Rick Richards, MBA, MS - Chief Executive Officer
Mr. Richards has 31 years experience as a trained medical professional and administrator. He is clinically trained in speech pathology and has worked as an operating room technologist and medic while serving in the United States Air Force. He possesses an M.B.A. from the University of Phoenix and has worked in hospital administration in Utah, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Washington and Idaho. He most recently served as a chief executive officer for one of the nation’s leading rehabilitation hospital companies. He now lives in Post Falls, Idaho with his wife and daughter.

Joe Vessey, CPA - Chief Financial Officer
Mr. Vessey has extensive experience in healthcare financial operations, patient reimbursement, cost containment, compliance and profitability studies. He has a bachelors degree in accounting and a bachelors degree in management information systems from Eastern Washington University and is a masters of business administration candidate at EWU.

Linda Tate, RN, BSN-Director of Nursing Services
Ms. Tate has 25 years of experience in nursing. Most of her experience has been in management, including Northeast Medical Center in Humble Texas, East Texas Medical Center in Crockett Texas and Northwest Specialty Hospital in Post Falls Idaho. Ms. Tate’s clinical experience includes Surgical Services, Risk Management, Quality Management and Medical- Surgical. She graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing in 1982 from Texas Woman’s University in Denton Texas and is currently completing her Masters in Healthcare Administration from University of Phoenix.

Heather Slick, Director of Human Resources
Ms. Slick has nearly 11 years of experience in the field of healthcare human resource management. Her responsibilities encompass employee relations, benefits management, payroll, recruitment/retention, along with training and development. She has been involved with developing human resource functions at the ground level. Ms. Slick’s experience includes work in both the non-profit and for-profit sectors, and the management of non-union as well as union employees. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Human Resource Management from California State University in Chico, California.

Stuart Curtis, RN - Director of Quality/Risk Management
Mr. Curtis has more than 27 years in the nursing profession as a clinician and team leader. His career has taken him into leadership positions including Rockwood Clinic and Sacred Heart Medical Center, where he led several surgical and outpatient services units. He was named Director of Nursing at Northern Idaho Advanced Care Hospital in 2006 after serving as the organization’s Director of Quality, Risk Management and Infection Control.