The Indian Health Services Yankton Service Unit, Great Plains Area in Wagner has a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Darrell Miller. Miller officially took the position in August of 2023 after working as the acting CEO for twelve months prior.

The mission of the Indian Health Service is to raise the physical, mental, social and spiritual health of American Indian and Alaska Native peoples to the highest level. Darrell enjoys being a part of a team that is doing the work to achieve this mission. Miller enjoys working alongside talented employees and a caring leadership team. He feels accomplished when he receives feedback from patients that IHS’s staff were able to meet or exceed patients’ health care needs. Miller is proud that patients leave the facility knowing they have a supportive clinical team attending to their health care needs.

As the CEO of Indian Health Services, one of Darrell’s major roles is to provide oversight of the facility be ensuring fiscal responsibility and ensuring compliance with agency policy and federal regulations. One of his goals for his first year as CEO is to reduce the facility’s vacancy rate to less than five percent across the facility and continue to improve access to services. What gets Darrell out of bed in the morning is knowing that each and every day he has the opportunity to leave a positive impact on someone. He enjoys the work that he is doing at IHS and is very grateful for the opportunity to be an agent of change in the Wagner and surrounding area communities.

When asked what qualities a good healthcare professional should possess, Darrell said that a healthcare professional should be both compassionate and resourceful. When a patient visits the Wagner site of Indian Health Services, he or she is visiting because of a health condition that they want to be or needs to be addressed. This translates into the patient usually not feeling the best, which requires a provider to be compassionate. A resourceful provider is able to know how to find ways to solve a problem. In the rural setting, there is often limited resources, so it is important that the provider determines the best path forward for the patient using all of the resources available to them.

Miller originally moved to the Wagner in 2016 from the Washington DC area. He left Washington DC after completing his Master’s degree in healthcare administration and management. Darrell has been working for the Indian Health Service for 10 years now. Miller pursued the position of acting director because it offered him an opportunity to gain experience and advance in his career field. He was familiar with the role and thought it would be a good fit for him. When asked what qualities should a good CEO possess, Darrell responded with being a good active listener as his top quality, which is a quality that Darrell himself possesses. The culture that he was raised in emphasizes the importance of respecting the individual and listening. Darrell believes it is important to listen and evaluate all of the information that is provided to him so that he can make an informed decision.

As a CEO, Darrell is continuing to grow and develop as a leader. He is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and is pursuing a designation as a fellow. His goal is to achieve designation as a fellow within the next year. Continuous education is important to his development, because the health care industry is always evolving. ACHE provides resources for CEOs and those in healthcare leadership positions. Darrell is also currently actively pursuing a doctorate degree in health administration.

His interest in the healthcare industry started as an undergrad in college. When Miller entered college, he was considering law school, but after taking a psychology class during his freshman year he changed his mind. That psychology course gave Darrell an immediate draw to the health care field and eventually helped him to decide to pursue a career in mental health.

The first job that Darrell completed after receiving his bachelor degree was an administrative assistant in the quality management division. In that position he took meeting minutes that his supervisor conducted, processed orders for the department, was the timekeeper for 25 employees and assisted coordinating new employee orientation for the hospital.

Relocating from Washington DC to Wagner was a nice change for Darrell. He enjoys the easy-going nature of the rural/country atmosphere. During the warmer months, he enjoys taking walks and enjoys spending time at the Wagner Lake in the evenings.

Darrell was born in Gallup, NM and raised on the Navajo Nation in Crownpoint, NM. He is the middle child of five siblings and the only one of his siblings to move away from their hometown. Darrell is a member of the Navajo Nation. He married his partner in July 2023. They recently adopted a German Shepherd named Daisy. Daisy joined their Siberian Husky named Lucy. In his free time, Darrell likes to visit his family in New Mexico and spend time with their dogs. Darrell also enjoys traveling and finding new restaurants or foods to try.