Two-time MUSC graduate, Justin Miller, receives Emerging Leader Alumni Award

Justin Miller, MHA, online BS in Healthcare Studies (HCS) Class of 2019 and Executive Master in Health Administration (MHA) Class of 2022, was awarded the MUSC Alumni Association’s Emerging Leader Award for his dedication and remarkable work in assisted living health care.

This award is given to alumni who exemplify the values of their college and demonstrate leadership and dedication to their profession. Miller was nominated by Lauren Gellar, Ph.D., division director in the Division of Healthcare Studies, citing his exceptional leadership skills and the impact he’s made at Anderson Oaks Assisted Living in Conway, S.C.

“To even be accepted into the Healthcare Studies program in the first place, and then to not only be nominated as a distinguished alumni but to be honored … the award really forced me to step back and say ‘O.K., I did accomplish these things,’” Miller said. “It was very nice to acknowledge everything that has happened in the last 10 years.”

Miller was working as a caregiver at Anderson Oaks Assisted Living facility, in the community where he was born and raised, while working toward his bachelor’s degree when he had the opportunity to become the marketing director. “I came here and really felt the difference, where it wasn’t about money, it wasn’t about the numbers,” he said. “It was about the residents and the seniors that we were taking care of.”

He worked throughout his time at MUSC, thanks to the hybrid nature of the programs at MUSC and the flexibility of his employer. As a result, he was able to take what he was learning and immediately apply it to his work. One of the major projects he participated in -- transitioning to an electronic medical record (EMR) system within assisted living -- directly aligned with the work he was already doing at Anderson Oaks. “It wasn’t just a thesis or project, it was literally something I was able to implement in my job immediately,” Miller said.

In October of 2022, Miller was promoted to executive director at Anderson Oaks Assisted Living shortly after earning his MHA from MUSC. He says receiving the Emerging Leader Award is another reminder to continue to push himself and to ask what he can do not just today, but in the future, to create change and truly make a difference in senior care.

Samantha Pasternoster
Contributing Writer