Jennifer Milton, MBA
Jennifer Milton serves as Vice President and Chief of Staff to the Senior Executive Vice President for Health Affairs and Health System, providing executive leadership, strategic counsel and operational integration across the academic health enterprise of UT Health San Antonio. A trusted advisor to the Senior Executive Vice President and executive leadership team, she helps translate institutional vision into action, aligning strategy, governance and operations to advance the university’s missions of clinical care, research, education and community engagement.
Driving Strategy, Alignment and Growth
Milton oversees operations of the Senior Executive Vice President’s office and leads cross-functional initiatives that strengthen coordination across clinical, academic, research and administrative leaders. Her work includes enterprise strategy execution, governance support, stakeholder engagement, executive communications and advancement of major institutional priorities and partnerships.
With more than 30 years of experience in academic health administration, Milton is known for building high-performing teams and launching innovative programs that improve quality, access and sustainability. She previously served as Chief Administrative Officer for the transplant enterprise, where she guided strategic and operational growth, led four consecutive multi-year strategic plans and helped expand nationally recognized programs serving patients across Texas and the nation.
During her tenure, she led the opening of the Center for Life — the nation’s first hospital-based donor care unit integrating research, perfusion and advanced organ and tissue donor management — supported the first paired living liver exchanges in the United States and helped lead the program earn designation as the 2025 No. 1 liver transplant program in the country for three consecutive years.
National Leadership and Service
Milton is nationally recognized for her leadership in organ donation and transplant policy, quality and administration. She served as Chair of Donate Life America, where she helped establish a three-year strategic plan, advance MyChart/EPIC donor registration integration and launch the nation’s first National Living Donor Registry to expand access and modernize living donor engagement. She has also served as Chair of the AST Public Policy Committee, UNOS’s Policy Oversight Committee and was a founding faculty of the Transplant Quality Institute, contributing to quality, regulatory and policy advancements nationwide since 2015.
Prior Experience
Milton joined UT Health San Antonio in 2007 and has held progressive executive roles, including Executive Director of Transplant and Chief Administrative Officer. She began her career as a nurse and organ donation coordinator, bringing a frontline clinical perspective to her leadership approach.
Education
- Master of Business Administration, Webster University
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Russell Sage College
- Bachelor of Arts in Biology, College of Charleston
Distinctions
- Heckenkemper Leader in Transplant Administrator Award 2022
- San Antonio Business Journal Health Care Hero 2019
- Weezie Angel Hero Award 2019
- San Antonio Business Journal 40 Under 40 Award 2010
- Leadership San Antonio Class of 35, Steering Committee Class of 40
Personal
Jennifer is passionate about expanding access to lifesaving care, mentoring emerging leaders and strengthening partnerships that improve health across Texas and beyond. She enjoys time with her family and staying engaged in community service.