Remembering the inspirational Debra Romberger, MD

Colleagues across the medical center remembered the impact of longtime faculty member and leader Debra Romberger, MD, who died May 20 at the age of 70.

Dr. Romberger, who retired last year as chair of the UNMC Department of Internal Medicine, had been part of the fabric of UNMC since 1988, when she arrived as a post-doctoral fellow. She joined the faculty as part of the division of pulmonary and critical care medicine only two years later.

After serving as interim chair of internal medicine both in 2004-05 and 2014-15, she was appointed Henry J. Lehnhoff Professor and Chair of the department in 2015, becoming the first woman to hold this role at UNMC. She retired from the position in 2024.

“Dr. Romberger was a hardworking, fair, thoughtful and distinguished leader, researcher and educator,” said UNMC Interim Chancellor H. Dele Davies, MD. “As the first female chair of internal medicine at UNMC, she built a strong department and served as a trusted and respected mentor to multiple female physicians and other health care professionals. Dr. Romberger was a model of consistency, showing up even during challenging years of her life when she was dealing with illness and served UNMC and Nebraska Medicine with dignity. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends.”

“Dr. Romberger was a pulmonologist, doing groundbreaking research on occupational lung disease in agriculture,” said Nebraska Medicine CEO James Linder, MD. “That gave me the opportunity to work with her on the pathology of these conditions. She was a dedicated physician-scientist. Over the last nine years, we served together on the Nebraska Medicine Board, where Deb provided a trusted voice for the needs of physicians to deliver exceptional patient care.”

Dr. Romberger was a fellow of the American College of Physicians, elected to Alpha Omega Alpha and served in leadership roles of the American  Federation for Clinical Research, Omaha Women’s Medical Association and Central Society for Clinical and Translational Research. She also served as co-director of UNMC’s MD/PhD Graduate Training program for 15 years.

“It was truly a privilege to work with Dr. Romberger and to learn from her example,” said Mark Rupp, MD, interim chair of internal medicine and former chief of the UNMC Division of Infectious Diseases. “Deb was a true servant leader – she listened, she cared, she was committed to her people and she was a wise steward of resources. Right to the end, Dr. Romberger practiced the virtues of stoicism – prudence, fortitude, temperance and justice. She lived her life to contribute to a higher goal. We are all so much richer for having known her, and she will be missed by many for a very long time.”

Jennifer Larsen, MD, former vice chancellor for research at UNMC and a family friend, said Dr. Romberger was an outstanding researcher and actively involved in the wider community.

“She was a collaborative research scientist focused on understanding and preventing agricultural-related lung diseases and other consequences, using laboratory, as well as clinical and community-based science approaches,” Dr. Larsen said. She pointed to achievements such as research funding from the Veterans Administration, National Institutes of Health and other sources, which resulted in more than 200 manuscripts, reviews, editorials, chapters and books, and research awards, such as the UNMC Distinguished Scientist Award.

Dr. Romberger also received awards for her community service, including One World’s Milagro Award, the YWCA Women of Vision Award and COPIC Medical Foundation’s Nebraska Humanitarian Award. The Metro Omaha Medical Society honored her upon her retirement with its Distinguished Service to Medicine Award.

“She was well known as an incredibly caring physician, and she served as a passionate mentor for many, in the laboratory, for their career and for aspiring leaders, both in the community as well as within medicine,” Dr. Larsen said. “Someone who always wanted everyone around her to become their best self. An inspiration.”

Bradley Britigan, MD, dean of the UNMC College of Medicine, called Dr. Romberger a consummate clinician, scientist and leader.

“Debra Romberger was a pillar of the college of medicine,” he said. “The impact of her work is incalculable, in terms of the patients she served, the faculty, students and staff she mentored, and, as chair of internal medicine, the effects of her department’s work to improve the lives of the people of Nebraska and beyond. Her colleagues will miss her; the college will miss her; the university will miss her; and the community will miss her.”

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the University of Nebraska Foundation for the benefit of the Dr. Debra Romberger Internal Medicine Faculty Development Fund (ID No. 01170310); First United Methodist Church; Talmage Community Center; or Omaha Together One Community.

–Jennifer Larsen, MD, contributed to this report.