent publishing empowering marginalized voices in healthcare.