James F Miller
October 2023
James F
Miller
,
MSN, BS, BA, RN
Department of Medicine
Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center
North Chicago
,
IL
United States
While one could go on and on about the extensive professional career that Jim has had, what everyone will remember about Jim is how he made people feel.
Mr. James Miller, “Don’t call me Mr. Miller, that’s my father”, began his leadership journey as the Emergency Department Nurse Manager at the CAPT James Lovell Federal Health Care Center on September 30, 2007. At that time, the facility was known as the North Chicago VA. In 2010, Jim’s leadership was evident as the facility went through the transformative process of integrating VA care and DoD care in order to become the first fully integrated Federal Health Care Center. In 2013, Jim accepted a promotion to become the Associate Chief Nurse for Medicine.
Jim always prioritized patient care in all things. He was passionate about nurses, what they do for our patients, and ensuring that they had what they needed to be successful. When a mistake was made, Jim was patient and understanding. He coached people to where they needed to be and, above all, ensured that patients had the best nurses providing their care. He wanted patients to receive the best care and oversaw the development and completion of a new GI/Endoscopy suite, the Infusion Center and Hematology/Oncology Unit, and the current renovation for a new Dialysis Unit.
While one could go on and on about the extensive professional career that Jim has had, what everyone will remember about Jim is how he made people feel. Jim can be seen daily making rounds through the hospital and opening the door for critical conversations with every member of the team. From the nurses, techs, providers, housekeeping, nutritionists, and every person who walks through the doors of Lovell, Jim went out of his way to share a smile, tell a joke, and create an environment of ease. While that is always endearing to hear, what made this special is how people in return sought Jim out. Everywhere he went, he was greeted by a wave, a smile, and friendly banter. People lit up in his presence.
Jim was a noted leader and mentor to everyone that he met. Not only did he constantly encourage his staff and support them in their personal goals, but he also encouraged them to do more. Jim acted as a preceptor for countless nurses, especially for nurses working on their masters. He guided nurses and other leaders through difficult situations, providing support and guidance as they continued to strive for bigger goals. He encouraged people to talk about their barriers to success, encouraging not only critical thinking but also creativity in identifying solutions and improvements.
Jim has always been a compassionate leader. With an open-door policy, he encouraged his teams to share as much or as little as they felt they needed to about their personal lives. He never pushed, pried, or intruded. He remained present and supportive. When one of his employees found out that her mother had passed away, Jim knew just what she needed. She needed a friend… but not just any friend. He knew she needed her best friend. So he walked to one of his clinics and found her best friend, and relieved her to go be with the employee who had lost her mother. He allowed the two to spend some time together and ensured that their clinics were covered. I could relay 100 more stories like this, but none of them will come close to describing the heart that Jim has for the staff that he served. Jim knew that in order to support an employee, you must first support them as a human. He understood the importance of family, and that meant much more than just who you were biologically related to.
There are a million stories that could be shared about the impact that Jim Miller had on the CAPT James Lovell Federal Health Care Center. He has touched the lives of hundreds of patients and left an indelible imprint on the lives of the people that he worked with. There are not enough words to encompass the work that he has done as a leader, as a nurse, and as a friend. It has been an honor to work for him and alongside him. Those he has mentored will continue to embody Jim’s philosophy for not just work but also life by sharing a moment of laughter and leading with compassion. While we are sad to know we will not get to hear his jokes every day and share a smile every morning, we celebrate his lifelong career and the legacy that he leaves at Lovell.
Jim always prioritized patient care in all things. He was passionate about nurses, what they do for our patients, and ensuring that they had what they needed to be successful. When a mistake was made, Jim was patient and understanding. He coached people to where they needed to be and, above all, ensured that patients had the best nurses providing their care. He wanted patients to receive the best care and oversaw the development and completion of a new GI/Endoscopy suite, the Infusion Center and Hematology/Oncology Unit, and the current renovation for a new Dialysis Unit.
While one could go on and on about the extensive professional career that Jim has had, what everyone will remember about Jim is how he made people feel. Jim can be seen daily making rounds through the hospital and opening the door for critical conversations with every member of the team. From the nurses, techs, providers, housekeeping, nutritionists, and every person who walks through the doors of Lovell, Jim went out of his way to share a smile, tell a joke, and create an environment of ease. While that is always endearing to hear, what made this special is how people in return sought Jim out. Everywhere he went, he was greeted by a wave, a smile, and friendly banter. People lit up in his presence.
Jim was a noted leader and mentor to everyone that he met. Not only did he constantly encourage his staff and support them in their personal goals, but he also encouraged them to do more. Jim acted as a preceptor for countless nurses, especially for nurses working on their masters. He guided nurses and other leaders through difficult situations, providing support and guidance as they continued to strive for bigger goals. He encouraged people to talk about their barriers to success, encouraging not only critical thinking but also creativity in identifying solutions and improvements.
Jim has always been a compassionate leader. With an open-door policy, he encouraged his teams to share as much or as little as they felt they needed to about their personal lives. He never pushed, pried, or intruded. He remained present and supportive. When one of his employees found out that her mother had passed away, Jim knew just what she needed. She needed a friend… but not just any friend. He knew she needed her best friend. So he walked to one of his clinics and found her best friend, and relieved her to go be with the employee who had lost her mother. He allowed the two to spend some time together and ensured that their clinics were covered. I could relay 100 more stories like this, but none of them will come close to describing the heart that Jim has for the staff that he served. Jim knew that in order to support an employee, you must first support them as a human. He understood the importance of family, and that meant much more than just who you were biologically related to.
There are a million stories that could be shared about the impact that Jim Miller had on the CAPT James Lovell Federal Health Care Center. He has touched the lives of hundreds of patients and left an indelible imprint on the lives of the people that he worked with. There are not enough words to encompass the work that he has done as a leader, as a nurse, and as a friend. It has been an honor to work for him and alongside him. Those he has mentored will continue to embody Jim’s philosophy for not just work but also life by sharing a moment of laughter and leading with compassion. While we are sad to know we will not get to hear his jokes every day and share a smile every morning, we celebrate his lifelong career and the legacy that he leaves at Lovell.