Steve Miller, DO, MPH, FACOFP
Senior Associate Dean of Clinical Education
Associate Professor of Family Medicine/OPP
Dr Stephen Miller has been passionately involved in community health over his whole career. Stephen was a National Health Service Corps Scholar serving in Southwest Virginia 1984-1987 where he staffed the ICU of a critical access hospital and local FQHC, successfully solicited HRSA for physicians and funding to begin a county-wide, full range Obstetrical service, procured funding for development of electrical service to families within his service area who lived without access to electricity and successfully advocated for full funding of a county-wide EMS program.
He practiced rural medicine from 1988-2006 in Maine as well, also beginning EMS services to his service area there, caring for thousands of patients’ primary care needs as Medical Director for a rural health primary care center and being a consistent AHEC preceptor for three osteopathic Medical Schools while he was there.
Dr Miller has served as the department Chair for Family Medicine departments in Maine, he ran a hospital family medicine department, and in Tennessee developed Family Medicine and Rural Hospital clerkship rotations throughout rural Tennessee for LMU/DCOM. While at DCOM he chaired a task force on curricular reform to redesign content focus and delivery and implementation of competency-based assessments for clerkship rotations as well.
He's been involved in pre-clinical curriculum delivery as first an Assistant then Associate Professor of Family Medicine and OPP at four schools, and been Osteopathic Director of a Family Medicine Residency program where I ran a pilot project for residency assessment innovation.
He's been professionally recognized by the American College of Osteopathic Family Practice for outstanding service as an ACOFP preceptor, by Community and County School Administration Districts in Maine for two decades of service to student health, heading immunization programs and contributions to public health curriculum state-wide, and by the CDC for diagnosing the first reported case of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever in the state of Maine. He was also made a fellow of the ACOFP in 2012.
We are thrilled to have Dr. Miller as our Associate Dean of Clinical Education. Stephen is excited "to have the opportunity to build this clinical network, and to be a part of RVU." He is inspired about the field of his work, "the very real and tangible ways I can help build a network of community-based educators capable of mentoring osteopathic students to become excellent physicians who may also be willing to practice in rural areas."
Stephen and his wife Kathy have been to a lot of places, but some of his best memories are the times which he has been able to sit with a patient and family on their front porch and share a meal or a tune, "it's special".
When Stephen is not working, he enjoys guitar and five-string banjo, hiking, fly fishing, and most of all, just exploring someplace new with his wife, Kathy.
An interesting fact about Stephen, he was the first DO to practice in Lee County Virginia, where AT Still was born.
"I love being a DO, because being a DO helps me be more of a caring individual. I thank my mentors for putting that possibility in me as a student: David Heilig, DO, Nicholas S. Nicholas, DO, Alexander Nicholas, DO, and Katherine England, DO." - Stephen Miller
