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Karen Hoelzer Vilcinskas, M.D. (SOM ’80) Continues to Pay it Forward

by Debbie Dugan

The gratitude Karen Hoelzer Vilcinskas, M.D. (SOM ’80) feels for her Saint Louis University education has inspired her journey of giving back. 

“I appreciate having been given the opportunity to attend SLU’s School of Medicine,” she said “It changed my life.”

Karen Vilcinskas poses for a photo with a man in front of a pick up truck full of mattresses.
Karen Hoelzer Vilcinskas, M.D. (SOM ’80) poses for a photo while on a medical mission trip in Ethiopia in November 2019.

Providing quality medical education and research requires an investment in people and facilities, Vilcinskas said, and she has generously supported those efforts since she earned her medical degree from SLU. In June 2024, she chose to make her impact on the University even more enduring by establishing a significant bequest gift of $1 million to the School of Medicine scholarship support. With the assistance of her financial advisor, she set up a charitable remainder unitrust (CRUT), which will allow her to support charities after her passing while generating income throughout her lifetime. 

“The reasons for giving may vary depending on the individual,” Vilcinskas said. ‘For me, my motivations are from gratitude and retirement planning.”

In recent years, her generosity has extended to SLU’s Department of Hematology and Oncology to honor her mentor and friend, the late Paul Petruska, M.D. (SOM ’67), and recognize his significant influence on her career journey. 

Vilcinskas said her time at SLU was nothing short of transformative, shaping both her personal and professional life in profound ways. It was where she met her late husband, David Hoelzer, M.D. (SOM ’79). They married in 1979 and welcomed three children into the world: William Hoelzer, Kathryn McEvilly and John Hoelzer (LAW ’07), who also met his wife, Jeanette Hoelzer (A&S ’05), while studying at the University. 

After completing her fellowship at SLU in 1985 — under the mentorship and influence of Petruska — Vilcinskas embarked on a three-decade career in medical oncology at Springfield Clinic in Springfield, Illinois.

In the wake of her first husband’s sudden passing in 2013, Vilcinskas continued the couple’s shared commitment to their alma mater and the greater good. Her passion for service led her on medical mission trips to Ghana and Ethiopia in 2017 and 2019, where she provided essential health care to those in need. Additionally, she has made a meaningful impact by volunteering on the boards of the International Health and Development Network (IHDN) and the Boy Scouts of America in Springfield.

I am grateful for the education I received and hope to pay it forward while also strengthening SLU’s financial future. It gives me great joy to know these funds will ease the financial burden for future students.”

Karen Hoelzer Vilcinskas, M.D. (SOM ’80) 

Now residing in Boerne, Texas, with her husband, Ernesto “Alex” Vilcinskas, she continues her strong commitment to SLU.

“My parents were able to help me with the cost of my education,” Vilcinskas said. “I realize that not all students are so lucky. Saint Louis University was instrumental in preparing me for my career. I am grateful for the education I received and hope to pay it forward while also strengthening SLU’s financial future. It gives me great joy to know these funds will ease the financial burden for future students.”  

Learn more about how you can help support Saint Louis University. For information on bequest gifts, visit plannedgiving.slu.edu.