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.
Gone but never forgotten. We will miss you, Deb.
Saddened by the news.
A fantastic scientist, wonderful person and collaborator
Our condolences to the family. May she RIP
What an excellent tribute to one of UNMC’s all-time great administrators.
Sad news. Our careers overlapped, even as Chairs. I admired her calm but persistent attitude and her dedication to medicine. She will be missed.
Dr. Romberger was mentor to me, and as I aspire to become better, I will always look to her as an example. She was a wonderful human being.
Gone but never forgotten. May she Rest in Peace.
I had the honor of working with her and her patients for a short time. Her Kindness knew no bounds.
So sorry to hear this. Dr. Romberger was a wonderful human being, clinician and scientist.
Dr. Romberger was a wonderful person and clinician. She will be missed by many. May her legacy live on in all of us she helped teach.
I’m deeply saddened to hear this news. My heartfelt condolences to Dr. Romberger’s family. I had the privilege of knowing her as a member of my advisory committee during my time as a graduate student. I learned so much from her. She was a kind, supportive, and inspiring mentor. Rest in peace, Dr. Romberger.
I will miss Deb. Always a strong voice for academic medicine and the defender of the physicians role.
A truly inspiring person, who only wanted the best for everyone around her. She will be so very missed. I looked up to her immensely and will always remember her kind and capable support.
Dr. Romberger was my very first ICU attending when I was an intern at the VA. Back then, she taught me the basics of managing septic shock. Later, she was a wonderful colleague and mentor to me. We were so fortunate to work with Deb. UNMC is a better place because of her.
Such a loss! Dr Romberger was a lovely and generous colleague, and an unwavering champion for the public’s health and wellbeing in every Nebraska community. Gratitude in abundance for how she supported faculty like me early in our careers. May her memory be for a blessing. And long may her stories of impact be told and treasured.
Deb was an inspirational leader who was always available to me, and other women leaders for mentorship and advise. We will miss her as an UNMC women group leader and mentor of “Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine” selection committee. Her courage and strength throughout her journey of life was exemplary. Rest in peace.
I am so sad to read this news. Dr. Romberger was also a long time champion of health care ethics, serving on the ethics consultation service for years. I learned a great deal from her and miss her both personally and professionally. What a life, what an impact!
Deb served faithfully for many years on the Ethics Consultation Service. She was a superb mediator of tension among family member and providers, asking pertinent questions to bring misunderstandings to light, and finding common ground when possible. Her calm demeanor and respect for others made her exceptionally effective in all contexts. I treasure her memory.
Dr. Romberger interviewed me for the MD/PhD program, I will never forget her! She left such a positive impact on our program, university, and community at large. A true inspiration!
Great leader and colleague but an even greater person. Thank you and Rest in peace Deb.
Deb will surely be missed.
So sad to hear of Deb’s passing. She was an amazing mentor, leader, and friend. I had the pleasure of working for her as my Chair during my tenure as Cardiology Chief at UNMC. Eternal rest grant unto her.
Deb was incredibly intelligent, wise, and caring. Her ability to get to the heart of problems and then work tirelessly to solve them made her a natural leader. She was a great friend and mentor, and I will miss her very much. Her loss will affect so many people and organizations.
What an inspirational person, physician, mentor and friend. It is hard to describe how meaningful her example was to those of us fortunate enough to have known her. She is, and will always be, remembered and missed.