A familiar face is returning home to care for the community that helped shape his journey.

Dr. Remmy Rocha (ROACH-uh), a Gothenburg High School graduate, is joining Gothenburg Health in August as a family medicine physician, bringing a broad range of skills and a passion for rural health care to the area he has always considered home.

“I grew up in Gothenburg, so my heart’s always been in rural Nebraska,” Rocha said. “Before I even left, I knew I was coming back.”

Rocha will provide family medicine services at Gothenburg Health, including clinic-based care, chronic disease management, minor procedures and emergency room coverage. His practice includes colonoscopies, vasectomies, skin biopsies and other office-based procedures, allowing many patients to receive care close to home.

A graduate of Creighton University with a degree in biochemistry, Rocha earned his medical degree and completed his residency through the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Although he knew he ultimately wanted to practice in a rural community, he intentionally chose UNMC’s urban underserved track to gain experience caring for populations that often face barriers to accessing health care.

“Rural communities are underserved in many ways,” Rocha said. “Working with other underserved populations helped prepare me to meet patients where they are and help them get the care they need.”

That experience included working with refugees and foreign-language populations. Rocha, whose family has Hispanic roots, became fluent in Spanish during his training and spent time in Mexico learning within the country’s medical system. He said those experiences will help him better serve Spanish-speaking patients throughout the region, including Dawson and Lincoln counties.

Rocha’s professional interests center on chronic disease management, particularly conditions such as diabetes and hypertension.

“That’s the bread and butter of family medicine, and I love it with all my heart,” he said.

He also enjoys helping patients achieve weight-loss goals and emphasizes creating individualized treatment plans that align with each patient's needs, priorities and financial circumstances.

“It's not going to be the same plan for everybody,” Rocha said. “The patient’s desires of where they want to head with their health are first and foremost.”

As a family medicine physician, Rocha views his role as both a care provider and an advocate who helps patients navigate their overall health journey.

“Family medicine is the cornerstone,” he said. “We work with patients to develop a game plan and connect them with the resources they need to accomplish their goals.”

Rocha believes access to local care is especially important in rural Nebraska, where physician shortages can make health care more difficult to obtain. By offering a wide scope of services locally, he hopes to reduce the need for patients to travel while ensuring they receive timely, high-quality care.

During residency, Rocha also received the Kashinath Patil Research Award, an annual honor recognizing the resident who produced the program’s most outstanding original scholarly work. His research focused on expanding the collaborative care model to include mental health care for pediatric patients.

Now settled back in Gothenburg with his wife, Araceli, and their infant daughter, Remi, Rocha is eager to invest in both his patients and his hometown.

“Getting to come back and help a community that helped raise me and support me through my journey is what it’s always been about,” he said. “Now I get the opportunity to give back.”

Patients may begin scheduling appointments with Rocha in August by contacting Gothenburg Health at 308-537-3661.