Terry "Lee" Mills, Jr., MD, MMM, CPE, FAAFP, FACHEβο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώββββββο»Ώββββββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβο»Ώββββββο»Ώββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώββββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώο»Ώββββββο»Ώββββββββββο»Ώβββββββββββββββο»Ώβββββββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβο»Ώβο»Ώββββο»Ώο»Ώββο»Ώο»Ώβββββββββββββο»Ώββββο»Ώββο»Ώβο»Ώββββββο»Ώββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώββββο»Ώββο»Ώβο»Ώβο»Ώβββο»Ώββββββββββββο»Ώο»Ώββο»Ώο»Ώββββββο»Ώββο»Ώββββββββο»Ώββο»Ώββββο»Ώο»Ώβββββββββββββο»Ώββββο»Ώο»Ώββο»Ώβββο»Ώο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώο»Ώββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβο»Ώββββββο»Ώββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώββββββββο»Ώο»Ώββο»Ώββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώο»Ώββο»Ώβο»Ώβο»Ώβββββο»Ώβο»Ώβο»Ώβο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώββββο»Ώββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώββββο»Ώββο»Ώβββο»Ώβο»Ώβο»Ώβββββο»Ώββο»Ώββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώββββββββο»Ώββο»Ώβββββο»Ώβο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββο»Ώβο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβο»Ώβο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώο»Ώβββββββο»Ώο»Ώβββο»Ώβο»Ώββββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώββο»Ώββββο»Ώβββο»Ώββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββο»Ώββββββββββββο»Ώβββββββββββο»Ώββββο»Ώββο»Ώββο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώβββββο»Ώβο»Ώβο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώο»Ώββο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώββββββββο»Ώββββββββββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώββββββββο»Ώο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβο»Ώβο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβο»Ώβο»Ώβο»Ώβο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώβο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώββββββββο»Ώββββββο»Ώββββββββο»Ώββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββο»Ώββββββββο»Ώο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώββββββββο»Ώββββββο»Ώββββββββο»Ώββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββο»Ώββββββββο»Ώο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββββββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώββββββββο»Ώββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώββββο»Ώββββββββββο»Ώββββββββο»Ώο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββββββββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβο»Ώβο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώββββββββο»Ώββββο»Ώββββββββββο»Ώββββββο»Ώββββββββο»Ώββββββο»Ώββββββββο»Ώο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώβο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώβββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώββββββββο»Ώββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώο»Ώο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώββββο»Ώββο»Ώο»Ώββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώβββββββββββο»Ώβββββββββββββββββββο»Ώββββο»Ώββο»Ώβο»Ώββββββο»Ώββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώββββο»Ώββο»Ώβο»Ώβο»Ώβββο»Ώββββββββββββο»Ώο»Ώβββββββββββββο»Ώο»Ώββο»Ώβο»Ώβο»Ώβββββο»Ώβο»Ώβο»Ώβο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώββββο»Ώββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώββββο»Ώββο»Ώβββο»Ώβο»Ώβο»Ώβββββο»Ώββο»Ώββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώββββββββο»Ώββο»Ώβββββο»Ώβο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββο»Ώβο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώο»Ώβββββββο»Ώο»Ώβββο»Ώβο»Ώββββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώββο»Ώββββο»Ώβββο»Ώββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββο»Ώββββββββββββο»Ώβββββββββββο»Ώββββο»Ώββο»Ώββο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώο»Ώββο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώββββββββο»Ώββββββββββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώββββββββο»Ώο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβο»Ώβο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβο»Ώβο»Ώβο»Ώβο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώβο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώββββββββο»Ώββββββο»Ώββββββββο»Ώββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββο»Ώββββββββο»Ώο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώββββββββο»Ώββββββο»Ώββββββββο»Ώββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββο»Ώββββββββο»Ώο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββββββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώββββββββο»Ώββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώββββο»Ώββββββββββο»Ώββββββββο»Ώο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββββββββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβο»Ώβο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώββββββββο»Ώββββο»Ώββββββββββο»Ώββββββο»Ώββββββββο»Ώββββββο»Ώββββββββο»Ώο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώβο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββββββο»Ώβββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββο»Ώβο»Ώβββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώββββββββο»Ώββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώβββο»Ώβββββββο»Ώο»Ώβ
Candidate for director
Personal statement
The AAFP has been my professional home since I was a medical student. I was welcomed by my state chapter, appointed to an AAFP committee, elected convener of the National Conference of Student Members and ultimately served as student member of the AAFP Board of Directors.
Through those early experiences, I found my people. I found colleagues who shared my aspirations and worries: friends, mentors, supporters of dreams and scholar-warriors. I had wanted to be a family physician since I was 6 years old, and the AAFP made that dream feel real, knowable, achievable and honorable.
I also had the extraordinary fortune to be mentored by future AAFP presidents and legends of our specialty. I saw firsthand the dedication of AAFPβs volunteer leaders and professional staff, and I came to understand family medicine as both a calling and a force for better health in America. Those experiences have shaped how I have practiced, led and served ever since.
I am seeking to serve on the AAFP Board of Directors because I love family medicine, believe deeply in its future, and want to give back to the profession and organization that have given me so much. At every stage of my career, the AAFP has been thereβadvocating for members, equipping physicians and championing the essential role of family medicine in the lives of our patients and communities. I am eager to help carry that mission forward.
My career has taken me across the full breadth of family medicine: hospital and ICU care, ambulatory practice, maternal-child care, home visits and nursing homes, gritty trauma bays in Iraq, and end-of-life care. I have practiced and led in rural and urban communities, physician-owned and employed practices, medical groups and health systems, and health plans. Those experiences have given me deep insight into the many ways family physicians serve and the many challenges we face.
Today, I serve as chief medical officer of Aetna Better Health of Oklahoma, working to improve care for our Medicaid members while actively reducing administrative burden on clinicians. I remain involved in patient care as a hospice medical director, supporting patients and families through some of lifeβs most difficult moments. This keeps me grounded in both the systems that shape care and the relationships at its heart.
Over the years, I have served family medicine through the AAFP, two state chapters and multiple national leadership roles. Those experiences have taught me to listen well, build trust and bring people together around shared purpose. We are indeed better together.
This is a pivotal moment. Care delivery, payment systems and technology are changing at a breathtaking pace, and family medicine has never been more essential. I would be honored to bring my experience and relentless drive to serve you on the AAFP Board of Directorsβand to work with colleagues across the country to strengthen our specialty, support our members, advocate for meaningful change, and improve care for the people we love and the communities we call home.
Terry βLeeβ Mills Jr., MD, MMM, CPE, FAAFP, FACHE, is a family physician, physician executive and long-standing leader in organized family medicine whose career spans full-scope rural practice, medical group and health system leadership, health plan executive leadership, and national payment policy and innovation.
Dr. Mills brings broad experience across the full breadth of family medicine. Over his career, he has cared for patients in ambulatory practice, hospitals and ICUs, skilled nursing facilities and nursing homes, and across the life continuum from maternity to end-of-life care. He has practiced in physician-owned, employed and military settings and led in medical groups, hospitals, health systems and health plans. He has mentored medical students and residents as a clinical associate professor at the University of Kansas School of MedicineβWichita and authored articles for Family Practice Management. He has led through accreditations, EMR implementations, informatics challenges and practice transformations. These experiences have given him detailed, granular insight into the daily challenges facing family physicians and the patients they serve.
A former student member of the AAFP Board of Directors, Dr. Mills currently serves as a delegate to the AAFP Congress of Delegates from Oklahoma, having previously served as delegate from Kansas. His Academy service includes chairing the Commission on Finance and Insurance, the Commission on Quality and Practice, and the Commission on Practice Enhancement, as well as service on multiple other commissions and Congress committees. He has served on the boards of both the Oklahoma and Kansas chapters, including as president and board chair of the Kansas Academy of Family Physicians. He also represented the AAFP on the AMA RUC for 11 years, fighting for economic equity and fair payment for family physicians.
Dr. Mills currently serves as chief medical officer of Aetna Better Health of Oklahoma, leading clinical strategy and operations for a 190,000-member managed Medicaid plan. In that role, he works to support family physicians and patient care by reducing administrative barriers, increasing resources and payment for primary care and advancing practical alternative payment models. He also remains involved in direct patient care as a hospice medical director, supporting patients and families through serious illness and end-of-life care. In addition, he chairs the U.S. Department of Health and Human Servicesβ Physician-Focused Payment Model Technical Advisory Committee, advising the secretary of HHS on physician-focused payment models and value-based care.
Throughout his career, Dr. Mills has pursued a single-minded purpose: to improve the health of the people we love and the communities we call home by making care better for patients, caregivers and clinicians.
Lee and his wife, Dianna Mills, PsyD, are high school sweethearts and live in Tulsa, Oklahoma. They have three adult sons and two daughters-in-law: Matthew and Noelle, Mark and Katie, and Micah. They enjoy family and friends, three grand puppies, serving RiverOaks Presbyterian Church, reading and British TV murder mysteries, backpacking and camping, and travel of all kinds, including recent adventures hut-hiking Icelandβs Laugavegur Trail and sailing in the Caribbean.