Robin Mills, FNP

Robin was born and raised in a rural town of California’s central coast. Her core values include compassion, inclusivity, justice, prevention, and strengths-based care that acknowledges individuals and community are intertwined. She found her way into the nursing field after practicing massage therapy and realizing the personal and career potential being a registered nurse (RN) would provide. She graduated with a BSN from San Jose State University in 2008 and moved to San Diego to be near family. Her first nursing job was with San Ysidro Health Center at their newly established urgent care. This provided a great opportunity to work in an ever changing environment with a variety of ages while improving her Spanish language skills.

She also joined the San Diego Mountain Rescue Team which helped her improve her teamwork skills and realize she wanted to live closer to the mountains.

She moved to Denver in 2011 and was soon hired by Denver Health to work as an RN in one of their family medicine clinics. She soon transitioned to the Ambulatory Care Services (ACS) Float Team once she began graduate school. Both positions reinforced her dedication to family medicine and the work that dedicated professionals can do. She completed the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) program at the University of Colorado in May 2015 and gladly accepted a position as an FNP at the La Casa/Quigg Newton Family Health Center. She officially joined the La Casa team in October 2015 and worked in this fulfilling position full time for eight years. In 2017 she was introduced to Lifestyle Medicine, which gave form to her underlying philosophy of wellness as five core elements: high quality nutrition, regular physical activity, quality sleep, personalized play, and connection with each other. In 2020 she earned a board certification in Lifestyle Medicine and continues to explore and utilize these principles.

She was introduced to Colorado Foundation for Universal Health Care in 2019 and attended a conference they organized. This group holds the same core values as she does. Volunteering with them has been key to understanding and modifying moral injury while empowering Robin to keep working for the equitable social change that is universal health care.

By 2023, the challenges of working directly in the United States health care system and a desire to leave the city encouraged her to look for a different type of position. She was hired by Delta County Health Department in October 2023 and moved to Paonia, Colorado the next month. Working in public health has been full of its own challenges, being in charge of grants and finding voice as a leader. There are also many joys such as having much more time with patients, a more focused clinical practice and the opportunities to get to know and work directly with the local community.

On a personal note, Robin is currently in a contemplative psychology program based in Buddhist philosophy. Learning about and endeavoring to live embodied awareness brings her perspective and understanding to this complicated modern world. She and her partner Cody live with their dog Lulu in Delta County. They love all the opportunities the open spaces of the western slope have to offer such as hiking, camping, paddleboarding and playing in the snow.