Jeffery Kerr, DO

I’m Jeffery Kerr, DO, and I serve as the medical director for Phelps Health’s Walk-In Clinic services. I have extensive experience with family practice and geriatrics (senior care), the Emergency Department, long-term care facilities and the paramedic program. I am also the medical director of the emergency medical technician (EMT) program with Rolla Public Schools. I joined Phelps Health in 2015.

My interest in medicine began in high school and has only grown over the years. After 2 years at the University of Iowa, I decided I wanted to go into cancer research. I trained in cytotechnology (the study of cells to detect abnormalities) in Des Moines, Iowa, before moving to Kirksville, Missouri. There, I worked at Kirksville Osteopathic Hospital, and my growing interest in medicine led me to enroll in medical school.

From the start, I wanted to be a physician who could take care of the whole patient, from birth through the end of life. Family medicine and geriatrics were a natural fit for this goal. I chose geriatrics because there's a significant shortage of physicians willing to visit long-term care facilities and homes.

I grew up in the little town of Farmington, Iowa, where my family owned a full-service gas station. I worked there every weekend, filling cars up with gas, washing windows and checking oil. I met my wife in fifth grade, and we’ve been married over 40 years. We have three children, all registered nurses, and six grandchildren. In my free time, I love to cook. I am definitely not a master chef, but I take a lot of cooking classes to keep learning.

When patients see me, I want them to leave feeling fully informed about their issue and what comes next. My goal is for them to feel heard and to have a clear plan for their specific problem or general health.