In school, Horacio Alvarez Ramirez, M.D. had to go through the ESL classes to learn English which he feels was a good experience. His high school counselor played an important role early on when he asked Horacio what he wanted to be when he grew up and where he wanted to go to college.

Back then, Horacio said he didn’t know what college was, but that would change as he learned the value of education. Today, Horacio Alvarez Ramirez, M.D., is a board-certified Family Medicine physician at Bluestem Health.

Dr. Alvarez became the first member of his family to attend college. He graduated from the University of Nebraska-Kearney with a degree in Chemistry. He fondly remembers how he asked his college counselor to give him the hardest classes so that he could get into medical school. Dr. Alvarez went on to complete his medical degree from the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He spent his residency at the Lincoln Family Medicine Residency Program in Lincoln. He attained his board certification from the American Board of Family Physicians.

Early on in his residency, Dr. Alvarez knew he wanted to work for a Federally-qualified health system like Bluestem Health, to work with people that have the greatest need for medical care. He enjoys working in an environment that is focused on improving healthcare for all patients and is committed to providing culturally-sensitive care throughout the community. As a family medicine physician at Bluestem Health, Dr. Alvarez cares for patients with a wide range of diseases and illnesses. On any given day he sees a mix of children through adults with a wide range of diagnoses, such as pregnancy, high blood pressure, diabetes, colds, and flu. Many of his patients speak Spanish and he enjoys taking the time to explain about their chronic diseases and how to manage them. He also recognizes the importance of helping them understand how to get their medications refilled.

When Dr. Alvarez is not taking care of patients, he likes to travel to places he hasn’t been to before. He is passionate about cooking, especially Mexican cuisine, and finding new recipes that he can cook and share with his family and friends. He has also been involved with The Homeless Project, helping patients that don’t have a medical home get connected with healthcare services. While Dr. Alvarez was at the University of Nebraska-Kearney, he and his fellow students were instrumental in starting the Latino-based fraternity Sigma Lambda Beta. He was the first of his fraternity to go to medical school.

“I’ve always wanted to be a part of the solution that improves healthcare for all patients,” says Dr. Alvarez. “It’s what we are working to do for all of our patients here at Bluestem Health.”

Dr. Alvarez sees patients at Bluestem Health’s Main clinic at 1021 N. 27th Street in Lincoln. To schedule an appointment, call 402-476-1455, or current patients can Self Schedule here.