Julie Obear is a physical therapist at Prairie Orthopaedic & Plastic Surgery, PC. She has been rehabilitating patients with neurologic and orthopaedic conditions since 1998. Julie graduated from Boston College in Chestnut Hill, MA in 1995 where she was a Division I All-American, Hall of Fame, and Eagle of the Year athlete in field hockey and softball. She received a prestigious post-graduate NCAA scholarship to further her education. She then attended the University of Nebraska Medical Center, where she received her Master's Degree in Physical Therapy in 1998. In 2015, Julie received her Doctorate in Physical Therapy from the University of South Dakota. Julie spent her first 8 years as a physical therapist working in a rural community hospital providing care in home health, orthopaedic outpatient, and acute care settings. She also worked 17 years in skilled rehabilitation at numerous locations in the Lincoln area. Julie has been working with our orthopaedic population at Prairie Orthopaedic & Plastic Surgery, PC since 2009. She has completed several continuing education courses in orthopaedics, hand, wrist and elbow rehabilitation, and splint fabrication.
In 2016, Julie earned the impressive designation of Board Certified Hand Therapist. She is one of only a handful of certified hand therapists in the city. This accomplishment is a testament to the level of skill you should expect when trusting your care to Prairie Orthopaedic & Plastic Surgery.
Each winter, Julie travels to Colorado with Dr. Patrick Hurlbut to attend an Upper Extremity Symposium. This symposium helps physicians and physical therapists to work closely with each other during patient’s recovery and rehabilitation. Julie is a native of Boston, Massachusetts. She grew up hiking in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and this peaked her interest in backpacking. Since 2005, Julie has hiked over 13,000 miles including the Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, Continental Divide Trail, American Discovery Trail, and the Long Trail. She has even ventured as far as Tanzania, Africa to climb and summit Mount Kilimanjaro. Julie also enjoys playing recreational tennis, pickleball, and downhill skiing.