Heather Mills, APRN, FNP-C

Mills holds a national certification with the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation for Advanced Oncology Certified Nurse Practitioner and has practiced since 2022. She is a caregiver at Saint Joseph Medical Group – Cancer Care Center. Mills is interested in preventative medicine while treating patients at high risk for certain cancers due to genetic and/or family history. She uses a patient-centered approach, but said “collaborating with family, friends and other health care specialties is what puts all the pieces of the puzzle together.” Motivated by a desire to help others, Mills started out in health care in 2010 as a nursing technician before completing nursing school and becoming a family nurse practitioner. In addition to her certifications, she holds a master’s degree in nursing from Eastern Kentucky University Being a small part of her oncology patients’ journey is rewarding, she said, explaining, “You become family. You feel their feelings. You understand their hurt. You can make their worst days a little bit better with a smiling face and helping hand.” She finds joy in preparing patients and their families in their journey, and making it a little easier. Listening to the concerns of her patients and their families is how she demonstrates humankindness. “I hear the concerns of my patients and families,” she said. “I sense the fear when walking into an oncology office which is why I aim to reduce the anxiety when they leave by answering questions, assessing their barriers to care, and ensuring they have what they need to be successful in whatever their treatment may be.” Outside of work, she enjoys time with her family, traveling and being a soccer mom.