Seasoned healthcare leader Sean Mills joins Ballad Health as chief financial officer for its Northern Region

Sean Mills, an accomplished executive with more than 15 years of experience in managing hospital finances, has joined Ballad Health to serve as the chief financial officer for its Northern Region.

Mills will oversee all the finances of the Northern Region, which covers the health system’s hospitals in Bristol, Kingsport and Southwest Virginia, including Bristol Regional Medical Center, Holston Valley Medical Center and Johnston Memorial Hospital.

In this new position, Mills will be responsible for ensuring the region’s financial stability, growth and strategic success. He will oversee budgetary processes and develop financial strategies to promote the long-term sustainability and success of the hospitals within his region.

"I am honored to join Ballad Health and contribute to its mission of providing high-quality healthcare services to the Appalachian Highlands," Mills said. "I look forward to collaborating with the talented team throughout the region to further enhance financial performance and support the organization's commitment to exceptional patient care."

Mills has significant experience improving performance through financial leadership and collaboration with clinical operations. He holds further qualifications in organizational leadership, strategic planning, systems technology design and staff development, which were significant to Ballad Health leadership in selecting him for the new role.

“We are thrilled to have Sean join our team,” said Chad Couch, MD, president of Ballad Health’s Northern Region. “He brings a wealth of experience, a track record of financial excellence and a deep commitment to our health system’s mission of providing high-quality patient care. Sean’s strategic vision and ability to drive financial innovation will be instrumental in advancing our financial sustainability. We look forward to the positive impact he will have as we continue our dedication to exceptional healthcare services for the Northern Region.”

Mills said one of his priorities will be ensuring the hospitals in his region have enough staff to manage hospital capacity and ensuring those hospitals are top performers in their quality metrics.

“If we are providing excellent quality care and a top-notch experience for patients, we will ensure the financial well-being of our hospitals as well,” he said. “Our facilities are a great place to receive care, and I am excited to continue my career in a place that is making the right steps to ensure a patient-centered environment.

In selecting Ballad Health, Mills said the culture of the health system attracted him, which led to him and his family moving from Florida to the Appalachian Highlands.

“What I responded to is the culture of Ballad Health,” he said. “It drew me in and resonated with me. The team members I was able to meet with, their values are very much consistent with my own values. As a regional health system, our top priority is to provide the best possible care to our community. This is core to the mission of Ballad Health, and I look forward to contributing to this noble work.”

Prior to joining Ballad Health, Mills served as the vice president of finance for Ascension Florida & Gulf Coast (AFGC), where he established the AFGC capital allocation and management process, ensuring expenditures occurred within allocated resources and prioritized patient care needs. Mills also developed business planning guidelines, standardized tools and processes during his tenure at Ascension.

Mills’ career also includes time serving as chief financial officer at Ascension Our Lady of Lourdes in Binghamton, New York, and at Samaritan Medical Center in Watertown, New York. Early in his career, he also held positions at St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center in Syracuse, New York, where he developed comprehensive forecasts and spearheaded efficiency improvements across various departments.

A native of New York, Mills holds a master’s degree with a healthcare concentration from George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Le Moyne College in Syracuse, New York.

More information about the leaders and facilities of Ballad Health is available at www.balladhealth.org.