James Mills, a cardiologist for 35 years, knew he wanted to be a doctor when he was in first grade. “I was always fascinated by medicine,” said Mills, an associate professor of medicine at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and a cardiologist at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH). “I don’t know exactly what triggered it, but I remember having my own first-aid kit and being drawn to the idea of taking care of people even as a little kid.”
His determination and early sense of purpose continued through high school, college and medical school. It is what brought Mills, the director of general and preventive cardiology in the Division of Cardiovascular Diseases and Hypertension of the Department of Medicine at the medical school, where he is helping to launch a preventive cardiology program designed to transform how cardiovascular disease is identified, treated and prevented.
The new program, developed through Rutgers Health and RWJBarnabas Health, brings together preventive cardiology, cardiac genetics and sports cardiology under a unified, academic vision. Cardiologists trained in this program will bring a holistic perspective to the practice, helping people live heart-healthy lives. To read the full story.