For more than three decades, Dr. Robert Messbarger has dedicated his life to caring for Nebraska families, mentoring future physicians, and championing independent medicine across the state. From a young boy inspired by medicine through his father’s work to becoming a respected physician leader and educator, Dr. Messbarger’s career has come full circle in the community he proudly calls home.
Born and raised in Kearney, Dr. Messbarger always knew Nebraska was where he belonged. After beginning his undergraduate education at Creighton University in Omaha, he quickly realized city life was not for him. While he initially chose Creighton with medical school in mind, after two years he returned home to attend Kearney State College — now University of Nebraska at Kearney — before ultimately heading back to Omaha to attend medical school at UNMC College of Medicine.
His passion for medicine began early. Dr. Messbarger’s father was a CRNA, and those early experiences around healthcare made a lasting impression on him. One experience, in particular, helped shape his future forever. At just 12 years old, while in sixth grade, his father took him on a three-week medical mission trip to the Dominican Republic. The trip opened his eyes to the impact physicians can make in people’s lives and solidified his desire to pursue medicine.
Even during medical school, Dr. Messbarger knew he wanted to return to a smaller Nebraska community. For residency, he chose Lincoln and participated in the Lincoln Family Medical Education Program (LMEP). Following residency, he returned home to Kearney in 1993 to join a three-physician practice led by Dr. John McCammond — the very physician who had delivered him as a baby and served as his family doctor growing up.
Today, Dr. Messbarger is the senior partner of that same practice, Family Practice Associates, PC, where he has practiced continuously for 33 years. While none of the original physicians remain in practice today, Dr. Messbarger continues carrying forward the legacy of independent family medicine in Central Nebraska.
While Omaha may not have been his preferred place to live, Dr. Messbarger jokes that “the best part about Omaha” was meeting his wife, a medical technologist. Together they raised five children, all of whom followed paths centered around service and healthcare. Their oldest son is now a pediatrician in Minneapolis. Their second oldest son served as an Army Ranger and now works as a game warden in Washington state. Their third child is a nurse practitioner specializing in palliative care in Omaha. Their fourth child, who shares his father’s name, began his career as a Lancaster County deputy sheriff and city administrator before transitioning into healthcare leadership as a clinic administrator in Butler County. Their youngest daughter is currently a second-year medical student at UNMC.
Today, however, Dr. Messbarger says his greatest joy is being a grandfather. With grandchildren spread across Omaha, Wahoo, and Washington state, family remains the center of his life.
When he’s away from the clinic or mentoring future physicians, Dr. Messbarger enjoys one of his favorite pastimes – fishing, particularly fly fishing for trout. Time spent on the water offers an opportunity to recharge and reflect, something he deeply values after decades of caring for patients, teaching residents, and serving Nebraska communities.
In addition to patient care, Dr. Messbarger has devoted much of his career to mentoring and training future physicians. In 1997, Dr. Mike Sartorius from UNMC approached him about becoming Associate Program Director for Kearney’s Family Medicine Rural Residency Training Track Program. The Rural Training Track (RTT), developed through the Department of Family Medicine at UNMC, was designed around the idea that physicians often choose to practice within one hundred miles of where they complete residency training. The program created training opportunities for residents in rural communities across Nebraska in hopes of strengthening the state’s physician workforce.
For Dr. Messbarger, the opportunity was a perfect fit.
For 27 years, he helped coordinate community rotations, clinic training experiences, and mentorship opportunities for residents across the Kearney region. Teaching became one of the most rewarding aspects of his career.
“I love working with the residents,” he shared.
In October 2024, Dr. Messbarger stepped into yet another leadership role when he became Associate Dean for the new UNMC College of Medicine Regional Campus in Kearney. The first class of medical students will begin this August, marking an exciting new chapter for medical education in rural Nebraska.
Accepting the Associate Dean position required Dr. Messbarger to step away from his role with the Rural Residency Training Track Program after nearly three decades of service. Today, he splits his time between practicing medicine part-time at his clinic and helping shape the future of medical education in Nebraska through his work at UNMC.
Dr. Messbarger is also a passionate advocate for independent medicine and value-based care. A longtime participant in accountable care organizations, he previously served as President of SERPA ACO before joining OneHealth Nebraska’s ACO in the fall of 2024. He explained that he was looking for a stronger strategic partner amid evolving changes within Blue Cross Blue Shield and felt confident in the direction and support provided by OneHealth Nebraska.
“Independent practices are very important to me,” Dr. Messbarger said.
That commitment to strengthening primary care extends beyond his own clinic walls. In 2022, Nebraska established the Nebraska Primary Care Investment Council through LB 863, also known as the Primary Care Investment Act. The council was created to measure, report on, and increase investment in primary care services across the state with the goal of improving health outcomes, lowering healthcare costs, and addressing barriers to care access.
Dr. Joe Miller encouraged Dr. Messbarger to apply, and he was selected to represent Nebraska’s 3rd Congressional District on the council. During its second year, he took over as Chair and has served in that role since.
Throughout every chapter of his career — physician, educator, mentor, administrator, advocate, husband, father, and grandfather — Dr. Messbarger has remained deeply committed to improving healthcare across Nebraska.
OneHealth Nebraska is proud to recognize and celebrate Dr. Robert Messbarger for his extraordinary contributions to medicine, medical education, rural healthcare, and independent practice throughout the state of Nebraska.