George Hernández, Jr., JD, served as the CEO and President of University Health System from 2005 to 2024, where he directed all aspects of University Health’s operations. He is credited with transforming the Bexar County-owned health system into one of the nation’s leading public health systems. Under his leadership, University Health expanded access to care for underserved populations, championed critical infrastructure investments—including the development of the Robert B. Green Pavilion, a one million square foot Sky Tower hospital addition in 2014 to the original hospital built in 1968, and the $573.7 million Women’s & Children’s Hospital that opened in 2023.
Reflecting Hernández’s inability to settle for good to achieve great includes his leadership in the development of the non-profit HMO, Community First Health Plans, Inc., University Physician Associates, a Non-Profit Health Organization, and numerous investments in technology. In particular, the Epic Electronic Health Record significantly improved the patient experience and overall health system efficiency. That $170 million investment in Epic infrastructure was the backbone of University Health’s ability to successfully administer over 550,000 doses of COVID vaccine at Wonderland of the Americas and other Bexar County locations in 2021.
At the heart of his achievements is a focus on the community and building a better system to support what San Antonio and South Texas needs. Hernández recalled the vision behind developing University Medicine Associates, which today staffs of over 700 providers serving University Health patients. The concept came from his attendance at a health care seminar that discussed the importance of an integrated physician group practice in improving efficiency, the patient experience and patient safety within a health care system.
Hernández spent 34 years with University Health and led University Health as President/CEO from 2005 until his retirement in 2024.He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from St. Mary’s University and received his Juris Doctor degree from The George Washington University School of Law.
Celebrate Mr. Hernández’s receipt of the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Award for Innovation in Healthcare and Bioscience on September 9 at The Tobin Center for the Performing Arts. Visit: https://biomedsa.org/innovation-award/ for more information.
