Scottsdale,
Ariz. - The Arizona Medical Board has begun the process of finding a replacement for its Executive Director, Timothy C. Miller. Mr. Miller informed the Board that he has accepted a position as a senior director in the areas of government relations, policy development and education with the Federation of State Medical Boards in Dallas this fall.
“We are very pleased to have someone with Mr. Miller‘s years of experience join the FSMB,” said James H. Thompson, M.D., president and CEO. “His unique expertise in both medical board leadership and health regulatory law will be a great asset to our member boards.”
Mr. Miller, who is a member of the State Bar Association, became Executive Director of the Arizona Medical Board in December 2004. Before joining the agency, he was the Chief of the Bureau of Consumer Rights within the Division of Behavioral Health Services at the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Board Chair, William R. Martin III, M.D., credits Mr. Miller‘s vision and leadership for the progress the agency has made in the past two and a half years. “Thanks to Tim Miller, the Board has a bright future,” Dr. Martin said. “We want to continue his proactive approach and look forward to working with his successor in this regard.” Dr. Martin will chair a Board committee to work on the process to find a new executive director.
The Arizona Medical Board chose five of its members to work on the process to find a new executive director which may involve a nationwide search.
“My decision to accept the FSMB position was bittersweet,” Mr. Miller said. “On one hand, my new position is a tremendous opportunity for me to work on health care regulation at a national level. But, it‘s hard to leave such a dedicated staff � people I‘m very fond and proud of.”
Mr. Miller leaves with a number of major accomplishments in the agency‘s reorganization. These were key points in his vision for the Medical Board when he became Executive Director. Starting with three investigators, he expanded the Case Management Office to 13. Hard work by the investigative team and Board Members resolved hundreds of backlogged, outstanding cases, some of which were dormant for more than a year. Working with Staff, Mr. Miller developed a formal process to ensure a fair, thorough and complete investigation of complaints against physicians. Now, the agency has fewer than 400 active cases, and 96% of them are younger than six months.
“When I took the position, I knew we had a tremendous amount of work to get the regulatory affairs in order, but my vision was to move the Board towards being a leader in health care issues by developing guidance and educational documents.” With the leadership of the Chairman, Dr. Martin, we were just embarking on this educational and guidance agenda,” Mr. Miller explains. “So I find it very difficult to leave just as we‘re entering this phase that I worked so hard to get to.”
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