Osteoarthritis of Hand near Anchorage, AK

Biography: Dr. Ala is fellowship trained in hand, upper extremity and microvascular surgery. He focuses on treating patients with hand, wrist and elbow conditions including fractures, carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis, joint replacement and more. He also has extensive training in wrist, elbow, and shoulder arthroscopy. Dr. Ala earned his medical degree from Cornell University Medical College in New York City in 2008. He completed his orthopedic surgery residency at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, where he also served as chief resident. After residency, Dr. Ala received subspecialty fellowship training in Hand, Upper Extremity and Microvascular Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. During his fellowship Dr. Ala received extensive training in hand and digit replantation and participated in one of the few hand transplant programs in the world. Dr. Ala also holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University. Among his numerous papers and presentations, Dr. Ala co-authored ``Stick Dominance Versus Hand Dominance in Youth Hockey,`` recently presented in San Francisco. He has also written a number of book chapters on wrist surgery and lectured on a number of topics, including pediatric elbow fracture treatment, sports injuries of the hand and wrist, and radial head fracture operative and non-operative management. Dr. Ala is excited to return to his home state with his wife and three children and establish his practice here in Anchorage. He was born and raised in Soldotna where his grandparents homesteaded in the 1940s. He grew up working on the family farm, commercial fishing, and playing hockey.

Biography: Dr. M Patricia Fox, MD is an Orthopedic Surgery Specialist who practices in Anchorage, AK. She is 38 years old. Dr. M Patricia Fox, MD is affiliated with Alaska Regional Hospital.

Biography: Alan Swenson, MD was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska and he is happy to be back home, providing care to his fellow Alaskans. He is a fellowship trained hand and microvascular surgeon. He pursued this specialty for its complexity and the depth and breadth of the field. Dr. Swenson says the best part of his job, though, ``is getting people back to the lives and activities they love.`` He is also an ardent supporter of community and medical education. He believes that the better educated patients and providers are, the better they can work together to achieve their shared goals. Growing up in Anchorage, Dr. Swenson was a stand out at both Stellar Secondary School and the Alaska Pacific University Early Honors program. He earned his Eagle Scout and went on to study biology at Brigham Young University–Hawaii, graduating Magna Cum Laude. He later attended the Alaska WWAMI program and earned his doctorate of medicine, with AOA Honors, from the University of Washington School of Medicine. Dr. Swenson chose to remain in Washington to complete a 5 year orthopedic surgery residency program focusing on trauma and disorders of the musculoskeletal system. There he was able to train at numerous institutions, including the world famous Harborview Medical Center, under some of the most respected orthopedic surgeons of their field. Dr. Swenson excelled in his residency training and was selected to complete a surgical fellowship in hand and microvascular surgery at the University of Cincinnati. There he spent an entire year focusing solely on disorders of the hand and upper extremity under the renowned hand surgeon, Peter Stern, MD. Since finishing his formal training, Dr. Swenson has continued his academic pursuits. He continues to be involved in cutting edge research at both the University of Cincinnati and the University of Washington. He is also passionate about both patient and provider education. He has recently taken on the role of Medical Director of Continuing Medical Education for the Providence Alaska system and acts as a preceptor to medical students, physician assistants, and medical residents. Dr. Swenson continuously works to ensure that all patients in Alaska will have access to the most up to date treatments and care available. He believes that ``Alaska is such an amazing and unique place, with an active and vibrant population that deserves a high quality of care that is as good, if not better than, anywhere else in the country.`` Today Dr. Swenson is a vital member of the OPA hand specialty team with many publications, presentations and honors to his name. He says that he has been ``incredibly excited to be able to bring my education and training back to Alaska, and to provide exceptional care to my fellow Alaskans from all across the state.``

Care Philosophy: The OPA ``care team`` model of service helps patients enjoy the personalized attention and a family feel of a small practice...with all the conveniences, advanced technologies and cost-saving advantages of a large group practice.

Care Philosophy: Our experienced, specialty-trained doctors are proud to have strong roots in a community dedicated to conquering limits, and the specialized care and comprehensive services we offer are built for Alaskans by Alaskans. Because one-size-fits-all treatment doesn't work for Alaska.

Care Philosophy: Dr. Michael McNamara specializes in the surgical care of problems and injuries of the upper extremity. This includes the hand, wrist, elbow, and shoulder. Dr. McNamara holds a Certificate of Added Qualification in the Hand, making him one of Alaska's premier surgeons for conditions of the hand. He focuses on a comprehensive approach that that utilizes orthopedic evaluation and treatment as well as specialized therapeutic management of your condition to achieve the best results long-term.

Biography: A native of Ann Arbor, Michigan, Dr. Daniel J. Cepela is a board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon specializing in hand and upper extremity surgery. His specific interests include the treatment of arthritis, compression neuropathy, Dupuytrens Contracture, and trauma, as well as arthroplasty and arthroscopy of the elbow and shoulder, including complex and revision cases. Dr. Cepela received his medical degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in Cincinnati, Ohio. He completed his internship and residency in orthopedic surgery at Albany Medical College in Albany, New York. Dr. Cepela then completed his hand, upper extremity and microvascular surgery fellowship at the University of California, Davis School of Medicine, in Sacramento, California. He is a member of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.

Care Philosophy: To provide the finest orthopedic surgery and musculoskeletal care in North America, offering general and specialized adult care to all Alaskans and visitors.

Care Philosophy: Our experienced, specialty-trained doctors are proud to have strong roots in a community dedicated to conquering limits, and the specialized care and comprehensive services we offer are built for Alaskans by Alaskans.

Care Philosophy: Our team at Alaska Hand-Elbow-Shoulder will work for your health and healing and will strive to both relieve pain and restore function in the hand, wrist, elbow, shoulder, or knee to get you back to your active Alaskan lifestyle.