After three national championships with the Nebraska Cornhuskers and a career in the NFL with the Arizona Cardinals, Joel Makovicka returned home to Nebraska with a new mission: bringing elite-level physical therapy care to his home state.

Following in his father John’s footsteps—who pioneered physical therapy in east central Nebraska over 40 years ago—Joel earned his Doctor of Physical Therapy from Creighton University. There, he met Natalie Harms, and together they decided to create a partnership forming Makovicka/Harms Group.  

In 2009, they opened their first clinic in Omaha’s Keystone neighborhood. What started as one clinic has grown into Nebraska’s largest locally owned physical therapy group, serving many Nebraska communities with the same dedication that Joel brought to the football field and Natalie to the field of physical therapy.