LEWISBURG, W.Va. (WVDN) – Two West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine (WVSOM) leaders — a chief operations officer and a faculty member — will share their expertise after being appointed to national organizations.
Lauren Miller, D.O., a WVSOM associate professor and vice chair of the Department of Clinical Sciences, was selected to serve as a physician addiction state champion in the Opioid Response Network in association with the American Osteopathic Academy of Addiction Medicine.
The network’s physician champions provide subject matter expertise on specific topics; recommend local experts for training requests; advise the network on local needs and barriers to consider for training and educational activities; and recommend ways to promote the network’s resources and provide local support.
“In this role, I will serve as a local consultant and champion for addiction response efforts across West Virginia — helping communities, health care providers and organizations build capacity and expand access to care through education, advocacy and collaboration,” Miller said. “I’m incredibly honored to be part of this national initiative. I look forward to sharing more as this work develops, and hopefully bringing new resources and connections that benefit the WVSOM team and those we serve.”
Linda Boyd, D.O., WVSOM’s chief academic officer, said WVSOM employees continue to strive to better the osteopathic medical profession. Having faculty members like Miller represent WVSOM on a national level is a testament that physicians deeply care about their work and about making an impact on their communities.
“We are very proud of Dr. Miller’s appointment. She is dedicated to care for people at their most vulnerable dealing with addiction. She is deeply committed to serving our community,” Boyd said.
Additionally, Drema Hill, Ph.D., WVSOM’s chief operations officer, was voted chair-elect of the American Public Health Association’s (APHA) Health Administration section, which is guided by promoting the public’s health by advancing the quality and practice of health administration. The mission of the Health Administration section is to build public health capacity and promote effective policy and practice.
Hill, whose appointment begins Nov. 6, said she is excited to provide expertise in public health administration at a national level.
“I am pleased to be voted on by my peers across the country to serve as the chair-elect and then chair of the APHA Health Administration section. As such, I will continue to be a convenor, catalyst and advocate to build health administration capacity and effectiveness in public health nationally,” Hill said. “I have been privileged to create and implement many public health programs during my long and fulfilling career that have made a difference in the lives of the people I served. I believe in health administration that facilitates and drives optimal, equitable health and well-being for all.”
Hill, who has worked at WVSOM since 2016, has been recognized at the national and state levels for her efforts in public health care and worked in the profession for more than 40 years.
Among many awards throughout her career, in 2023, the American Public Health Association awarded Hill its Excellence in Health Administration Award, which recognizes exceptional and sustained achievement in public health administration. In 2024, she was recognized as a ‘West Virginia Wonder Woman’ by WV Living magazine for her work in making a positive change in health care in the state. In 2025, she was recognized as one of West Virginia Women We Admire’s Top 50 Leaders of West Virginia.
