February 03, 2023  –  ARH is pleased to announce Dr. Nathan Mills is the new Director of Medication and Safety.

When Mills joined ARH he says, “It was the best career decision I ever made.”

In 2015, after having worked less than two years with a chain pharmacy, Mills moved to ARH. His wife Savannah was a physical therapist at Tug Valley ARH at the time and she encouraged him to apply when a position opened in pharmacy. He was hired and within a couple of years, became the director of pharmacy. In 2019, both Mills moved to Highlands ARH Regional Medical Center with Nathan as director of pharmacy and Savannah as the director of rehabilitation services.

Mills comments, “Throughout my tenure here, ARH leadership has encouraged and supported me in so many ways. I’m very appreciative of the opportunities I have had and thankful for all of the relationships that I have built and sustained at ARH.”

Mills studied at Morehead State University for his pre-pharmacy work before moving to Lexington to attend the University of Kentucky’s College of Pharmacy. Throughout his career, Mills has obtained additional certifications, continuing to grow in his knowledge of pharmacy and in his knowledge of leadership. In order to better serve his colleagues and more importantly his patients, Mills became a graduating member of the Class of 2022 ARH Leadership Academy. In addition, he serves as a preceptor to introductory and advanced pharmacy students from several schools.

Mills says that even though his focus in the new role is more aligned in working with staff that the patient is still the center of it all. He says, “As pharmacists, our number one priority is patient safety. In this role, my goal is to support our nursing, pharmacy, and ancillary staff so they can be confident that the pharmacy systems they are using are helping them to provide safe and high-quality patient care.

ARH Big Sandy Regional CEO Tim Hatfield says, “I’ve worked with Nathan at Tug Valley and at Highlands ARH. It has been a pleasure to watch him grow and develop his leadership skills over the past several years and I’m very confident that he will continue to grow and prosper in his new pharmacy role at ARH.”

Mills and his wife Savannah have two daughters, Blakely and Jillian. Mills is very active in his Pike County community and serves as a church elder and as youth director for the Coal Run Church of Christ. He teaches Sunday School, is the Vacation Bible School Director, and works with the homeless shelter.