Miller appointed Chair

Thomas R. Miller, Ph.D., M.B.A., assistant professor at the Texas A&M Health Science Center (TAMHSC) School of Rural Public Health, is the inaugural recipient of the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Centennial Endowed Chair in Regional Health Services.

“Your success and significant potential in specifically coordinating rural health activities, providing interface with the School of Rural Public Health regarding research on rural health, and the continued promotion of health education and health promotion and prevention in regional rural communities has been recognized and acknowledged by both peers and colleagues,” stated T. Samuel Shomaker, M.D., J.D., dean of the TAMHSC-College of Medicine, and Andrejs E. Avots-Avotins, M.D., Ph.D., chairman of the Scott & White Board of Directors in the letter announcing Miller’s appointment. “A distinguished search advisory committee and three nationally renowned external reviewers collectively agree that your contributions will continue to be exceptional as well as richly deserving of appointment as the inaugural E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Chair in Regional Health Services.”

“This is a tremendous honor,” Dr. Miller said. “I cannot think of a more exciting time to study health care payment and delivery models, especially within a regional service setting like Scott & White. We hope to develop a center for innovation in primary care and conduct collaborative research with other programs and centers within Scott & White and the TAMHSC.”

According to Dr. Miller, the focus will be on applied patient-centered research within the context of “implementation science.” Research findings should identify initiatives to improve local and regional health care delivery.

Although Dr. Miller will remain as a principal faculty member at TAMHSC-School of Rural Public Health, effective Aug.15, he will split his time between the school and Scott & White Healthcare in Temple, Texas.