We are IH is a recognition campaign to spotlight Interior Health employees and medical staff – through pictures and stories.
Name: Michael-Ann Miller (She/Her)
Worksite: Princeton General Hospital
Ancestral Territory: "Syilx" (Saay-ilks) / Okanagan Interior Salish
Years of Service: 9
Job Title: Manager, Clinical Operations
"Fake it till you make it, it's all about confidence."- Michael-Ann's favourite quote
How many of us have thought of leaving behind the hustle-bustle of the city life, and reconnecting with Mother Nature in the tranquility of a small town? For Michael-Ann, a casual employee at a lower mainland hospital, this thought became a reality, but the turn of events that led here was not quite what she imagined.
A new mother, Michael-Ann returned to work following her maternity leave; soon after, her husband lost his job. Raising a family amidst the climbing costs of Vancouver was a definite challenge that needed an answer. This is when Princeton enters the story, a town in the Similkameen region of southern British Columbia, where the local hospital was hiring.
For anyone accustomed to the routine life of a metropolitan area, the concrete jungle becomes home. The very notion of moving to a smaller town can be daunting. Michael-Ann, too, was a little bewildered at the thought, but it turns out, she is now Manager of Clinical Operations at Princeton Regional Hospital and South Similkameen Health Centre in Keremeos!
“I fell in love with rural medicine. I had found my place. Being a generalist was my passion, and the variety of experiences and patient populations you deal with on a daily basis in a rural hospital is unlike any other area.”
Fast forward to her time after relocating to Princeton, Michael-Ann was able to buy a house, have another child, and her husband dedicate plenty of time to help to raise their children. She makes an accurate observation: “Only small-town living can afford you all these benefits on one income.”
Her flourishing career in rural medicine continues to inspire her today. She loves helping others and looks forward to sharing the beauty and complexity of rural health with the world. In her own words, the meaning of rural nursing is “being a generalist in a specialized world.”
Outside of work, Michael-Ann fulfills her creative side with some writing and enjoys spending time with her family. She has passions beyond rural health care, seeing that she was a former competitive swimmer and placed 11th in Canada!
Thanks, Michael-Ann, for all that you do!
Michael-Ann's nomination keeps the We Are IH loop going:
"Karen is a Registered Psychiatric Nurse, and in that role, she provides our community's most vulnerable with support and compassionate care. She is a strong advocate and always looking for opportunities to help out her community and strives for excellence in Mental Health and Substance Use. I have always appreciated her engagement and empathetic way of being that fosters client-centered care and collaboration within our team."
Stay updated with careers at Interior Health
Facebook: @IHJobs | Instagram: @InteriorHealthBC.Careers | LinkedIn: @InteriorHealthAuthority
