Success Story
Dr. Chris Price
Anesthesiologist
Dr. Chris Price almost left Nebraska once. And he did leave his beloved Norfolk just long enough to get his training as a doctor in Lincoln and Omaha. But other than that, he has lived in Norfolk since he was 4 years old. “Leaving Nebraska has never really crossed my mind,” Price said. He is one of three anesthesiologists working on the medical staff at Faith Regional Health Services in Norfolk. The family settled in Norfolk when Price’s father, Bill Price, a graduate student at the University of Kentucky, was chosen for a yearlong psychology internship at the Norfolk Regional Center in 1972. After the internship concluded, he returned to Kentucky to complete a master’s degree in mental psychology. Once he graduated, the regional center offered him a permanent position and he accepted it. The psychologist moved his family to Norfolk in 1975. The Prices later divorced and both parents subsequently remarried. Chris Price stayed in Norfolk with his mother.
While a student at Norfolk High School, Price became somewhat of a local legend when he helped the varsity basketball team to its first state championship by hitting the game-winning shot with less than 5 seconds to go. Norfolk won 62-61 over Lincoln Northeast to claim the title in 1987. After graduating from high school in 1988, he attended Nebraska Wesleyan in Lincoln and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in pharmacology in 1992. From there, he went to the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, earning a master’s in genetics. Price took a break from school to work at a sales job in Omaha from 1994 until 1995 but quickly decided to return to medical school at UNMC. “I had been drawn toward physiology and pharmacology,” Price said. “I wanted to work with my hands, and anesthesia ultimately won out as my preference.” He stayed at UNMC for a four-year residency program. “It’s almost required of all doctors today,” he said.
Price said there was only one time he ever considered leaving Nebraska. It was after he finished medical school at UNMC. His mentor, Dr. John Tinker, a prominent figure in the field of anesthesia, encouraged Price to look elsewhere for residency programs so he could expand his horizons. Ultimately, Price stayed in Omaha. “I could’ve gone anywhere for a residency program, but I wanted to stay here,” Price said. “Dr. Tinker practically forced me to look at other opportunities, but I couldn’t leave.”
After completing his residency at the medical center, he joined Faith Regional Health Services in July 2003 and has been there ever since. Price has high praise for Faith Regional, saying it provides excellent care for the community and the surrounding area.
“I’m excited about being part of it as a professional,” he said. “It’s been a great opportunity for me to grow as a person and it has been a good experience. I would encourage any of my friends in residency programs to live in Norfolk and work here.”
Price met his wife, Brook, in high school, where they dated briefly. They dated again in college in Lincoln, when he was at Wesleyan and she was attending Southeast Community College. She graduated with a degree in fashion merchandising. They married in 1993, and she has been a full-time mother for the past decade, helping raise four boys ranging in age from 2 to 9. Price said Norfolk is a good place to raise a family; he likes the slow-paced lifestyle, and he has family here.
“Omaha was nice, but one child in extracurricular activities when living in a busy metropolitan area was too much,” Price said. “That’s one reason we moved back to Norfolk in 2003. Also, my sister, Kim, lives here, along with my mother and grandparents. My wife’s relatives are here, too, so it’s home to us.”
Price said he hopes his children go off to college, try new things and pursue their own interests, but he would encourage them to come back because he likes it here.
“I love them and I love Norfolk,” Price said. “If they stay here, that’s great. If not, that’s their decision. I can’t decide for them, but for me, Norfolk is it.”
- Story Courtesy of the Norfolk Daily News
