It's clear how much Lana Mills cares about helping people.
Since joining Eureka Springs Hospital as Director of Nursing and Clinical Services in December 2024, Lana has improved patient care, supported our staff, and built strong relationships with local leaders.
Lana graduated from the University of Arkansas in 1999 with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology and Exercise Science. She became an athletic trainer, working with high schools in Little Rock. Through that work, she noticed that emergency services weren’t always available on the sidelines of games.
“So I decided I wanted to get some additional training,” Lana said.
She took an EMT class, expanding her knowledge as an athletic trainer. She moved back to Springdale, her hometown, after a few years working in Central Arkansas.
“I wanted to come back home, because my mom was here and I could help take care of her,” Lana said.
She kept working as an athletic trainer while helping people as an EMT. In 2005, she got an opportunity she never expected. Springdale High School asked her to join their team as a teacher.
“I never dreamed I would be a teacher,” Lana said. “I taught a few classes there, and then I moved into teaching in their medical academy.”
She taught at the medical academy for many years, where she served as the lead teacher. She remembered sharing the same sentiment with all her students.
“You treat everyone how you’d want your grandparents to be treated,” Lana said. “If you don’t want Grandma or Grandpa to be talked to that way, you don’t talk to a patient that way. You treat them with utmost respect.”
She completed her nursing degree while teaching. She already had bachelor’s and master’s degrees, in addition to her EMT certification.
“The community college had started a program to go into nursing if you had other degrees,” Lana said. “I applied, and I was one of the first ones to apply for the bridge program.”
After 18 years of teaching, Lana felt pulled back into healthcare. The Covid pandemic inspired her to help patients on the frontlines. She completed a year of psych nursing before working in emergency medicine.
“I have forever since then been an ER nurse,” Lana said. “My love of emergency medicine has always been there. I think it’s from being on an ambulance for years and years. I also did a year of flight nursing.”
She continued, “I felt like I was better served going back out into the community as a full-time nurse.”
She became a travel nurse, helping patients all over the country. She worked in several Level I Trauma Centers; that’s where she spent the majority of her time as a travel nurse. She loved helping patients, especially during the height of Covid, but she found herself missing home.
“When I came to Eureka Springs, it was the right fit and I got to come home,” Lana said. “I like being able to be home at night and make a positive impact on patients during the day.”
It’s not always easy to make changes, but Lana has embraced the positive change at Eureka Springs Hospital since her first day on the team. Her number one goal is to ensure quality patient care.
“That’s the reason I went into healthcare. I wanted to be able to make people better, to make a difference in their lives,” Lana said. “What’s best for the patients? What’s best for the people that are going to come in? Your ultimate responsibility is to the patients.”
Lana is hopeful that patient care will continue to improve under her leadership.
“I am here and I am an open book,” Lana said. “If anyone has questions for me, please ask and please know we are here for the community.
She added, “We’re here to make changes. We’re here to make the hospital a wonderful place to receive patient care.”
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