Dr. Garth Miller wears multiple hats since joining WhidbeyHealth in 2018. He currently serves as WhidbeyHealth’s Executive Director of Practice Management (interim) and the Medical Director for the MAC Wound Care Center.
He is a board certified general surgeon and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He has completed fellowships in Medical Leadership and Medical Education, having served as a Medical Director and in multiple leadership roles over many years at prior institutions. He has a passion for surgical quality and has given national presentations for the American College of Surgeons on how to improve surgical quality in small and rural hospitals. He loves teaching and developed a surgical curriculum specifically for medical students learning surgery at small and rural sites. He is also a certified wound care specialist and is interested in bringing the latest techniques, technology and evidence based therapies to enable state of the art wound care here on Whidbey Island.
He is married, lives in Coupeville, having moved from mid coast Maine in 2018, has 10 children and 10 grandchildren. In his spare time he loves reading, cooking, hiking, raising children and visiting family. He also continues to serve as the medical director for two crisis pregnancy centers in Maine.
Patient Care Philosophy
- Minimize discomfort and optimize recovery by using the latest minimally invasive techniques and following evidence based guidelines whenever possible.
- Act as an advocate, listening closely to understand patient needs, and recommending surgery only when it is clearly in the patient’s best interests.
- Treat patients how I would want to be treated.
Scope of Care
- General and laparoscopic surgery
- GI endoscopy, upper and lower (colonoscopy)
- Breast surgery
- Wound Care
Education
- Undergraduate: Pomona College, Claremont, CA, Bachelor of Arts, magna cum laude
- Medical School: University of Kentucky School of Medicine, Lexington, KY, Doctor of Medicine, with honors
Internship & Residency
- University of Washington Affiliated Hospitals General Surgery Program, Seattle, WA
Academic Appointments
- Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA (2012 – 2017)
Certification
- Board Certified by the American Board of Surgery
- Fellow, the American College of Surgeons