Robert Miller doesn’t know retire. Probably not.
As the brand new government director of the Army Well being Institute at UT Well being San Antonio, the retired lieutenant basic will oversee day by day operations of the distinctive facility. With a small alphabet following his title in educational accolades, Miller completed his tenure as surgeon basic of the U.S. Air Power and Area Power in June and assumed his new function in October.
In an unique interview with the San Antonio Report, Miller made gentle of the short-lived longevity of his retirement.
“My spouse advised me she’d divorce me if I used to be at residence full time,” he stated jokingly. “No, I imply — I used to be so not able to retire, despite the fact that I used to be form of in a terminal job as a result of while you grow to be the Surgeon Common, it’s a three-year tour … and so I’ll be sincere, I simply I’m not an individual who does effectively with nothing to do.”
The previous pediatrician stated he’s notably enthusiastic about how he can assist form the institute, as he’ll be solely the second government director at its helm since its inception in 2014. The institute is a collaboration with the U.S. Division of Protection and the Division of Veterans Affairs and focuses on military-related analysis, schooling, scientific care and engagement.
Miller joins UT Well being San Antonio with greater than 30 years of service within the Air Power, the place he held a number of high management roles. In his profession, Miller served as a command surgeon, director of schooling and coaching and director of medical operations.
“We’re excited to welcome retired Lt. Gen. Robert Miller to the Army Well being Institute,” stated Dr. Robert Hromas, appearing president of UT Well being San Antonio. “Dr. Miller’s distinctive management abilities will likely be instrumental in driving the Institute’s initiatives ahead and persevering with its mission to enhance the lives of service members, veterans and their households.”
Throughout Miller’s tenure as surgeon basic, he suggested the Secretary of the U.S. Air Power, the Air Power Chief of Employees, the Area Power Chief of Area Operations and the Assistant Secretary of Protection for Well being Affairs in regards to the well being of the air expeditionary drive, airmen and guardians. Miller additionally approved the supply of medical sources worldwide for the Air Power Medical Providers, creating plans and packages to help medical missions.
He entered lively obligation in 1985 as a Uniformed Providers College of the Well being Sciences medical pupil, accomplished his residency at Wright-Patterson Air Power Base in Ohio in pediatrics after which accomplished a fellowship in developmental-behavioral pediatrics at Madigan Military Medical Heart in Fort Lewis, Washington.
Miller advised the Report he’s excited for his new function as a result of San Antonio’s army well being institute is not like every other he is aware of of in the USA.
“How do you sync the goodness that’s happening in a college — on this case UT Well being — with the wants of a sturdy army group?” he stated. “In my new function, I’m searching for alternatives to convey these items collectively.”
The next interview has been calmly edited for readability and size.
Q: Inform us about your formative years. The place did you develop up? When did you determine to affix the army?
A: I grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I come from a household of metal employees, so to be sincere, I used to be the primary one to go to varsity in my household. I’m an solely youngster, and had very supportive mother and father who knew that my dream was to grow to be a health care provider. I actually wasn’t planning to enter the army, however to be honest the price of medical faculty scared me to loss of life and in order that was the unique cause I enlisted. I assumed I’d do my time and get out and that will be it, however I ended up being accepted and going to the army medical faculty after faculty — the Uniformed Providers College, which is in Bethesda, Maryland, outdoors of D.C. I went in due to cash and stayed for a complete completely different cause — as a result of I form of fell in love with the army and the esprit de corps and the household and the group.
Q: Inform us about your journey to changing into a pediatrician.
A: I went to a really small liberal arts faculty in southwestern Pennsylvania known as Washington and Jefferson Faculty that you simply’ve in all probability by no means heard of, nevertheless it’s form of a pre-med, pre-law manufacturing facility. I used to be a double main in biology and chemistry — I’d in all probability do this in a different way now. From there I went to USUHS and determined that I needed to be a pediatrician. I beloved working with children, so I went to do my residency of Pediatrics in Ohio, by the army at a civilian kids’s hospital — Dayton Kids’s Hospital — after which just a little bit down the street I did a fellowship in developmental behavioral pediatrics in Washington. I form of fell in love with children with particular wants, and there’s not lots of developmental pediatricians within the army, so I assumed I’d do this the remainder of my profession and would have been completely satisfied as a clam doing that — however about 10 years into my profession, I had a management alternative, and so I took that path.
Q: And the way did you grow to be the Surgeon Common from there?
A: From 2010 on, I’ve been doing completely different management jobs that in the end resulted in my having the honour of being the Surgeon Common for the Air Power, after which additionally the Area Power, our new service. However I by no means stopped seeing sufferers. It was similar to possibly sooner or later a month, as a result of I loved it. Now, attending to transition to this job — I couldn’t consider a greater place to be in, not just for the mission right here, but in addition for being in San Antonio. Now we have some household close by, and it simply meets so lots of my spouse and my wants, and we’re finished shifting. So that is residence now.
Q: What was it like being Surgeon Common?
A: There are about 30,000 medics in Air Power medication after which you may have the Air Power itself and the Area Power — there aren’t completely different medics taking good care of Area Power guardsmen. So it’s Air Power medics that help each, and that’s why I used to be sporting two hats. I needed to report back to the chief of the Area Power and the chief of the Air Power. Perhaps down the street that’ll change, however not but. After which there was one other massive group of Guardsmen and Reservists that each one had medics — one other 10,000 of every, ballpark. So the Secretary of the Air Power and chief form of set a mission, and we’re there to help it and make it possible for on the 70-some army therapy services that we have now scattered throughout the globe, that these medics are able to handle any mission — whether or not that’s ship routine well being care such as you would get when you simply went to your physician, or possibly deploy due to a pure catastrophe, or perhaps a battle — one thing that we prepare for, and it’s why you may have a Army Well being System. It was only a privilege to serve.
Q: Why are you’re excited for this new function?
A: The main target is on bettering the well being of lively obligation members and veterans and their households. The prior director was any person I knew effectively, an Air Power retired two-star basic, Dr. Byron Hepburn, and between himself and the previous president of UT Well being Science Heart, they created this army well being institute, which is exclusive. It doesn’t exist in every other UT campuses, and there’s actually nothing fairly prefer it, really, while you look throughout the U.S. My process will likely be to proceed to develop and increase what Dr. Hepburn was engaged on.
