Meet the Omak Team

Effective July 2024, Emily Miller, MD, assumed the role of Program Director for the MultiCare Omak Rural Training Program.

The science of medicine has always been fascinating to me, but it was not until I envisioned a medical practice spanning all ages and rooted in a community that I really decided to become a physician. My desire to work in a small town led to specializing in Family Medicine and then completing a Rural Medicine Fellowship including training in cesarean sections and higher risk prenatal care. Though I spent my early years in the green landscapes of New Zealand, New Hampshire and Western Washington I’ve come to love the open skies in Omak, WA where I have practiced full spectrum Family Medicine at Family Health Centers since 2013.

Rural communities face a shortage of primary care providers; my primary clinical goal is to be a stable source of medical care for families in Okanogan County and to be responsive to the types of care that they need. I find professional fulfillment in the variety of full spectrum Family Medicine, with a special interest in prenatal care and obstetrics.

Mentoring future rural practitioners as the Program Director for the Omak Rural Training Program brings the joy of teaching to an already full professional life. It’s an honor to walk alongside our residents as they thrive in our healthcare community.

Outside of medicine, my family and I cultivate a small farm with goats, ducks, fruit trees and vegetables. When not on call I often roam Okanogan County hiking, cycling, paddling and foraging for wild foods.

Tacoma Faculty Omak Faculty Residents

Served as the founding Program Director for the MultiCare Omak Rural Training Program in Family Medicine was an honor, yet I chose to transition into the role of Interim Urban Site Director for Tacoma. My roots are in Eastern Washington. I bucked hay in the alfalfa fields and worked the cherry orchards as a teenager. I was able to join my father on construction jobs at Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee Dams in North Central Washington. My medical school Family Medicine rotation was in Omak, Washington. I have taught full spectrum Family Medicine for over 30 years, including 10 years as a Program Director at Tacoma Family Medicine. This new Omak Rural training program has a wonderful village of founding partners. MultiCare, Family Health Centers FQHC and the Omak Mid-valley Hospital are enthusiastic sponsors. Led by Dr Emily Miller and Dr James Wallace there is strong medical community support in Omak. We have generous financial support startup grants from Premera and the State of Washington. We have relied on collaboration with the University of Washington WWAMI Network of Family Medicine Programs and Pacific Northwest University Health Sciences, to construct a first-rate Rural Training Program and curriculum. Life in the Okanogan is glorious. Hiking and camping in the North Cascades has been a great joy in my life. We are seeking those special founding residents to make Omak a top destination for Rural Medicine Training. Come and join us.

You’ll usually see our residency coordinators hard at work, but Debbie Miller and Emma Ruhl make sure to enjoy working hard and playing harder!

Email us at [email protected]