Family Medicine Practice in Ripon Fits Doctor’s Style
Steve Rasmussen graduated from West De Pere High School in 2005 and headed off to UW-Stevens Point to major in biology and study abroad for a stint in Poland. His early interests blossomed from there: he took his passion for learning and channeled it into medical school at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. The fellow American he met while studying abroad became his fiancée. While loving every step along the way, which included residency in Duluth, Minn., and extended work in New Zealand and Tanzania, he always knew his heart was in Wisconsin. Steve Rasmussen, MD, is a very happy man as the newest family practice doctor to join ThedaCare Physicians-Ripon.
The strongest vibe one gets from speaking to Dr. Rasmussen is warmth, humor and just the right amount of confidence. “My mom’s nursing career and mothering exposed me to caregiving, and my dad worked in real estate and organizational development. He taught me about dedication, planning and focus,” he said.
Dr. Rasmussen is eager to learn from his colleagues and get to know his new community. “I rent an apartment right now, but buying a house and adopting a dog are both in the plans.” His fiancée Kristin is from Chicago, works in digital marketing, and has passion for children’s charities including UNICEF. Even though the two met in Poland in 2008, it wasn’t until they reconnected on a separate trip to Scandinavia in 2016 that romance ensued. “It’s a classic story of never giving up on a dream,” he said.
When Dr. Rasmussen started his job search, the opportunity to live and work in Wisconsin for the first time in nine years piqued his interest. His family still has their lakefront cottage near Wild Rose where he spent a lot of time as a boy, and he visits there often. Dr. Rasmussen’s two brothers live and work in northeast Wisconsin, and he gets get animated talking about the chance to hunt with them again. The three were raised in a hunting family that harvested deer, pheasants and turkeys every year. Now he has larger game in mind, too, someday hoping to hunt elk out west.
Maybe it’s his love of nature that drives him to do it, but Dr. Rasmussen fancies the chance to swim in the frigid waters of Lake Superior off the shores of Duluth. He claims to have discovered its therapeutic effects during his residency there. “There is nothing better. It will cure whatever ails you,” he said, although this is probably not considered official medical advice.
Dr. Rasmussen will regularly supervise inpatient care at ThedaCare Medical Center-Berlin in addition to regular clinic hours in Ripon. “Choosing family practice medicine in Ripon was intentional,” he said. “I love small towns, and I love the variety that comes with family practice and working in both the clinic and the hospital. This is just the type of community I want to be a part of.”
For more than 100 years, ThedaCare® has been committed to finding a better way to deliver serious and complex healthcare to patients throughout Northeast Wisconsin. The organization serves over 200,000 patients annually and employs more than 6,700 healthcare professionals throughout the region. ThedaCare has seven hospitals located in Appleton, Neenah, Berlin, Waupaca, Shawano, New London and Wild Rose as well as 31 clinics in nine counties. ThedaCare is the first in Wisconsin to be a Mayo Clinic Care Network Member, giving specialists the ability to consult with Mayo Clinic experts on a patient’s care. ThedaCare is a nonprofit healthcare organization with a level II trauma center, comprehensive cancer treatment, and stroke, orthopedic and cardiac programs, as well as a foundation dedicated to community service.
