Teamwork in Action: Facilities Maintenance at Pavilion A

Anthony Casias arrives at Pavilion A in the University of Kentucky Albert B. Chandler Hospital between 5:30 a.m. and 6 a.m. most mornings. As a Facilities Maintenance Supervisor in Facilities Management, once he walks through the doors to the hospital, he doesn’t stop moving. 

Overseeing the basement through the 4^th floor as well as floors 14-17 in Pavilion A, Casias and his team maintain areas that include mechanical, radiology, operating and emergency rooms, the kitchen and pharmacy.  

“I enjoy that my job is different every day,” Casias said. “I get to experience new things every time I come to work, and I look forward to the challenges. I don’t want to grow stagnant.” 

Casias came to the University of Kentucky two and half years ago after a 15-year career in the Marine Corps. Starting on 3^rd shift, he utilized the Employee Education Program to earn his bachelor’s degree in kinesiology in May 2025 and became a supervisor three months ago.  

“I was in artillery in the Marine Corps and there are similarities to my job now. Being in a hospital, we are working around and in areas where a lot is happening all the time. Nurses, doctors and patients are constantly moving in the areas we are working,” Casias said. “Teamwork was vital in the military, and it is vital here too. We have to work together to make sure everyone working or visiting our areas is taken care of and can do their job.” 

Casias’ team of eight consists of a carpenter, electrician, and facilities maintenance technicians. Two maintenance technicians are devoted to preventative maintenance.  

It is a rare day that Casias doesn’t log more than 10,000 steps. Always on the go checking on his team, getting project updates and helping facilitate orders or solutions, he views his job as mostly coordination and communication.  

“An enterprise as large and reaching as the University requires constant communication with vendors from both local and out of state organizations, not to mention the copious number of floor supervisors and managers within the hospital,” Casias said. “In Facilities, we need to make sure that the parts we receive are correct on the first try.” 

Each morning starts with a team meeting and then everyone heads to various areas across the hospital to begin work on requests. The goal is to complete work requests as quickly as possible for general and high priority, but urgent requests are addressed within three hours of submission.  

From 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. on this particular Thursday morning, there was discussion about an ice machine in the mother/baby unit needing a part so it could be fixed the same day, shelving units being set up in an ER clean supply room, preventative maintenance on an air handler, information collection to order a pressure reducing valve that needs replaced, display cases mounted in the pharmacy, repair of a hot box in the kitchen, and replacement of a faucet and sensor module in an interventional radiology (IR) patient room. While personally checking in with team members across the hospital, Casias also fielded calls with team members and vendors about a core door not opening as it should in an operating room.  

“Communication is key in this line of work,” Casias said. “Everyone believes their issue is a priority and we work really hard to communicate and get the work done as quickly as possible for everyone.”  

Logan Gardner, maintenance technician, has been at UK a year and a half and in addition to working full-time, is taking classes toward a mechanical engineering degree.  

“The opportunities and benefits of working at UK are great,” he said. “Getting to further my education gives me options as I think about the future of my career.”  

Jeremiah Sanchez, maintenance technician, has been at UK for three years and agrees.  

“I came to work at UK because of the opportunities it provides. I want to grow my career here,” he said.

As Marcelo Casiano and Mike Wielgus, both maintenance technicians, worked to mount new display cases in the pharmacy, they chatted about how every day in this job is unique. 

“It's fun,” Casiano said. “Everything is different every day. It’s always a new challenge. We are here to help and whenever we can pitch in, even if it’s outside of our normal duties, we do.”  

Jacob Roe, a maintenance technician at UK for six years, laid on his back under a faucet in a patient room as he worked on a high priority request.  

“I saw coming to UK as a stepping stone and I have stayed,” he said. “The flexibility and getting to work in areas that are fast paced has kept me here.”  

Donald Woolfolk can attest to the longevity of a maintenance career at UK. He started at UK 38 years ago and began in maintenance on main campus, moving to the Facilities Maintenance – HealthCare team 10 years ago. As a maintenance tech, he focuses on the kitchen in Pavillion A.  

“It was a good job back in the day and I enjoy what I do,” he said. “I get to do something different every day. Getting to be part of the team that helps make sure the kitchen can feed all the patients, visitors, employees and students means a lot.”  

For Casias’ team, the day ends between 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. depending on start times. 

“My team works really hard and we balance a lot of work. While everyone has designated areas, we all help when and where needed,” he said. “It’s about teamwork, a sense of accomplishment and knowing the work we do directly affects patients, visitors and employees. Our efforts make a difference and I’m extremely proud of my team.”