Not long after moving back , Dr . Urbach met his wife Sherrie on a blind date . She was teaching school in Southern Indiana and finishing an education degree at Indiana University .

“ I ’ d go over and pick her up in New Albany on the weekends . I liked her right from the start ,” he remembered . The two were married in 1956 and would have three children together , and then three grandchildren . Sherrie Urbach died in March of this year , just shy of their 60 year anniversary .

In his practice , Dr . Urbach worked solo for years . When he finally got a partner , he realized it wasn ’ t so bad . “ I liked having a partner actually . I got up on Saturday and didn ’ t have to go anywhere . It felt funny . Then we hired a second partner and moved to the outpatient center at Jewish ,” he said .

“ The practice got nasty . I was fighting to get a patient in the hospital , to keep him in the hospital , and fighting the insurance company to get paid . I ’ d win almost every battle , but I was still going home angry . Some of the pleasure was taken out . But , I know it ’ s gotten worse since I left .”

The University of Louisville , where he ’ d previously been part of the volunteer faculty , offered Dr . Urbach a full time job in 1993 . He would stay through 2008 before retiring .

Retirement did not mean he stopped working . Music came back into Dr . Urbach ’ s life , and he began playing French horn again as well as trumpet . He ’ s performed in several bands over the years and currently plays in two , one of which is a klezmer band playing Eastern European Jewish jazz music .

“ I ’ m older now and the music skills don ’ t come as easy as they used to . But I practice every day . I ’ m holding up pretty well . I ’ m working hard at it ,” he laughed .

Another focus in recent years was training in the addiction-treatment medication Suboxone . Dr . Urbach has earned the DEA license needed to prescribe narcotics . Through his work at the VA and a spell as the physician for the Louisville Metro Department of Corrections , he has almost 100 patients currently being treated .

At the VA , Dr . Urbach works one weekend each month to relieve regular attendings .

“ I treat everything there . The US government encouraged cigarette smoking and drinking in the military , so we see the 30 to 40 year results of that : lots of lung cancer , COPD , alcoholism , liver diseases .”

He remains active with the University as well , teaching classes from year to year . Last semester , he taught two courses in Problem Based Learning and Physical Diagnosis .

Dr . Urbach has given much to Kentucky and to the US , and made the most out of anything life has thrown his way . The fact that , to this day , he is still healing and educating others is a testament to his love of helping those in need .

“ There ’ s still a tremendous reward in teaching and seeing the lights go on in students ’ heads . I ’ m an older guy , but I still like being a doctor . I enjoy my fellow veterans at the VA , I like treating addiction and teaching students ,” he said . “ I just try to keep learning .”

Aaron Burch is the communications specialist for the Greater Louisville Medical Society .

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