Missy Miller
Medical Outreach DirectorMissy Miller is the medical outreach director for The Mesothelioma Center, the nation’s most trusted mesothelioma resource. She writes about outreach initiatives as a contributing author for Asbestos.com.
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Certifications:- Bachelor’s in Psychology, University of Central Florida
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Memberships:
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Expertise:- Cancer Specialists
- Medical Debt
- Financial Planning Insurance (Medicare & Medicaid)
- Mesothelioma Awareness
- Financial Assistance
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Author Profiles:
About Missy
Missy Miller joined The Mesothelioma Center in 2010. A graduate of the University of Central Florida, she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology. This helped prepare her to help meet the needs of families facing mesothelioma.
- Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Advocates
- American Thoracic Society
- The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer
The Journal of Oncology Navigation & Survivorship interviewed her in 2018. They discussed her role with the Medical Outreach team.
How the Doctor Match Program Helps Mesothelioma Patients
The Doctor Match program at asbestos dot com, we locate doctors in a certain vicinity closest to the patient that have a specialty in mesothelioma. As a provider and what I’ve experienced is that Missy and Jose and the medical outreach team go to the ends of the earth to help patients get to care. And they think critically about all aspects of the patient’s needs, including where they’re located, what their constraints are, what their, concerns are. And it seems to be very individualized and I’ve been impressed with how organized and thoughtful the approach is to helping these patients. I try to listen to what the patient wants and then develop a specialist for them to see based off of their specific needs. We’ve developed contacts across the last twelve years, so we’ve really built a lot of relationships with these doctors. We’ve come to know their processes. We know how to fast track their, appointment booking. We know how to fast track their registration process. We know how to fast track getting their medical records sent to the specialist, which is the most important. I know when they reach out and work with our team, they know who to contact. They’re incredibly professional in helping coordinate, collecting records and sending those records in and helping the patient advocate for themselves to make sure that tests are done in a timely fashion, to make sure appointments are obtained in a timely fashion. Their mission is to help these patients, and I find having that sort of navigation and support at such a vulnerable time is really critical.
Missy’s Role With the Medical Outreach Program
Missy directs our Medical Outreach Program. In her role, she connects with top hospitals and cancer centers. She travels the country to meet with specialists. Through these meetings, she builds important relationships. This creates chances to collaborate to help patients.
She learns what they offer mesothelioma patients. Missy also raises awareness about the work our Patient Advocates do to help patients. Top doctors join our Doctor Match Program because of these ties. Our Patient Advocates can connect patients with the right doctor for them. And doctors refer patients to us to find helpful resources.
Missy also attends medical conferences. She connects with patient navigators, social workers and advocates.
Working With Patients and Their Families
In addition to outreach and work with our Patient Advocate team, Missy helps patients directly. She helps patients travel to mesothelioma centers. These specialty centers can be far from where patients live. Missy can help them find travel grants and lodging discounts.
Missy shares emotional support resources. These can include mesothelioma-specific support groups. For more than a decade, Missy has guided families to medical, financial and emotional support. Missy is passionate about helping patients navigate their journey.
“A lot of times patients will come to us with initial needs,” Missy tells us. “I end up developing good friendships with many patients and their families. They call me with all sorts of questions.”
“For example, sometimes people on chemo aren’t feeling well. They want to know what they can do. Their stomach hurts. Or they ask, ‘Am I going to lose my hair?'” Missy shares. “They share different types of fears that they have. I always give patients my cell phone number. So they’ll call me in the evenings or call me during the day. We develop a friendship and a relationship.”
