Rasmussen: Service Beyond The Uniform: A Lifetime Commitment To Caring For Others

By Ron Rasmussen, NH Journal

Growing up during the Vietnam War, I knew two things about my future: I wanted to become a physician, and if I ever served in the military, my purpose would be to heal. I remember thinking, “If I join the military someday, I will be there to help people.”

That belief stayed with me, eventually leading me to the United States Navy, where I learned lessons about service, leadership, and integrity that continue to guide me today as chief medical officer (CMO) at Catholic Medical Center (CMC), part of HCA Healthcare.

I am joined by more than 4,500 incredible colleagues who are dedicated to delivering the quality, compassionate care our patients depend on at HCA Healthcare’s sites of care in New Hampshire—including more than 225 military-affiliated colleagues. Just last year alone, HCA Healthcare hired 141 veterans to work at CMC and our sister facilities, Parkland Medical Center, Portsmouth Regional Hospital, and Frisbie Memorial Hospital. Across the country, HCA Healthcare employs over 18,000 military-affiliated colleagues.

I joined the Navy while attending medical school through the Health Professions Scholarship Program. After completing my surgical residency, I entered active duty in 2001 and reported to Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut, on Sept. 1.

Ten days later, the world changed. The Sept. 11 attacks brought a new sense of urgency to our mission and reinforced the importance of being prepared to serve wherever we were needed.

During my military service, I deployed to Djibouti and Bahrain as part of a surgical augmentation team responsible for ensuring medical teams and facilities were ready to respond to emergencies and military casualties. We worked alongside local physicians, building relationships and strengthening medical readiness. That experience reinforced the importance of preparation, teamwork, and the trust we place in one another when lives are at stake.

My time in the Navy also taught me that leadership isn’t simply about rank or title. In military medicine, I learned to navigate different chains of command, recognizing that clinical and operational authority don’t always rest with the same person. Being effective required understanding those dynamics, listening to others and earning their trust. Those lessons are just as relevant today.

As CMO at CMC, I work alongside physicians and clinical leaders who bring tremendous expertise and a shared commitment to our patients. My responsibility isn’t simply to make decisions because of my position. It’s to listen, collaborate, and build the relationships necessary to move us forward. As I often remind myself, “I have to listen. I have to earn the respect of my physician leaders as the CMO.”

The Navy also reinforced the importance of integrity and accountability. In healthcare, those values are especially meaningful because the people who depend on us are our patients. If you make a mistake, own it. That principle has guided me throughout my career. Whether serving in uniform or leading in a hospital, doing what’s right requires honesty, responsibility, and the willingness to hold yourself accountable.

Interestingly, my ambition to become a chief medical officer began while I was still serving. When I enrolled in the Montgomery GI Bill, some of my fellow physicians wondered why a surgeon would need additional education benefits. I told them I planned to earn my MBA and become a CMO someday.

Years later, I did.

As we recognize Veterans Day, I think about the many men and women who have served our country, the sacrifices they’ve made and the ways they continue to contribute to our communities long after their military service ends. You don’t have to agree with every conflict to respect the people who answered the call to serve. Their commitment and sacrifice deserve our gratitude.

I also think about the critical work organizations like HCA Healthcare do through veteran programs to empower our military-affiliated colleagues as they embark on a new mission—including support for their families.

I’m incredibly proud to be a Navy veteran. If I had the opportunity to do it all over again, I would make the same decision a hundred times. But most importantly, I am grateful to stand among those who have served, and I carry the lessons of that service with me every day. The uniform may change, but the commitment to serving others remains.

Ron Rasmussen, MD, is Chief Medical Officer at Catholic Medical Center. He wrote this for NHJournal.com.

This story was originally published by the NH Journal, an online news publication dedicated to providing fair, unbiased reporting on, and analysis of, political news of interest to New Hampshire. For more stories from the NH Journal, visit NHJournal.com.