After more than 20 years with Ohio’s Hospice Loving Care, Karen Miller, team leader – home health, is retiring on October 29, 2021. During her tenure, she served patients and families in a variety of roles. As a field clinician, she cared for both home health and hospice patients. She also served in leadership roles. 

Barbara Dixon, director of home health operations, praised Miller for her dedication to the mission of Ohio’s Hospice Loving Care. “Karen always has been a dedicated staff member, adapting to change and regularly demonstrating servant leadership by helping patients, families and staff whenever and wherever she was needed,” Dixon said. “We thank Karen for her service, and we wish her the best as she begins a new chapter in her life.”

Initially, Karen came to Loving Care Hospice in late 1997 after seeing a newspaper ad about a part-time position. “I had been out of nursing for eight years because I had been a stay-at-home mom,” she said. “We were hoping to find a house to buy, and our children would soon all be in school.”

In February 2000, she started working as a full-time staff member at Loving Care. “In those years, I worked as a field nurse. I also worked in administration. We opened the Loving Care office in Marysville in September 2000,” Miller said. “I worked as a field nurse in both counties for several years.” 

She also worked in the office as hospice aide supervisor and worked on HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996) and OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) compliance. 

In another role, she took referrals and oversaw scheduling. She also was the aide supervisor. About four years ago, she became the home health team leader. In that role, she oversaw scheduling and served as a backup to referrals and scheduling.

“In my current role as team leader – home health, I oversee the nurses, therapists and aides who care for the home health patients,” Miller said. “Ohio’s Hospice Loving Care has provided me with a great place to work and good staff to work with.”

She has enjoyed the variety of roles and responsibilities she has had with Ohio’s Hospice Loving Care. “It has been rewarding to provide families with the tools they need to be able to care for their loved ones at home,” Miller said. “I have enjoyed interacting with staff and helping them grow in their responsibilities.”

Miller grew up in Middlebury, Indiana, where she graduated from Clinton Christian High School. She attended Rosedale Bible College for a year and then spent two years in Nicaragua as a volunteer with the Mennonite Church. 

“In Nicaragua, I decided on a career in nursing after seeing the tremendous need for rural clinics and nurses to run them,” Miller said. “So, I returned to the United States and attended Hesston College in Hesston, Kansas, to earn an associate degree in nursing in 1980.”

After graduating, she worked as a float nurse at a hospital in Hutchinson, Kansas. She worked various floors from medical-surgical nursing to pediatric nursing. Then, she became the director of nursing of a long-term care facility, working there until she started her family and became a full-time, stay-at-home mom. 

She has enjoyed her career, especially the time she has spent with Ohio’s Hospice Loving Care. “Working for hospice and home health is a great way to get to know patients in their home setting and provide them one-on-one care during the time you are in their home,” she said. “I have many great memories of patients, families and the stories of their lives.”

During retirement, Miller is looking forward to spending more time with her family and grandchildren. She also wants to spend more time sewing, knitting, crocheting, and weaving. 

Ohio’s Hospice Loving Care is grateful to Miller for her dedication to its mission of providing superior care and superior services to each patient and family.