Climbing Mountains: Dr. Phyllis Miller’s Upward Journey, is described as "an inspiring new biography about the extraordinary life of a prominent Tennessee physician." Written by local author, Lynelle
Mason, the book profiles Dr. Miller’s humble beginnings in a Polk County farmstead to an
outstanding career and her eventual election as the first woman to head the Tennessee
Medical Association.
Dr. Miller’s parents died while she was still in high school, but through tenacity and the assistance of some key teachers and mentors, she completed high school and earned a scholarship to Tennessee Technological University. She worked her way through college and the University of Tennessee School of Medicine with a variety of jobs, most notably in the “urine room” at John Gaskin Hospital.
After a residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Erlanger, Dr. Miller began a long career in Chattanooga, delivering thousands of babies over the next 20 years and caring for thousands of women.
While caring for her patients, Dr. Miller garnered the respect of her peers. She was a trailblazer for women in medicine. Her firsts included serving as the first woman president of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society, the first woman president of the Tennessee Medical Association, and the first woman to serve as chief of staff at Erlanger Hospital.
Dr. Miller continues to care for patients as part of Erlanger Women’s Institute for Specialized
Health. She is board-certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Author Lynelle Mason spent 30 years as an elementary school educator in Georgia with 25
years as a special education resource teacher. She is the author of eight books, including her
own autobiography, Tarnished Haloes, and her Trailblazer trilogy aimed at middle-grade youth to
adults.
Climbing Mountains is available locally through Dr. Miller at phyl0876@aol.com. The cost is $18
(plus $2.80 for shipping). It is also available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Good Faith
Media at https://goodfaithmedia.org/product/climbing-mountains-by-lynelle-sweat-mason/.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of Climbing Mountains will be donated to the Polk
County Education Foundation to provide college scholarships for deserving students in Polk
County. Dr. Miller was a founding member of the Foundation in 2004.