The Westview News

Press Release
Employee of the Month
Date
April 1, 2025

      Mike Rutt, DPT is lauded as Westview’s March 2025 Employee of the Month. Holding a Doctorate in Physical Therapy, Mike utilizes his personal passion for running and professional commitment to patient wellness at Westview Sports Medicine in Dayville, CT. This accolade represents appreciation for Mike among colleagues and clients. Therapy teammates and patrons value his impact on the Westview rehabilitation experience since he joined their roster in May 2023. Mike works with patients across a wide range of age, athleticism, and ability—and no matter their goal, outcome, or finish line, he maintains the same determination to deliver the best result. Devoted interests in sport and science propel Mike through his all of his pursuits.

     Mike is a native of Redding, PA and graduated from Wilson High School. While achieving great success and cultivating his commitment to competitive running in his early years, he prioritized academics as he looked ahead to college. The University of Connecticut offered Mike the opportunity to try out for their track team—and that promptly motivated his enrollment there given his primary interest in the school’s Kinesiology program. Sure enough, Mike made the roster and became a four-time All-American selection as a member of UConn’s Varsity Track & Field Team. He specialized in the 800-meter distance and placed 2nd among all college competitors during his senior year. After graduating from UConn and emboldened by his success on the track, he kept running. Straightaway Mike launched a pro racing career; traveling across the country and across the world to challenge the best in his distance discipline. Mike finished as 6th in the world at the 2012 Indoor Track World Championship in Istanbul, Turkey.

     When he “hung up his racing spikes,” Mike dedicated his vocational pursuit to fully merge his innate interests and accumulated education. Retiring from active competition, he looked to spend more time with his growing family. He then provided his expertise as a Track & Field Coach for 5 years at The College of New Jersey and then UMass Lowell. Seeking the next stage of growth for himself and his family, the bright reflections of his past experiences illuminated the way forward. Mike has a family background in medicine, and as an elite competitive runner, he knew what it’s like to be a physical therapy patient. He really enjoyed coaching college track athletes to reach their peak, so he wanted to expand that impact by helping a greater range of athletes and age groups through sports science. Mike returned to the University of Connecticut and earned a Doctorate in Physical Therapy in 2023.

     During his years of graduate study at UConn, Mike and other DPT candidates were expected to accumulate practical experience at clinically-affiliated outpatient therapy sites. This is where he first learned about Westview Sports Medicine, and when Mike states that he felt a compelling connection to their team: “There’s a family feel at this facility—not just at Westview Sports Medicine, but throughout the entire health care center. I knew the Westview reputation outside and the rapport inside were strong standards, and joining this group would inspire me to learn, grow, and add my own touch to their therapeutic treatment.” Mike often consorts with colleagues in therapy that they are, in a way, like each patient’s ‘medical coach.’ Many of the staff members at Westview Sports Medicine regularly band together for recreational runs. They find the fun in holding each other athletically accountable.

     Mike and his wife Katie are the proud parents of Michael Jr. and Kealey. They enjoy sharing many outdoor activities together like hiking and camping and create meaningful memories on their journeys. Recently, Mike and his family traveled to England and took in sights and sounds ranging from London to the cliffs of Dover. Citing the fact that his professional running career created a joy for international travel, he loves touring the globe with his family now. There is no surprise that both of his children enjoy many sports; including soccer, basketball, baseball, dance, and skiing. Father and son golf rounds are a recent addition to their family’s recreational repertoire.

     Grateful and humble in receipt of this recent recognition, Mike is quick to acknowledge the support of the pack he runs with at Westview: “I am incredibly appreciative for being selected as Employee of the Month—but I am only as good as the colleagues I work with every day. I’m lucky to perform with a sports medicine team that provides the best care for patients and clients at Westview. I could not be the clinician I am today without them!”

     Westview Administrator David T. Panteleakos has applauded Mike’s success since his student experience at Westview, and champions his continued victories for Westview Sports Medicine patients to this day. “Michael is a great addition to our incredibly talented team of therapists and athletic trainers,” stated Mr. Panteleakos. “He shares his expertise and experiences, step-for-step, in the pursuit of each patient’s progress; and I appreciate how the combination of his background in racing, his devoted education, and his patient-centered perspective provides confidence for those in his care. Congratulations to Mike on his well-deserved recognition!”

Westview Health Care Center is a 103-bed inpatient skilled nursing facility, which includes a distinct and self-contained 28-bed sub-acute short term rehabilitation unit and outpatient physical, occupational and speech therapies including: Sports Medicine, Adolescent/Pediatric, Adult, and Aquatic Outpatient Centers, all dedicated to providing outstanding quality health care services. The Dayville, Connecticut facility is consistently ranked among the top nursing facilities in the nation, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as well as U.S. News and World Report, consecutively for the past years.