Kootenai Health Leaders Perrotti, Cushman Named to Top 40 Under 40

Anthony Perrotti holds an unusual conviction for a hospital administrator: that what happens in patient rooms begins long before a caregiver walks through the door. As Kootenai Health's director of Culture and Learning, Perrotti has built his work around the belief that staff who "love coming to work" produce better outcomes for the people they treat. That philosophy earned him a spot on the North Idaho Business Journal's 2026 Top 40 Under 40 list, alongside Kootenai Health colleague Sarah Cushman.

Cushman, who manages Regional Development and Clinical Outreach, was recognized for work that targets a different pressure point in North Idaho healthcare: the long drives patients make to reach specialists. Her role connects external clinical partners across the region with Kootenai Health programs and services, with the stated goal of bringing care closer to where patients already live.

The two honorees represent distinct but complementary strategies inside the same health system. Perrotti's domain is internal: leadership development, employee engagement, and the learning systems that shape how staff approach patient care. In a county experiencing steady population growth and rising demand for services, retaining skilled caregivers matters as much as recruiting them. His work on organizational culture is framed as a tool against burnout and a driver of retention.

Cushman's outreach work operates at the system's edges, building clinical relationships that extend Kootenai Health's reach without requiring patients to travel to Coeur d'Alene or beyond. North Idaho's geography makes care access an equity issue as much as a convenience one; for residents in outlying communities, specialist referrals can mean hours on the road. Regional coordination reduces that burden and keeps healthcare spending closer to home.

Their profiles were part of the North Idaho Business Journal's annual recognition, which spotlights young professionals across the region. Both honorees' profiles appeared March 31.

The recognition arrives during a period of active expansion at Kootenai Health, including ongoing planning for the Prairie Medical Campus. The workforce culture and regional outreach strategies that Perrotti and Cushman lead are foundational to that growth: new facilities are only as effective as the staff and partnerships built to operate them.