Why I Came, Why I Stayed: Joshua Rutter loves Methodist’s focus on ‘caring for our patients and caring for each other’

In “Why I Came, Why I Stayed,” you’ll get to know people who are making a difference every day at Methodist and how they contribute to providing The Meaning of Care. To explore career opportunities at Methodist, visit bestcare.org/jobs.

Joshua Rutter, CRAT
Certified rhythm analysis technician
Methodist Centralized Telemetry Unit

Tell us a little about yourself.

I work as a certified rhythm analysis technician in the Centralized Telemetry Unit (often called cardiac telemetry, or tele for short) at Methodist Hospital. I also enjoy the privilege of being part of the training staff for our department. I am married to my beautiful wife, Amanda. My mom and 16-year-old brother also moved to Omaha about two years ago, and we visit them often. I enjoy many indoor and outdoor activities, from sketching and playing piano or guitar to bike riding and gardening; medicinal herbs have always fascinated me. I’m still undecided on a career path at the moment. 

What attracted you to Methodist?

My working life had hit a rough patch when I applied in 2023. This job was something I was familiar with, as I had worked as a paramedic before. I knew I could contribute and enjoy this work. What drew me to Methodist, aside from the availability, was the stability, 12-hour shifts and leaving days open to help care for my family and church. It also provided health care options and educational opportunities and assistance. In short, I saw the position as a stepping-stone opportunity to grow and re-enter the medical world.

What’s kept you at Methodist?

I met Tom Riss, my boss, during the hiring process. Our team was smaller at the time, but he had a vision to grow it into something more. I stuck around in large part because of this vision of growth and modernization, with a desire to help build an outstanding team. The goal is to provide the best service we can to the patients and the care team.

I also enjoy teaching. The opportunity to pass along the beauty of a technical field that I admire has given me some contentment.

Do you have any favorite memories from your time at Methodist?

When you’re enclosed in a small space with three or four other people and several machines for 12-plus hours, you get to share a lot of experiences. It has led to many shared stories, birthdays, hopes/dreams, heavy hearts, jokes and times making fun of our voice messaging system – Vocera. 

The move to the Centralized Telemetry Unit is another lasting memory – just the beauty of being moved into a workable space and achieving the first step of a dream turned reality. This is primarily due to the persistence of Tom and those who came alongside him and saw his vision as necessary.

Have you had a mentor or colleague at Methodist who made a difference for you?

KC Humphrey and Tom have both provided fantastic leadership. They’ve provided vision, the materials for success and the data that shows us how to grow. 

I’ve strived to learn from every person I meet. So each of my team members has brought a touch of humanity to a job that would otherwise be overly robotic. Certified techs like Kathy, Fritz, Amber and Karina all helped with my training – which is a continual process. Others have come along side me over the past two years as well: Nancy, Patti, Rebecca, Alison, Drew, Connie and James have all brought experience and shared their knowledge with me. As our team has pushed to double from when I started and taken on more responsibility, we’ve gained or said goodbye to several others I enjoyed getting to know. I have you all in my memories, too! Thank you for helping me grow.

Additionally, I have very much enjoyed working with the care teams. Thank you to the teams at Methodist Fremont Health and Methodist Jennie Edmundson Hospital for working with us through the changes. Fremont, your secretaries have been fantastic colleagues. Thank you to the teams at Methodist Hospital and Methodist Women’s Hospital, including:

• The CNAs who help us see the patients’ heart rhythms
• The nurses we are in constant communication with
• The respiratory therapists, physical therapists, operating room staff and radiologic technologists who let us know when they’re working with the patients
• The educators who have stopped by to get real-time strips for their students’ patients
• The doctors who have stopped by just to visit or to help teach us or give guidance – a special thank-you to Dr. Mark Chouinard and the 9 North cardiac team!

What should people know about Methodist, its mission and/or its culture?

If you’ve skipped to the end of this article, the thing that I’ve enjoyed about working at Methodist is being with a team of people who want to give their best to provide high-quality care for our patients. So many people are focusing on this goal each time they come in: caring for our patients and caring for each other.