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Box Butte General Hospital announced that after 23 years of dedicated service to the Box Butte County community, Dr. Mark Chu will retire. His last day of employment will be Friday, October 31, 2025.

Dr. Chu was born in Hong Kong and arrived in America 50 years ago at Scottsbluff, NE to attend Platte Valley Bible College at the age of 19. His intention was to become a missionary. However, God had different plans for him. Dr. Chu studied to be an Aviation Mechanic at Western Nebraska Technical College in Sidney, NE and received a Bachelor of Science in Biology with Magna Cum Laude from Kearney State College. “I ended up joining the Army,” Dr. Chu said. “I was thinking of a career in the medical profession even then, but the Army and God had other plans.”

He ended up as a tank mechanic, maintaining the M60 A1/A3, the Army’s main battle tank of the time. He joined the US Army as a Private First Class and rose to the rank of Second Lieutenant through Officer Candidate School at Fort Benning, GA. He was then commissioned as an NBC (Nuclear/Biological/Chemical) Officer. “Four and a half years later, I decided to apply for medical school,” Dr. Chu said. “I graduated from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in 1992 and did my residency in Waterloo, Iowa. The Army paid for my schooling, of course, and when I returned to active duty I was stationed in Heidelberg, Germany as a Family Practice Staff Physician for about one-and-a-half years. When the Bosnia conflict broke out, I served as the Urgent Care Chief in the MASH (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) unit for six months.” After he returned from Bosnia, he became Clinic Commander in Büdingen, Germany. He was stationed there for four years and then was assigned to Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas as Chief of Primary Care in Munson Army Hospital. In 2002, he decided to leave active duty and joined the Army National Guard in Lincoln. He was deployed to Iraq for four months in 2004. Dr Chu, later on served as a medical officer in the Wyoming Air Guard out of Cheyenne, WY. Dr. Chu achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel from the US Air Force and retired after more than twenty years of distinguished military service.

Dr. Chu received numerous achievements throughout his military and civilian careers to include: multiple years of awards from America’s Top Family Doctors by Consumers’ Council, nomination to Cambridge’s Who’s Who in December of 2008, selected as a nominee for one of the top ten Army Physicians to be the White House Presidential Physician for President George W Bush, Meritorious Service Medal in 2002, Second Oak Leaf Custer, Army Commendation Medal, Fourth Oak Leaf Custer, Army Achievement Medal, First Oak Leaf Custer , National Defense Service Medal, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon, NATO Medal, three letters of Commendation for Outstanding Military Services from the Former Chief of Staff, General John Shalikashvili, and many other achievements throughout his career.

From 2002 on, he had been in Ogallala, starting his own practice in 2007. “At my clinic I also practice alternative medicine in additional to ‘western’ medicine, with a specialty in acupuncture,” he said. During this time, Dr. Chu began practicing at BBGH in the ER as a locum provider. He became a full-time employee in 2008. “I like the people and staff here at BBGH,” Dr. Chu concluded. “The nurses in the Emergency Department are great and I find them friendly and very easy to work with. I’ve worked in ER for many years, in several different places, and I find Box Butte General to be very friendly and professional.” He said the hospital being community owned and nonprofit contributes to its mission of “working for their community and for the community’s well-being.” Dr. Chu will continue to serve patients at his private practice.

Interim Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Brian Shelmadine said, “We are grateful for Dr. Chu’s service to our country and to our community. We are lucky to have had him as a physician, colleagues, and friend.”

A retirement party will be hosted on Thursday, October 30 from 4:30 to 7:30 PM at the West Side Event Center. BBGH invites the public to come celebrate with Dr. Chu and thank him for all that he has done for our community. For those who cannot attend, but want to send their regards, a letter can be sent to C/O Dr. Chu, 2101 Box Butte Ave, Alliance, NE 69301.

All of us at Box Butte General Hospital extend our deepest gratitude to Dr. Chu for his years of service and wish him a happy and healthy retirement.