Community Health Network President and CEO Bryan Mills announced July 1 that he will retire at the end of 2025, concluding a 40-year career of leadership, growth and service within the health system.
Mills began his journey with Community in 1985 as part of the leadership team that opened Community Hospital North. He went on to lead Visionary Enterprises Inc., a for-profit subsidiary of the network, before being appointed president and CEO of Community Health Network in 2009.
His announcement follows two major milestones for the network: the 40th anniversary of Community North and the opening of a new Westfield campus, where a hospital is currently under development.
“With both of these amazing milestones in mind, and with the end of my contract term approaching later this year, I feel this is the right time to prepare to pass the baton to Community’s next leader,” Mills said.
When Mills first joined the organization, it consisted of just one hospital.
Today, Community has grown into a comprehensive health care system that includes five acute-care hospitals — with a sixth underway — a cardiovascular hospital, a recovery center, three rehabilitation hospitals, and plans for standalone behavioral health facilities. The network also offers virtual care, ambulatory services, outpatient surgery centers and advanced oncology care through a partnership with MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Throughout this period of transformation and expansion, Mills said the organization’s mission has remained unchanged.
“We’ve never changed our name, Community, because it reflects our unchanging mission to enhance health and well-being across our communities,” he said. “Our dedication and commitment have always been to patients, our communities and our caregivers. I’ve had the privilege of walking alongside so many wonderful patients, caregivers, and colleagues for four decades and it has been the greatest honor of my life.”
Rafael A. Sanchez, president of the Community Health Network Board of Trustees, commended Mills’ decades-long leadership and impact.
“Bryan’s vision, integrity and unwavering commitment to our mission have shaped Community into one of the most respected health systems in the region,” Sanchez said. “His leadership has touched countless lives, and we are deeply grateful for his decades of service.”
The board has launched a search for Mills’ successor. He will remain in his role through the end of the year and support the transition process.
This reporting is made possible by a grant from the Indianapolis African-American Quality of Life Initiative, empowering our community with essential health insights. https://iaaqli.org/
Contact Health & Environmental Reporter Hanna Rauworth at 317-762-7854 or follow her on Instagram at @hanna.rauworth.
Hanna Rauworth is the Health & Environmental Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper, where she covers topics at the intersection of public health, environmental issues, and community impact. With a commitment to storytelling that informs and empowers, she strives to highlight the challenges and solutions shaping the well-being of Indianapolis residents.
