Prior to moving to San Antonio, John Hilgers held a career in printing and publishing in Madison, Wisconsin for more than 30 years. Eleven years ago, he shifted his career path and joined the UT Health San Antonio team.

A handyman and an exceptional worker, John Hilgers has gone from a temporary, part-time position in the Information Management and Services Department to a full-time employee of the Facilities Management Department since joining UT Health. Throughout his tenure, Hilgers has been chosen for three different service awards, including the prestigious Gold Shield Award in 2019—a testament to his hard work and dedication.

“Originally, I took a temporary position helping in the Information Management and Services Department which required me to set up workstations for the Medical Arts & Research Center (MARC) through the IMS Service Desk,” Hilgers said. “When a position in the Facilities Management Department opened up, I applied for it and was hired. I've always been handy at fixing things and it was a good fit for me.”

As a facilities maintenance worker, Hilgers addresses a wide range of needs for UT Health Physicians, which he says is exciting and unpredictable. Most recently, he has been delivering COVID-19 vaccines and personal protective equipment as part of UT Health San Antonio’s effort to vaccinate the public and ultimately overcome the pandemic.

“Working to support health care during COVID-19 has been a challenge because of the high volume of deliveries and urgent needs, but the people I work with make my job easier,” Hilgers said. “My boss, Walter Stone, is also a great guy to work for.”

When Hilgers is not supporting the effort to vaccinate the public, he enjoys home improvement projects, woodworking and riding his Harley Davidson. He’s also a lover of rock and roll and a family man who says that if he had a million dollars, he would use it to “do anything I could to make my family happy.”

Looking back, he says the only piece of advice he would give himself at 15 years old is to “pay better attention in math class,” and looking forward, he will be retiring in May 2022 after a fulfilling and diverse career.

UT Health Physicians' Stars and Shields Awards recognize the practices, providers, clinical teams and staff who consistently go above and beyond to live out our promise to provide every patient with an exceptional patient experience. To recognize a UT Health Physicians coworker for their outstanding work in providing excellent, patient-centered care, nominate them to receive a Silver Star award at www.uthealthcare.org/stars.