We sat down with Dwight Mills, associate vice president for business development at Mednax®. A native of Jamaica, Dwight majored in physics at Lawrence University in Wisconsin and earned a master’s of business administration from the University of Florida. He joined Mednax five years ago and has held various finance positions prior to his current role.
Don't have time to read? Listen to the blog here!
What is the primary reason you joined Mednax five years ago?
I wanted to be in finance, and I also wanted to be in a stable industry. When a recruiter introduced me to Mednax as the country’s leading provider of neonatology services, I began doing research. I found that this big, diverse company was doing a lot of research and providing critical services, and that was extremely attractive to me.
What do you like most about working for the company?
The people. I work with a fantastic team of professionals. Also, there are many long-tenured people who have deep company knowledge, and their doors are always open. I have reached out to countless people, from the CEO to clinicians and everyone in between, with questions, and everyone is always welcoming and happy to help.
What is the biggest challenge in your current role?
Data. We collect a tremendous amount of data. In the past, it wasn’t easy to get one answer about the performance of the company. Today, however, we are meeting the challenge of data. We now have comprehensive dashboards that enable our leadership team to make informed decisions and make sure we’re on track to meet our key performance indicators. That speaks to the new energy this leadership team has brought to the company, and that is exciting.
What motivates you professionally?
My love for learning and understanding the business well is what drives me. This job allows me to keep learning. Luckily, Mednax has highly diverse segments, giving me a variety of topics to choose from every day so I can learn something new and become great at it.
How has working for Mednax contributed to your professional growth?
Health care is a complicated field but working for Mednax has allowed me to begin becoming an expert in a certain niche market in health care. Also, to be in the finance space, which is where I always wanted to be, I’ve gotten the opportunity to do what I love. I’m extremely happy with the company because of all the opportunities it offers. And, if you want those opportunities, put your hand up, and you’ll get them.
What are three words you would use to describe Mednax?
- Innovative — The research arm of the company helps us evolve and advance through research programs and the number of neonatology studies it conducts.
- Resilient — It’s been around for more than 40 years. I’ve seen other companies in this space that have not fared as well.
- Pioneering — For more than 40 years, Mednax has led the way in caring for critically ill neonates. Today, we provide comprehensive, specialized care for pregnant women and children. We are now expanding our pediatric subspecialty offerings with the recent additions of pediatric urgent care, neurology and orthopedic surgery services. The future of our company is bright!
What do you do in your spare time?
Spend time with family. My son just turned a year old in July, so I spend time with him and my wife, as well as other family members, as often as possible. I enjoy listening to music, reading and watching my favorite football (soccer) club, Arsenal, in the English Premier League. I have also been working on my golf game, but that needs a lot more work.
What are some non-professional goals you’re working toward?
Family is what matters most to me, so building a nice life for my family is essential. If I look ahead 25 years from now, my children will have gone through college and are well on their way, and my wife and I will have a retirement home, and we can go on vacations now and again. It’s about setting a foundation and building upon what my parents gave me to ensure my family does well.
How do you balance your career and family?
I block time every evening to spend with family and make sure my wife and baby are fine and help with household responsibilities. On the weekends, I try to spend one day focusing only on family and not responding to email or doing any work-related tasks. On a Friday, I try to set my agenda for the coming Monday. That allows me to start my weekends knowing what’s ahead of me and not worrying about it through the weekend.
What motivates you personally?
Family. Since becoming a father, my son has reminded me about the joy of learning because the little guy is like a sponge. If I’m doing something, he focuses on what I’m doing. Then, maybe a day later, I’ll see him repeating the same action. Seeing his love for learning has reignited my passion for learning and remotivated me to continue to excel and make every day my best day yet.
In your personal life, who are you most inspired by, and why?
My parents. They came from humble beginnings. They created the opportunity for my sister and me to get a solid education and have great careers. The sacrifices they made to allow us to have better lives than they had motivates me to thank them and provide for them as they get older and do the same, or even better, for my family.
What’s a fun fact about you many people may not know?
My childhood dream was to become a pilot. After college, I went back to Jamacia and started pilot training. Then the national airline closed, so I changed my professional direction because I didn’t want to move to the Middle East, away from my family, to continue training.
Closing thoughts
Every day I realize there’s more to learn, and that’s what makes working for Mednax rewarding. I’m forever grateful for the opportunities I have gotten. Regardless of how long I end up being with Mednax, I’ll certainly look back on these first five years with a smile on my face because I feel like I have achieved a lot. I feel like I’m on a great path and in a great place, and that makes me truly happy.
Interested in joining our talented team?
