Dolores Miller, RN, MN

Bay Area native finds her place in the community as Mission Hospice CEO

March 2020

New Mission Hospice CEO Dolores Miller says community is the key to just about everything she does. She grew up in San Francisco’s Mission District, where she worked at the YMCA and got her BSN from University of San Francisco. For the past 26 years, she’s lived in Miramar, just north of Half Moon Bay. In fact, Dolores’ entire family lives in the area: her parents are in Brisbane where her dad still runs the family HVAC business, and her grown kids Sarah and Dylan both live in San Francisco.

So when Dolores, who’s served as our interim CEO since last fall, was offered the position on a permanent basis, she knew it was a good fit. “It’s especially meaningful to be part of an agency that, like me, has deep roots in the community.”

Her clinical experience spans leadership roles with Sutter Mills-Peninsula, UCSF, SF General, Kaiser, and more. With so many years in Bay Area healthcare, Dolores already knew quite a few people at Mission Hospice, and has enjoyed reconnecting with old acquaintances.

“We are so glad to have Dolores leading our team at Mission Hospice,” said board member Steve Weller, MD. “Having worked with her for many years at Mills, I know she shares our passion for providing exceptional care for our community.”

“I always knew Mission Hospice had an excellent reputation,” she says. “But I really got to know the organization, and the team’s compassion and commitment, when Mission Hospice cared for my patients.”

Dolores brings decades of experience as a nurse and manager – as well as expertise in Medicare standards and reimbursement – to her oversight of patient care, training, and quality. When she was appointed as our interim CEO in fall 2019, Dolores dove into learning all she could about hospice care.

After visiting the hospice house in her first week, she was reminded how important it was to have her whole family around during her husband’s final days. “Bringing the outside in, as the house does with its beautiful setting, is so important for creating peaceful spaces for families to spend time together. I am proud that we are able to offer this as an option for our patients.”

Over the past six months, Dolores has continued to learn, riding along with clinical staff and talking to employees and volunteers across the organization. “Our team is really inspiring,” she says. “A lot of the people here have been touched personally by hospice care – it’s part of what makes them so caring and committed.”

High energy like her family, Dolores works hard and plays hard. In her off-time, she enjoys walking on the coastal trail next to her house, dancing, and working in the garden. She spends as much time as she can with her loved ones, enjoying meals together, trips to the mountains, and skiing.

She also appreciates fiction, particularly murder mysteries. In fact, she has already written a mystery of her own, and is contemplating writing a second book. “I’ve always loved writing and even pursued it seriously in college, but nursing was my passion.”

Fortunately, she feels she’s found her home here at Mission Hospice. She says that after her experience working closely with the staff as interim CEO, she knew she wanted to be part of the future of the agency.

“As the only independent nonprofit hospice in San Mateo County, we are set apart by our extraordinary level of care, our community outreach and education, our wide range of bereavement offerings, and our incredible volunteer services. It’s truly a privilege to be part of this amazing organization.”