Celebrating Black Excellence: Yvette Miller, MD, ABIHM

In honor of Black History Month, AABB News is pleased to present our “Black Excellence in Blood Banking” series. The six profiles in this series highlight just some of our Black AABB members who are making a difference in transfusion medicine, blood banking and biotherapies through their leadership, significant work and commitment to health equity. Learn more about Yvette Miller's leadership journey at the American Red Cross, her work advocating for sickle cell warriors and how she defines Black Excellence below.

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Q&A Yvette Miller, MD, ABIHM

Executive Medical Officer, American Red Cross

‘The Power to Change’

Following in the footsteps of her hero, Dr. Charles R. Drew, Yvette Miller pursued a career in transfusion medicine and found purpose in advocating for patients with sickle cell disease and dismantling health disparities.

Yvette Miller, MD, ABIHM, is the American Red Cross executive medical officer for the Donor and Client Support Center, headquartered in Charlotte, N.C., where she oversees the organization’s donor eligibility determination process, blood product management and donor management. Her areas of expertise include donor recruitment and retention in the Black community, and meeting the transfusion needs of patients with sickle cell disease (SCD).

She is board-certified in clinical pathology and is a diplomate of the American Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine. Miller volunteered as a blood donor and CPR instructor with the American Red Cross while preparing for medical school. She has worked for the American Red Cross for more than 25 years, serving in various leadership capacities, including regional medical director and director of apheresis donor collections and clinical services for the Arizona Region. She has training in leading critical conversations on structural racism and bias, diversity, equity and inclusion and community resilience development. Her other areas of interest include donor recruitment and education in the African American community and underrepresented communities, equitable access to health care in underserved communities, and use of integrative medicine modalities in community health and wellness and for self-care.

Miller is co-chair of the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine (AIHM) Board BIPOC Committee, which was created in June 2020 to serve as a catalyst for meaningful transformation toward racial equity in integrative health. She is also a member of the AABB Donor History Task Force.

CAN YOU TELL US HOW THE LEGACY OF DR. CHARLES R. DREW—RENOWNED BLACK SURGEON, PIONEERING MEDICAL RESEARCHER AND EARLY LEADER IN BLOOD BANKING IN THE UNITED STATES—INFLUENCED YOUR DECISION TO PURSUE A CAREER IN TRANSFUSION MEDICINE?

My dream as a child was to be a doctor. Dr. Charles R. Drew was one of the few Black historical figures I learned about in school. His life and death had special significance for me because he died in a fatal car crash in Burlington, N.C., which is close to where I lived in Winston-Salem, N.C. I was fascinated by his life story. He was relentless in his pursuit of higher education and a career in medicine at a time few Black people had this kind of opportunity. When I learned that he worked with blood, and perfected the iconic technique to separate blood cells from plasma and ultimately became the medical director of American Red Cross Blood Services, I could see myself following in his footsteps in a career in transfusion medicine and working for American Red Cross.

YOUR WORK INCLUDES FOCUSING ON ADVOCATING FOR PATIENTS WITH SICKLE CELL DISEASE AND INCREASING BLOOD DONATIONS IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY. WHAT LEGACY DO YOU WANT TO LEAVE FOR THE COMMUNITIES YOU SERVE?

I see my advocacy work on behalf of patients and communities affected by sickle cell disease as a privilege and an opportunity to partner with them to elevate their voices, create space for power sharing and highlight what is beautiful about their lives. In relationship to increasing blood donations by the Black community, it is important to communicate that our blood donations can help address health disparities and health inequities, particularly in relationship to patients with sickle cell disease. Race frequently enters the conversation regarding the need for blood donations from diverse communities. My focus is on moving the conversation away from race to genetics, as race is an artificial divisive construct. The thoughts I want to share with the communities that I serve are that we have exceptional resilience, that we hold the power to change our own lives and we can and should find joy in everyday life.

WHAT IS ONE LESSON YOU CAN SHARE THAT’S UNIQUE TO BEING A BLACK LEADER IN TRANSFUSION MEDICINE/ BLOOD BANKING?

The unique space that I inhabit as a Black leader in transfusion medicine/blood banking is that I have no reservations regarding speaking on the impact of structural racism and implicit and intentional bias on the delivery of substandard medical care to intentionally marginalized communities in this country. The lesson that I can share is that speaking out on this topic of structural racism and bias, wherever it exists, requires people from all cultural backgrounds to inform themselves on the issues and speak out.

LOOKING AHEAD, WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO SEE IN TERMS OF HEALTH EQUITY IN THE FIELD AND/OR WORKFORCE? WHAT CHANGES NEED TO OCCUR TO ENSURE LASTING PROGRESS?

In terms of addressing health disparities and inequities in marginalized communities, we must focus on the full range of the social determinants of health, of which health care is just one facet. For example, improving access to higher education, eliminating housing insecurity, addressing unemployment/economic disparities and increasing access to affordable food. In relationship to workforce diversity, systemic racism and bias affects who has access to higher education and professional school. The same type of work that must be done in terms of removing barriers to addressing health disparities and inequities, also must be done to improve access to higher education and professional school.

WHAT BOOK HAS HAD A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON YOUR LIFE, AND WHY?

My personal journaling. I started keeping a diary and writing notes to myself when I was a child. I love reading my past thoughts, wishes for myself and how I wanted my life to unfold. Some things worked as written and some things didn’t! My own words have provided me with such comfort and encouragement over the years. I wouldn’t trade anything for my journey.

WORDS TO LIVE BY/FAVORITE MOTTO:

I am a dedicated diehard sports fan. The late N.C. State University basketball coach, Jimmy Valvano, said do three things every day: “Number one is laugh, number two is think—you should spend some time in thought—and number three is you should have your emotions moved to tears.”

WHAT DOES BLACK EXCELLENCE MEAN TO YOU?

For me, Black excellence starts with knowing my family and cultural history. Understanding the struggles that my family and my community had to endure to clear a path for me to succeed. I honor every experience, sacrifice and triumph of my people. With the work that I do, I try to pay it forward to the next generation so that their lives will be richer and more joyful than my own.