CHICAGO, IL – October 9, 2018 – Bowling Green State University’s (BGSU) Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, alumni and students has named Loretto Hospital President and CEO, George N. Miller, Jr., MHSA, FACHE as one of its most distinguished alumni, one of the highest honors bestowed to a graduate by the university.
“Receiving this honor comes at a pivotal time in my life. This is
a great year of firsts for me. I am the first African-American President
and CEO of The Loretto Hospital. We are embarking upon expanding health
care on the West Side of Chicago, which is a first for The Loretto Hospital.
And now, this is the first time I have ever been granted such a prestigious
recognition. This is truly an honor and a blessing,” CEO George
Miller said.
Since 2011, the BGSU has selected high achieving graduates to recognize
them for their community involvement and for their professional accomplishments.
The special group of honorees represent the very best of BGSU and serve
as role models and an inspiration for the entire BGSU university community.
Miller is being honored for serving in the health care industry for many
years, and for his successful track record of improving safety-net and
community hospitals throughout Texas, Kankakee, Illinois, and now on the
Greater West Side of Chicago.
For more than 30 years, Miller has transformed struggling hospitals into
high performing health care systems by: driving business and quality initiatives;
improving employee engagement programs; transforming finances and operations
to profitability; and, analyzing and rebuilding quality processes and
systems within an organization to improve its overall workflow structure.
“I believe I was brought on this earth to serve others. I have devoted
my life to make the world a better place by ensuring that quality health
care is accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay. It
is my mission, and it is what I believe,” Miller said.
Under Miller’s leadership, health care organizations have experienced
immense growth both with regard to its human capital and financially.
As the CEO at CommUnityCare in Austin, Texas, Miller led the organization
to receive more than $55 million for its Delivery System Reform Incentive
Payment (DSRIP) program, a project initiated under Miller’s administration
to expand health care throughout the region. Also under his management,
CommUnityCare expanded access to quality health care in underserved communities
by opening additional locations, including a new health center which is
the largest in Texas, and the only FQHC located on a historically black
college campus. In addition, Miller was responsible for increasing CommUnityCare’s
revenues from $60 million to $100 million, and its employees from 550 to 850.
Prior to CommUnityCare, Miller served as the CEO concurrently with QHR
Quorum Health Resources in Brentwood, TN, and Okmulgee Memorial Hospital
(OMH) in Okmulgee, OK, for two years. While at OMH, the hospital underwent
a complete turnaround in its operations and was profitable within one
year of his leadership. Additional executive leadership positions held
include: President and CEO of First Diversity Healthcare Group (FDHG);
Regional Vice President and CEO of Community Mercy Health Partners in
Springfield, OH; Senior Vice President of Catholic Health Partners (CHP)
in Cincinnati, OH; Provena St. Mary’s Hospital in Kankakee, IL;
CHRISTUS Jasper Memorial Hospital in Jasper, Texas; Twin Oaks Medical
Center in Fort Worth, Texas; and Newport News General Hospital in Newport News, VA.
In 2008, Miller was appointed by President George W. Bush to the Medicare
Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC). He was repointed in 2011 by President
Barack Obama. Miller also served as the National President of the National
Rural Health Association in 2007, the largest rural trade association
in America and the voice of rural health care.
As a distinguished alumni, Miller will be inducted into Bowling Green
University’s Academy of Distinguished Alumni during an official
dinner and ceremony on October 11, 2018 on the BGSU campus with four other
honorees, who were all chosen by a special committee comprised of members
of the university’s Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, alumni and students.
“I use my faith to help me guide where to take an organization,
wherever I go. I am from Austin, Texas, coming to help improve health
care standards in Austin in Chicago. I think this means something. I was
successful in Austin, Texas, and I’ll bring that same success to
Loretto Hospital and to the Austin community in Chicago,” Miller said.
To learn more about CEO George N. Miller, Jr., or The Loretto Hospital
please contact Marnie Robinson, Communications & Media Relations Manager,
at 708-289-0259 or via email at Marnie.Robinson@lorettohospital.org.