Ryan Mills

His Story

A longtime employee of the multi-state health-system Novant Health, Ryan Mills currently oversees comprehensive operational and regulatory processes at two different south-central North Carolina medical centers. Before assuming this pharmacy management position in March of 2017, he served two years as a pharmacy supervisor at Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center in Charlotte and three years as a clinical staff pharmacist at both Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center and Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem.

After completing his doctor of pharmacy degree (Pharm.D.) from the West Virginia University School of Pharmacy, Dr. Mills earned a dual master of business administration and master of healthcare administration (MBA-MHA) from Pfeiffer University. He holds a certificate from the Pharmacy Leadership Academy of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), which comprised seven courses aimed at enhancing leadership skills and patient care, and is a board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist (BCPS).
   
Dr. Mills is a member of ASHP, Pfeiffer Alumni Board of Directors, North Carolina Association of Pharmacists (NCAP) Health-System Practice Forum and Community Outreach Committee, and the ASHP Section Advisory Group (SAG) on Advancing Pharmacy Practice with Technicians.
   
Outside of the professional environment, Dr. Mills is an avid endurance athlete who has completed two half-Ironman triathlons and has also participated in the Boston Marathon in each of the last three years (2015-2017). He also enjoys reading about leadership development in publications such as the Harvard Business Review.

Overview of Facility/Health System

In his current role, he serves as pharmacy manager at Novant Health Kernersville Medical Center and Novant Health Clemmons Medical Center and is responsible for developing and implementing pharmacy operations such as policies and procedures. He oversees a team of dedicated healthcare professionals at both the Novant Health Kernersville Medical Center and the Novant Health Clemmons Medical Center. His daily responsibilities range from the management and coordination of clinical services to the oversight of human resources, revenue integrity, productivity, TJC readiness, and the pharmacy budgets.

Significant Projects

Novant Health Clemmons Medical Center opened August 2nd, 2017, and Ryan Mills was instrumental in bringing up the inpatient pharmacy. Also, at both of his sites, Dr. Mills was the operational manager for expanding pharmacy services at two new ambulatory surgery centers and expanding intermediate critical care services at Novant Health Kernersville Medical Center.

Initial Involvement in ASHP

ASHP provides many great opportunities for pharmacists to become involved whether it is within Connect community posts and blogs, Section Advisory Groups, or becoming published in AJHP. The Section Advisory Groups are a great way to network and learn from other thought leaders throughout the continuum of care what are best practices, and how to become a change agent.

Advice for Someone New to Your Specialty Area

"Figure out your passion and put it to work. I would recommend crafting a purpose of impact statement on why you are a pharmacist  (why you wake up every day) and pursue what you love. For me, it is to have a positive societal impact in my professional, and in my personal life. Decide on how you can make that happen."

One of my favorite quotes –  “The separation of talent and skill is one of the greatest misunderstood concepts for people who are trying to excel, who have dreams, who want to do things. Talent you have naturally. Skill is only developed by hours and hours and hours of beating on your craft." - Will Smith”

Value of ASHP

"I am going to touch on the value of the Pharmacy Leadership Academy of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) which I completed in 2017. The program is similar to many MHA programs but is pharmacy specific instead of focused on the overall health system. ASHP’s Pharmacy Leadership Academy consists of seven courses led by experienced faculty. With a goal of ultimately improving patient care at all levels, the program aims to accomplish this by enhancing participants’ leadership skills through courses that involve engagement with both faculty and fellow participants. The courses touch on many topics relevant to pharmacy professionals and include in-class presentations and case studies, as well as self-learning components."

"As a pharmacy leader, the Pharmacy Forecast has been instrumental in advancing pharmacy practice. The Pharmacy Forecast provides strategic direction for pharmacy leaders of emerging trends, changes in the practice of pharmacy, and the health of patients in health systems."