Q&A: Liz Miller
Director of Health Services Liz Miller loves helping students stay healthy—not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually as well. In this Q&A, she shares about her role at Bethel and what serving students means to her.
By Anna Bernin '18, contributing writer
June 28, 2021 | 5 p.m.
Liz Miller, director of Health Services.
Director of Health Services Liz Miller ’84 views keeping students healthy as one piece of a bigger puzzle, which is supporting students well throughout their college years. In this Q&A, she shares a bit about Health Services at Bethel and what her role means to her.
What brought you to Bethel, and what do you love most about this community?
I first came to Bethel as a student in the nursing program, which I graduated from in 1984. Before I came back to Bethel, I worked at another nearby college. During that time, the previous health director at Bethel encouraged me to apply for an open position, so I did and then I got the job. Then when she retired two years later, I applied for her position, which led me to where I am today. One of the things I love about Bethel is that even though there’s such a vast array of people, the community is unique and beautiful because it has a focal point in Christ. Every community member is a representative of Christ and shows that love to others.
What kinds of health services does Bethel offer to students?
When I started, it was mostly nurse-led with a physician present only a few times a week. We had to do a fair amount of referring those early years. We’ve moved from a half time provider to a full-time provider. Today, we operate very similar to a community health clinic. We do most of the things that an urgent care does, and the vast majority of students we see have conditions that are treatable. There is a nurse practitioner in the clinic from Monday through Thursday that students can make an appointment with. We see students for a range of health issues, and also perform physicals for students before they travel.
How did Health Services partner with the COVID-19 response team?
I sat on a committee that started meeting in March 2020. My role was to inform the committee on the latest Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines related to COVID-19. We initially determined not to do testing in our clinic. The testing center was set up at the Lakeside Center, and our clinic mostly operated as is. Our site was essentially for anything but COVID-19, but I answered the COVID-19 hotline during the day. After a couple months, we absorbed the testing center into the main clinic, but kept it separate. Students coming into the testing center would not walk through our main lobby. If we saw a student in the clinic and needed to rule out COVID-19, we had an exam room dedicated to that. At first, not many students came to the clinic for other health needs due to concerns about COVID-19, but it has been pretty steady the last three months. I also helped with another committee during the school year that kept a pulse on COVID-19 issues and numbers.
What’s the most fulfilling part about your job?
I see a fair number of freshmen and sophomores who are struggling with the transition to college and come to Health Services. Moving into a new community and creating new routines is a formative time. I love seeing first and second year students who are floundering, but then return to the clinic later and they have completely transformed. When students come to the clinic, we come around them and help them feel better. We will provide you with other resources to help you stay afloat during this transition. We don’t view each individual as a condition, we make a personal connection with students. Unlike a typical clinic, college health views the individual as someone you want to be successful. We do a lot of follow-up. We want to do what we can do to get them back on track so they have a more successful college career.
When a student is feeling unwell, there is a place that can attend to the situation at hand and help them. We can point them to another resource. That’s what makes this job rewarding. We are fulfilling one piece of a big puzzle that you have to put together to get the student back on track.
What role does Christianity play in community health?
You can’t be compartmentalized. We’re interconnected. Physical health affects mental health. When you add a spiritual component, we can bring in the idea of God who knows and cares and will tend to you. Christianity and spirituality contribute to the health of our community. Health Services is co-located with Counseling Services, and we do a lot of collaborating with them. If a student seems overwhelmed, we point them to Counseling Services. If a counselor has met with a student that seems to need extra help, Health Services can meet with them to discuss medication.
What is a day like in your role?
The clinic opens at 7:30 a.m. I had a COVID-19 meeting at 8:15 a.m. to get a sense of where things are at on campus. My role is overseeing three full-time employees and completing administrative tasks, like paying bills. Because I’m an RN, I also act as a backup nurse. I handle walk-ins that aren’t on the schedule. I also attend meetings related to the administrative side of my role. Once a month, I attend gatherings with other universities’ health directors where we ask each other questions and share our knowledge with each other. I connect on a regular basis with other health directors about hot topics.
What’s the most fulfilling part about your job?
I see a fair number of freshmen and sophomores who are overwhelmed and ready to bail. Moving into a new community and creating new routines is a formative time. I love seeing first and second year students who were at one time floundering, but then return to the clinic completely transformed. When students come to the clinic, we come around them and help them feel better, which includes providing them with other resources to help them stay afloat during the transition. We don’t view each individual as a condition, but rather we make a personal connection with students. Unlike a typical clinic, college health views the individual as someone you want to be successful. We do a lot of follow-up because we want to do what we can do to get them back on track so they have a more successful college career.
When a student is feeling unwell, we can attend to the situation at hand, offering help or pointing them to other resources. That’s what makes this job rewarding. We are fulfilling one piece of a big puzzle that we have to put together to get the student back on track.
What brought you to Bethel, and what do you love most about this community?
I first came to Bethel as a student in the nursing program, which I graduated from in 1984. Before I came back to Bethel, I worked at another nearby college. During that time, the previous health director at Bethel encouraged me to apply for an open position, so I did and then I got the job. Then when she retired two years later, I applied for her position, which led me to where I am today. One of the things I love about Bethel is that even though there’s such a vast array of people, the community is unique and beautiful because it has a focal point in Christ. Every community member is a representative of Christ and shows that love to others.
What kinds of health services does Bethel offer to students?
When I started, it was mostly nurse-led with a physician present only a few times a week. We had to do a fair amount of referring those early years. We’ve moved from a half time provider to a full-time provider. Today, we operate very similar to a community health clinic. We do most of the things that an urgent care does, and the vast majority of students we see have conditions that are treatable. There is a nurse practitioner in the clinic from Monday through Thursday that students can make an appointment with. We see students for a range of health issues, and also perform physicals for students before they travel.
How did Health Services partner with the COVID-19 response team?
I sat on a committee that started meeting in March 2020. My role was to inform the committee on the latest Department of Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines related to COVID-19. We initially determined not to do testing in our clinic. The testing center was set up at the Lakeside Center, and our clinic mostly operated as is. Our site was essentially for anything but COVID-19, but I answered the COVID-19 hotline during the day. After a couple months, we absorbed the testing center into the main clinic, but kept it separate. Students coming into the testing center would not walk through our main lobby. If we saw a student in the clinic and needed to rule out COVID-19, we had an exam room dedicated to that. At first, not many students came to the clinic for other health needs due to concerns about COVID-19, but it has been pretty steady the last three months. I also helped with another committee during the school year that kept a pulse on COVID-19 issues and numbers.
What’s the most fulfilling part about your job?
I see a fair number of freshmen and sophomores who are struggling with the transition to college and come to Health Services. Moving into a new community and creating new routines is a formative time. I love seeing first and second year students who are floundering, but then return to the clinic later and they have completely transformed. When students come to the clinic, we come around them and help them feel better. We will provide you with other resources to help you stay afloat during this transition. We don’t view each individual as a condition, we make a personal connection with students. Unlike a typical clinic, college health views the individual as someone you want to be successful. We do a lot of follow-up. We want to do what we can do to get them back on track so they have a more successful college career.
When a student is feeling unwell, there is a place that can attend to the situation at hand and help them. We can point them to another resource. That’s what makes this job rewarding. We are fulfilling one piece of a big puzzle that you have to put together to get the student back on track.
What role does Christianity play in community health?
You can’t be compartmentalized. We’re interconnected. Physical health affects mental health. When you add a spiritual component, we can bring in the idea of God who knows and cares and will tend to you. Christianity and spirituality contribute to the health of our community. Health Services is co-located with Counseling Services, and we do a lot of collaborating with them. If a student seems overwhelmed, we point them to Counseling Services. If a counselor has met with a student that seems to need extra help, Health Services can meet with them to discuss medication.
What is a day like in your role?
The clinic opens at 7:30 a.m. I had a COVID-19 meeting at 8:15 a.m. to get a sense of where things are at on campus. My role is overseeing three full-time employees and completing administrative tasks, like paying bills. Because I’m an RN, I also act as a backup nurse. I handle walk-ins that aren’t on the schedule. I also attend meetings related to the administrative side of my role. Once a month, I attend gatherings with other universities’ health directors where we ask each other questions and share our knowledge with each other. I connect on a regular basis with other health directors about hot topics.
What’s the most fulfilling part about your job?
I see a fair number of freshmen and sophomores who are overwhelmed and ready to bail. Moving into a new community and creating new routines is a formative time. I love seeing first and second year students who were at one time floundering, but then return to the clinic completely transformed. When students come to the clinic, we come around them and help them feel better, which includes providing them with other resources to help them stay afloat during the transition. We don’t view each individual as a condition, but rather we make a personal connection with students. Unlike a typical clinic, college health views the individual as someone you want to be successful. We do a lot of follow-up because we want to do what we can do to get them back on track so they have a more successful college career.
When a student is feeling unwell, we can attend to the situation at hand, offering help or pointing them to other resources. That’s what makes this job rewarding. We are fulfilling one piece of a big puzzle that we have to put together to get the student back on track.
Health Services at Bethel.
Health Services provides Bethel students with the care they need to get well and stay healthy. To schedule an appointment, call 651.638.6215 during clinic hours.