Jeffrey Miller, MD, FAAP

	Joined Jul, 1976 Department: Pediatrics [Map] Title: Physician Degree: MD, FAAP Interests: Children's Health, Music, Reading, Medical Teaching (Asst. Clinical Professor, UCSF) Languages: English Physician Homepage
Bio After living the first few years of my life in Chicago I grew up in West Covina, a suburb of Los Angeles. When in college I considered becoming a research scientist (a family tradition), but eventually decided that although I was fascinated by science I liked working with people much more than test tubes. During medical school I was drawn to working with children and families, but also the very elderly. I settled on pediatrics as the best fit for my personality and desire to work on great starts to long healthy lives. During my pediatric training at Kaiser Foundation Hospital in San Francisco I liked the health promotion approach, great cooperation between the entire health team, and the pre-paid healthcare concept I saw there, so decided on a career with Kaiser Permanente. After working a few years in San Rafael, I was one of 5 doctors to open Kaiser Santa Rosa in 1980, serving as Chief of Pediatrics the next 17 years. During my last 2 years as Chief of Pediatrics, I also served as Chair of Northern California Kaiser Permanente Pediatrics. I look forward to working with your family, and watching your children grow and develop from birth through high school. I believe that mothers and fathers have a strong desire to be good parents, and know when their children are having a significant problem. Children thrive on unconditional love, skilled parenting (take those parenting classes!), good nutrition, lots of exercise, and rarely medical interventions. My goals are to teach your family how to stay well, listen carefully to your concerns, treat problems thoughtfully in partnership with you, and for all of us to enjoy our time together Because of my long term interest in promoting healthy lives, I served as Chief of Health Education for our Santa Rosa medical center from 1999 to 2007. In this role I helped lead efforts to improve healthy habits (like healthy eating and exercise), decrease unhealthy ones (like smoking), and teach illness self- care for Kaiser Health Plan members and our whole community. We have a wealth of resources including individual counseling with clinical health educators, multi-session classes, one session seminars, the Healthphone, printed information and an amazing array of online resources (all of which can be accessed through my Home Page). Please call me if you feel your child is not well and thriving.
My Medical Specialty
More details about my specialty: I have truly been blessed to have a career that still makes me eager to go to work in the morning. Many families have chosen me as their pediatrician for two generations; helping and watching babies become productive adults with children of their own is a great experience. My specialty interests and affiliations within my field: I particularly like working with children and families having developmental challenges, school problems, or chronic illness. Please call me if you feel your child is not well and thriving. Great health resources that I refer to: Great Information from Kaiser Permanente Before Your Visit http://www.permanente.net/kaiser/pages/c2906-13335.html Child Health Information http://www.permanente.net/kaiser/pages/c2906-17409.html http://www.permanente.net/kaiser/pdf/4102.pdf Teen Health Information http://www.permanente.net/kaiser/pages/c2906-17419.html http://www.teenchoicesandchallenges.com/ En Espanol http://www.permanente.net/kaiser/pages/c2906-23596.html Good Web Resources California Parenting Institute (now merged with CARE Children's Counseling Center) http://www.calparents.org/ The Vaccine Education Center http://www.chop.edu/consumer/jsp/microsite/microsite.jsp?id=75918 Kid's Health http://www.kidshealth.org/ Medline Plus health information from the NIH http://medlineplus.gov/
Interests
I have been a part of nonprofit children's health agencies since coming to the county including CARE Children's Counseling Center and California Parenting Institute (CPI). I also work with Sonoma County Healthy Kids whose goal is health insurance and a medical home for all children in the county. Healthy Kids includes Kids' Net which brings together low income uninsured children with an acute medical problem and volunteer physicians willing to help. I have volunteered at community clinics over years, including currently at Roseland Children's Health Center. Another fulfilling medical activity has been teaching medical students and family medicine residents about pediatrics. I enjoy music (both listening to all genre and pounding on the piano occasionally), reading (particularly non-fiction and science fiction), and running around the neighborhood (love that healthy exercise!).
Family & Friends
People in my life: My wife Phyllis teaches elementary school, but has taught everything from nursery school to college. We were married just before I started medical school (definitely a patient woman) and have lived in Santa Rosa since 1981. My children and people I care about: We have two grown children who both attended public school in Santa Rosa through high school: Our son Aaron is a biochemist now doing research at Stanford. He is married to Katarina-an elementary school teacher. They have a daughter Jasmin Sophia who was born in June 2007-being a grandparent is more fun and definitely less work than being a parent! Our daughter Rebecca is an actress (and college graduate) living in New York City who is working Off, Off Broadway (she still has her day job). She is married to David- a playwright, Off Broadway director and acting coach.	Photos of my Family & Friends: Kauai Hike Aaron and Katarina Jasmin's First Halloween Rebecca and David Aaron and Rebecca
My pets: Tiggy the cat who followed Phyllis home from school one day.	Pet Photos: Tiggy
Travel
Favorite place in the world: My favorite place (other than Sonoma County of course) is the island of Kaua'i. Our first trip was in 1977 when I interviewed for a job with a medical group there. Thankfully I decided to work here with Kaiser Permanente, but we have been back many times since, and intend to spend time there regularly after we retire. It's incredibly beautiful and very relaxing. I have a favorite beach there (Lumahai on the north shore) that I think about for a minute when there are way too many difficult issues in my day, and it calms me down immediately. One of my recent trips: My son Aaron and daughter-in-law Katarina were married in June of 2002 in Santa Rosa. We all went to Bratislava, Slovakia that November for a wedding reception given by Katarina's parents. It was a great party, fun to meet more of her family, and fascinating to talk about all the changes in Eastern Europe since the fall of Communism. Bratislava is only 40 miles from Vienna, Austria, but Katarina's family had not been able to visit there (on the other side of the Iron Curtain) until 1989. We also were able to visit Prague, Vienna, and Budapest.	A Photo of One of My Favorite Places: Na pali Coast Trip Photos: Bratislava Castle Slovak_American Reception Table Traditional Sharing of Chicken Soup Parliament in Budapest Prague