Toni P. Miles

Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Health Policy & Management,

Professor Emerita

Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Health Policy & Management,

Toni Miles, MD, PhD, is a Fellow in both the American Public Health Association and the Gerontological Society of America. Her work focuses on the population health effects that occur after the deaths of friends and family members. This is important for the health and wellbeing of the 700,000 employed family caregivers in Georgia.

The results of this work is used by advocacy groups for polices that improve bereavement care in the United States. The group Culture Change Network of Georgia advocates for improved culture of dying and deaths in post-acute care / nursing homes. The Athens Area Grief Coalition (Athens-Clarke County) was the first group to use these data to craft bereavement care in the county.

Dr. Miles led first ever state-level survey of new bereavement in the United States. During the pandemic, she used Georgia’s newly expanded telehealth network to disseminate a Best Practices in Bereavement Care Toolkit to all nursing homes, personal care homes, and assisted living sites in the state. She has more than 200 communications in public health, bereavement, and chronic diseases. Since coming to Georgia in 2011, she has mentored 18 PhD / DrPH students.

Education

Medical Doctor (MD) Howard University College of Medicine, 1985
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Howard University, Graduate School, 1984 / Neuroscience
Bachelor of Science, Northwestern University, 1976

Areas of Expertise

Chronic disease epidemiology, population health, bereavement, BRFSS survey

Affiliations

Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers
American Public Health Association
Gerontological Society of America

Research Interests

Throughout her career, Dr. Miles has focused on public health aspects of chronic disease – mortality risk, access to health care, and the development of functional limitations.

Family / friend caregivers are an extension of this focus. Her research begins and ends with persons who live with chronic disease and their families. This perspective leads to cost effective policies and person-centered care.

Selected Publications

Why Understanding Bereavement Matters. Scientia 2024, https://doi.org/10.335-48/SCIENTIA1025

Miles TP, Wang Ke. Employed Family Caregivers, Time, and Community-Based Support Policy. Public Policy & Aging Report, November 2024. https://doi.org/10.1093/ppar/prae022

Miles TP, et al. Estimating Prevalence of Bereavement, Its Contribution to Risk for Binge Drinking, and Other

High-Risk Health States in a State Population Survey, Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20, 5837. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20105837

Intergenerational Workforces in the Fashion Industry. 2024 McInnis A, Miles TP. https://doi:10.4324/9781032658506-7

Presentations

2024

2ND Annual APHA-RCI Coffee Conversation on Family Caregivers and Public Health: Caregivers and Intersections with Social Determinants. October 27, 2024. APHA Minneapolis, MN.

Plenary Session, Livability & Longevity Symposium, April 15, 2024, University of Texas – Austin, LBJ School of Public Affairs. Presentation: https://youtu.be/tx4DCuaHK1I?si=TPBuUfsj16pgw3LN

Let’s Experience: So You’re a Caregiver, Now What? May 2024, Presentation: https://youtu.be/Se8mfG5TLdU?si=q1LbzRYp8OxfJUy_

2023

1st Annual Coffee and Conversation: Caregiving , Mental Illness, and Public Health. American Public Health Association (APHA), Atlanta GA.

Health Care Policy: Moving from good idea to positive impact. LBJ School of Public Policy, Austin TX. September.

Caring for the Caregiver: Start to Finish, American Society on Aging, Atlanta GA. March.

2022

In the Know: Working while caring – bereavement. https://youtu.be/vRi8AUTzTyo?si=-SJEur0JdOtSDREo

Empower HER, Employee Support Group, Altarum Michigan, November. Online

Best Practices in Bereavement Care, Georgia Service Board, November. Lake Lanier, GA

Navigating Grief and Bereavement, Episode 44: Seniority Authority, https://senorityauthority.org.

Caregivers Round table, Rosalynn Carter Institute, October, Atlanta GA

Bereavement Care Benefit, America’s Health Insurance Plans, June, Las Vagas NV

Piedmont Hospital, Howard Stroud Event, Community Health Presentation, May, Athens GA

Keeping it Real with Julia Yarborough: Coffee Chat Bereavement and Caregivers, April, Online. https://youtu.be/IFsDX2FWcfM?si=qd5D1m0aBfm400Q2

Best Practices in Bereavement Care in the Workplace, GA Tech, April, Atlanta GA

Navigating Grief and Bereavement: A guide with Dr. Toni Miles, Senior Authority. https://youtu.be/CgyKQ7f_i4U?si=wp5WeTXfEMgaNVgl

News & Media Mentions

Dr. Ruth said we need to talk about loneliness. Atlanta J Constitution, Michael Scaturro, October 21, 2024. https://www.ajc.com/news/health-news/dr-ruth-westheimer-tackled-loneliness-and-its-causes-for-young-and-old-americans-in-her-last-book-the-joy-of-connections/63S4Y5QUAJBWJCN4SBJMHOP46E/

Caregiving Will Be a Challenge for Generations. 2024 J Angel & T Miles, https://news.utexas.edu

Tracking the health impacts of grief: ‘People suffer when they lose someone’. Interview with Scott Tong, NPR Hear and Now, October 2021. https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2021/10/12/bereavement-health-impacts

The Grief Crisis Is Coming. Allison Gilbert 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/12/opinion/covid-death-grief.html