A Life in Medicine
The Man Behind
The Mission
To the medical world, he was Dr. Robert P. Heidelberg, Jr., founder of Heidelberg Dermatology, a Vietnam War veteran, and a Wayne State-trained dermatologist. But to the patients whose lives he touched, he was simply “Dr. Bob.”
His journey began at Wayne State University, where he earned his undergraduate degree, before going on to Howard University College of Medicine for his medical training. He then served his country as a captain in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, a chapter that shaped not just his discipline, but his deep sense of duty toward others.
When he opened Heidelberg Dermatology in northwest Detroit in 1971, he brought something the field rarely talked about: the belief that every patient, regardless of their background or ability to pay, deserved the same standard of expert, dignified care. In a city where equitable access to quality healthcare wasn’t guaranteed, Dr. Bob didn’t make it a policy. He made it a personal promise.
”Dr. Bob set out with modest ambitions — to treat patients well, to be honest, to do good work. What he built was far greater than he imagined: a practice of more than a million visits, a family tradition of medicine, and an enduring presence in the fabric of Detroit. The science of skin was his chosen language — and through it, he spoke to generations.
Dr. Robert P. Heidelberg, Jr. · 1938 – 2013Founder
At a Glance
- Born1938, Detroit
- EducationWayne State University
- Medical DegreeHoward University
- Military ServiceU.S. Army, Vietnam
- ResidencyWayne State University
- Practice Founded1971
- Patients Served1.5 Million+
- Passed2013
