Devoted Family Physician, Community Leader, and Lifelong Advocate for Helping Others
Dr. Hilliard is a retired Family Physician who has practiced Medicine for 33 years. During her last 20 years of practice, she was part of the Family Medicine Dept at Kelsey-Seybold Clinic in Houston, Texas.
Born in Greenville, MS, she was a 1979 graduate of Greenville High School, where she represented Mississippi as Regional Student Council President. She was an honor graduate & commencement speaker. Dr. Hilliard attended UM on an academic scholarship & graduated in 1983 with a BA in Chemistry. She earned her medical degree from the UM Medical Center graduated in 1987. After completing an internship at Ohio State University, she completed her Family Medicine Residency at the Univ of Texas Medical program based at Charlton Methodist Hospital in Dallas, Texas.
During her residency, Dr. Hilliard received the Mead Johnson Family Medicine Award; post residency, she accepted the position of Medical Director of The Stop Six Community Health Center in Fort Worth, TX.
After living & practicing in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex for 13 years, Dr. Hilliard & her husband (Al, her college sweetheart, & a 1983 UM School of Engineering graduate) relocated to Houston, Texas in 2001. At that time, Dr. Hilliard joined the Family Medicine Dept at Kelsey-Seybold Clinic (the largest multi-specialty clinic in Houston, TX).
Dr. Hilliard is a member of the AAFP (American Association of Family Physicians), the TAFP (Texas Academy of Family Physicians), the TMA (Texas Medical Association) & the HMF Houston Medical Forum. She presently serves on the Finance Committee, the Scholarship selection committee & the Mentoring panel for the HMF.
Since retirement, Dr Hilliard has joined the American Red Cross and serves as a part of the Disaster Health Services team. She also delivers meals to senior citizens as part of a local Meals on Wheels program, sponsored by the Northwest Assistant Ministries program in Houston. During the academic school year, Dr. Hilliard serves as a mentor for three third graders & meets with them weekly.
Both she and her husband are avid supports of UM & have established an endowment that will offer scholarships to students from the MS Delta & North MS. The scholarships are in memory of their mothers who encouraged their academic efforts.
Dr. Hilliard & her husband have two sons,(graduates of the University of Notre Dame & Texas A&M University), one daughter-in-law & three grandchildren. She & Al are two of an entourage of UM graduates in the Hilliard Family (three brother-in-laws, 1 nephew, 1 niece, 1 great niece & 1 great nephew). So, needless to say, Homecoming at UM is a mini family reunion!
Dr. Hilliard’s life mission has been to help others in need. She was able to fulfill this mission during her practice of medicine & now she also continues to serve/help others.