17 Oct Harney District Hospital welcomes Dr. Rutz
Harney District Hospital (HDH) and HDH Family Care Clinic are excited to welcome Dr. Joseph Rutz, who joined the team on Monday, Oct. 7.
Dr. Rutz will be working with Dr. Peter Cabala to provide women’s healthcare, while the hospital recruits a permanent obstetrician/gynecologist (OB/GYN) to replace Dr. Patricia McNamara, who recently retired.
Dr. Rutz has been a board-certified OB/GYN for 35 years. He is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and belongs to numerous prestigious medical associations and societies. He has extensive experience in private practice and has worked as an employed physician and locum doctor in 10 different states. Most recently, Dr. Rutz cared for patients in McMinnville and Mount Hood, Ore. and Altus, Okla.
Dr. Rutz grew up in Deckerville, a small town of about 900 people in Michigan’s “thumb.” After graduating with honors from Cranbrook — a private school in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. (north of Detroit) — Dr. Rutz earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from the University of Michigan. He also received an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) certificate from Washtenaw Community College. Dr. Rutz continued his education at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, earning a Doctor of Medicine degree. He completed his residency in OB/GYN at Oakwood Hospital in Dearborn, Mich. and received an early promotion to chief resident his junior year.
Inspired by a television program called The Bold Ones and his own pediatrician, Dr. Rutz decided to pursue a career in medicine at an early age. He initially intended to specialize in pediatrics, but changed course his third year of medical school. He found that working with sick children was simply too heartbreaking. Fortunately, he’d already completed a rotation in OB and appreciated that the specialty includes primary care and surgery.
“I decided to try OB. I liked it, and I’ve been doing it ever since,” Dr. Rutz said.
Although he specializes in OB/GYN, Dr. Rutz aims to provide holistic care for his patients.
“I want my patients to think of me as a doctor first and a specialist second,” he said, explaining that he’s a primary care provider who offers additional expertise in women’s healthcare.
Dr. Rutz and his wife, Mary, have been married for 42 years. They have two children, Zachary and Luke, and two grandchildren, Reagan and Edison. When he isn’t working or playing with his grandchildren, Dr. Rutz can be found golfing, skeet shooting, and rooting for the University of Michigan Wolverines.
Dr. Rutz is now accepting new patients. Call the Family Care Clinic at 541-573-2074 to make an appointment or learn more about Dr. Rutz.
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