Rick Rasmussen likes to say he isn’t the smartest person in the room, but no one will outwork him. 

The career track of the CEO of Northwest Specialty Hospital in Post Falls backs him up.

"I don't have that healthcare background, but I feel like I'm a good judge of character, and I'm surrounding myself with incredible people," he said. "I call it getting the right people on the bus, and so I'm very much a gut-level person."

Rasmussen has led NWSH since 2014. Under his watch, it has grown. Dramatically.

When he stepped into the CEO role, the hospital had about 80 employees, four operating rooms and a handful of inpatient beds. Over the next decade, it expanded to more than 900 employees, 12 operating rooms, multiple clinics and urgent care locations and tens of thousands of patients served each year. 

"So, we've just really grown as a community," he said.

Rasmussen has been there for every patient.

He was born in Libby, Mont. The family moved to Coeur d'Alene when he was 2 years old. His roots would sink into the community.

His father, Gary, known to nearly everyone as “Big Dad," and his mother, Lois, or “Big Mom,” were educators. The Rasmussen name would echo through the halls of Coeur d’Alene High School for generations, and Sigvard the Viking statue, unveiled last year, bears his middle name.

"It's pretty humbling, pretty amazing," he said.

Rick grew up in a world of classrooms, sports and great expectations. From the beginning, discipline and curiosity were woven into daily life. 

His father turned car rides into math puzzles — calculating distances, speeds and times — while his mother emphasized organization and the simple but powerful idea of the Golden Rule: treat others how you want to be treated.  

Those lessons stuck.

At Coeur d’Alene High School, Rasmussen was valedictorian and student body president. He was an offensive lineman on a team that won a state football championship and also won a state math championship.

“Kind of a weird combination,” he said, smiling.

But it fit.

He loved competition and loved the effort behind it. In a 1984 article written about him as a senior, Rasmussen summed up his philosophy: he might not be the smartest, but he would outwork everyone.

He carried that mindset to the University of Montana, where he competed in football and track. He earned All-Big Sky honors in the shot put. At the same time, he pursued an accounting degree.

After college, Rasmussen returned home and spent 25 years working for Louisiana-Pacific. It was a great career until the company asked him about relocating to Nashville. 

The answer was easy.

“I’m not leaving,” he said.

That decision led him to apply for the chief financial officer position at Northwest Specialty Hospital in 2012. He got the job. Within two years, when the CEO departed, Rasmussen found himself doing both roles — CFO by night, CEO by day. 

After six months and a national search, the board made it official: he would lead the organization.

He said he never set out to run a hospital. In fact, he admits that he doesn’t have a clinical background and isn’t particularly fond of operating rooms. What he does have is an instinct for people.

“It’s about getting the right people on the bus," he said.

That philosophy has defined his leadership. 

Rasmussen points to the region’s population boom, especially among older residents, and the increasing demand for healthcare. There’s room, he said, for systems to complement each other rather than compete.

At the core of his approach is culture. Rasmussen emphasizes hiring for fit rather than resume, believing that technical skills can be taught, but empathy and kindness cannot. He personally meets every new employee during orientation, reinforcing a simple philosophy: manage with love, not fear.

He also brings his accounting background into daily operations. His “1x, 5x, 10x” prioritization system helps his team focus on what matters most. The easy tasks are tempting, but real progress comes from tackling the difficult 10x challenges, he said.

"If you focus on something, you get better at it," Rasmussen said.

That blend of discipline and empathy has shaped a hospital experience that he believes should feel different. Patients often arrive at their worst — sick, anxious or in pain. Rasmussen insists that every interaction matters. Within 5 feet of a patient, he wants a smile and a greeting. Within 10 feet, acknowledgment. 

“People won’t remember your name or your title,” he said. "They're not going to remember what you look like. They're not going to remember what department you're in. They're going to remember how they were treated. They’ll remember how you made them feel.”

Outside the hospital, Rasmussen has been involved in the community for decades, serving on the Coeur d’Alene School Board, participating in Rotary, working with the Innovia Foundation, supporting organizations like the Boys & Girls Club and the Humane Society, and mentoring younger people. 

His father’s advice — don’t complain, get involved — guides him.

It explains why he was named Citizen of the Year in Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls and Hayden Lake. He’s also been inducted into the North Idaho Athletic Hall of Fame and the North Idaho Officials Association Hall of Fame for his 20 years as a football referee, including several state championship games.

But accolades don't drive him. If anything, they make him slightly uncomfortable. 

“You don’t do things for awards,” he said. 

What matters to Rick Rasmussen is leaving the community better than he found it.

That sense of continuity runs through his personal life as well. Rasmussen married his high school sweetheart, Sharyl, and together they raised two daughters who followed a similar path of hard work and achievement, both earning advanced degrees. 

Now, with daughters returning to North Idaho and a granddaughter growing up in the same school system, the cycle continues.

Looking ahead, he sees continued growth for the hospital, for the community and for the next generation of leaders. And, by the way, he was a mentor for the Coeur d'Alene Regional Chamber's NextGen program.

Someday, he and Sharyl hope to visit every Major League Baseball stadium. But for now, his focus remains on North Idaho.

"We're going to be in this community, we're going to keep helping out and doing what we can, and continuing to support what we can," he said.

Even as he turned 60, Rasmussen shows no signs of slowing down. He sleeps four to five hours a night, driven by this question: "Am I going to make a difference?"

It's safe to say the answer is yes.

    Project donors stand with Sigvard the Viking during the statue unveiling in December at Coeur d'Alene High School. From left: Sharyl Rasmussen, Rick Rasmussen, Ryan Nipp, Susan Nipp and Charlie Nipp. Photo courtesy of Jason Buscema