Our Providers
YOUR PRIMARY MEDICAL HOME PROVIDERS
Since the age of three, Dr. R. Lynn Carlson has spent the majority of his life in Alaska. He spent his summers fishing on his family’s beach set-net site and, after school and sports in the winter he and his brothers would weld aluminum fishing boats with his father to sell to other fishermen. He always enjoyed science, and pursued his medical education at the University of Washington. All through medical school and residency, Dr. Carlson helped to fund his education by captaining his fishing boat, the “Connie Jeanne”, during the salmon run each year in Bristol Bay, Alaska.
Dr. Carlson completed his residency in Emergency Medicine in Pennsylvania. Soon after he finished, he and his family moved back to the Kenai and he started practicing medicine in his home town. Dr. Carlson has a passion for preventive medicine and focuses on keeping you healthy as well as treating your immediate illness. He is also Emergency Medicine Board Certified. With his experience, he plays a big part in our urgent care portion of the clinic.
In May of 2015, Dr. R Lynn Carlson was certified by the Institute for Functional Medicine as a Certified Practitioner. IFM Certified Practitioners are recognized as clinicians whose rigorous training and evaluation puts them in the top tier of functional medicine practitioners. Functional Medicine is evidence-based patient centered and geared toward investigating the root cause of disease. He looks forward to providing this higher level of care to the community.
Dr. Carlson has been in practice at MediCenter for 21 years and enjoys the friendships he has gained with those whom he has served and looks forward to meeting and serving others as well.
Samuel Schurig DO :
Dr. Samuel Schurig has been with MediCenter for over four years. He is a long time Alaskan, having come to the state in 1983 with the Air Force. He transferred to the Air National Guard in 1986, and because of his love for the state he opened a private practice in Eagle River. He loves the outdoors and spending time with his family, which is partly why he understands the importance of his role in practicing Family and Osteopathic Medicine.
Dr. Schurig loves taking care of families and their medical needs. He also takes a special interest in diabetes and the metabolic problems which accompany it. As an Osteopath, Dr. Schurig has a great deal of experience with bone and joint problems and Osteopathic Manipulative Therapy. He also is very skilled in removing unwanted moles, cysts, warts and lipomas.
Leah Streich, RD, MCHS, PA-C, our new Certified Physician Assistant and Nationally certified Registered Dietitian, is a welcome addition to the Provider group at MediCenter. She is a long time passionate teacher of healthy lifestyle and disease prevention, having provided one-on-one nutrition counseling, group nutrition education, facilitation of diabetes support groups, and organization and management of diabetes prevention and management programs. Leah is excited to share her knowledge, passion, and experience, bringing these programs to the great people of the Kenai Peninsula!
Leah graduated from the University of Washington, MEDEX program (one of the top ten PA programs in the nation). Leah also comes with training and experience including women’s health, psychiatry, urgent care, and loves working with children. She has worked in private practice, rural, and hospital settings and is eager to be a huge part of your family’s Primary Care Medical Home here at MediCenter.
Leah was born in South Korea and grew up in Spokane, Washington, where she discovered her talent in gymnastics, which later played a tremendous part in her role as a cheerleader at Washington State University.
Leah and her husband, Jake are avid outdoor enthusiasts. They love to do all sorts of outdoor activities, such as hiking, snowboarding, and she particularly enjoys Crossfit. They are thrilled to share in the Alaska adventure and are excited to call the Kenai Peninsula home. They love to cook together and entertain friends and family.
Jared Wallace, PA-C, is a wonderful provider on your MediCenter team and has been with us since early 2013. With his genuine approach, Jared has been serving patients and their families on the Peninsula for over 4 years and is committed to being your family care provider here at MediCenter. He is excellent with minor emergencies and has a whole person approach. He is a strong part of our ‘After Hours’ clinic that has been open at MediCenter for over a year.
Jared is excellent with all members of the family, is very detail oriented, and is a great listener. Jared has a strong following because he feels strongly about the high level of care he insists on giving his patients.
Jared Wallace grew up in Washington State on a farm in Yakima area. An interesting fact about Jared: he broke his foot at age 13 and had a Liz frank fracture, spent six months in and out of the ortho clinic and knew that he wanted to practice medicine. In fact, he kept his x-rays and even brought them to his interviews to get into PA school! Jared graduated from Philadelphia college of Osteopathic Medicine in 2009. He then moved directly to Alaska after taking a clinical rotation in Soldotna, where he had been in practice for the past 3.5 years.
Jared truly cares about what patients have to say. He enjoys being a family care provider and getting to know each member of the family. He loves minor emergency, trauma situations, and gets excited about helping patients have success in dealing with and reversing long term and chronic illness. We welcome Jared Wallace to our MediCenter team.
Robert warmly welcomes the entire family unit into his clinical practice, caring for newborns, children, adolescents, adults and seniors. He takes particular pride in seeing entire families and caring for a multitude of generations. He embraces complementary and alternative medicine in addition to traditional medical approaches to modern illnesses and chronic diseases. Robert emphasis is in prevention and quite simply, keeping his patients as healthy and functional as possible.
Robert served Alaska and our country honorably in the Marine Corp and cares deeply for our country’s freedoms and wellbeing. He has participated in service and humanitarian aid in Djabouti, Africa and in Kosovo.
Rob is very personable and has had a diverse role in Medicine. He has a special interest in lab, allergy medicine, family practice, and a taking care of the whole family. He enjoys spending time with his wonderful wife and children along with other family members. Like many Alaskans, he loves adventure and the outdoors.
PAIN MANAGEMENT
Andrea Trescot, MD is the past president of the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP), a former professor at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, and previous director of the pain fellowship programs at the University of Washington and the University of Florida. She graduated from the Medical University of South Carolina, with internship and residency in anesthesia at Bethesda Naval Hospital and a fellowship in pediatric anesthesia at National Children’s Hospital in Washington. She is a Diplomate of the American Board of Interventional Pain Physicians, a Fellow of Interventional Pain Practice, and chair of the US section of the World Institute of Pain. Dr. Trescot is board certified in anesthesia, pain management, interventional pain management and critical care. She was a pain clinic director in private practice for 20 years before she moved to academics. She returned to private practice in 2012 in Wasilla, Alaska and will now be joining MediCenter in Kenai.
Dr. Trescot is available to serve chronic and acute pain patients on the Kenai Peninsula!
Robert Allen, MD FACS has more than 20 years of experience in both adult and pediatric urology.After undergraduate studies at Emory University he received his medical degree from The Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. He then completed a urology residency at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu. After residency, he completed a Pediatric Urology fellowship at the renowned University of Minnesota Medical Center. He has held many positions including urology residency training program director and chief of urology at two major Army medical centers. He has spent over 15 years teaching both urology and pediatric residents. More recently he served as Chief of Urology and Chief of Pediatric Urology at Madigan Army Medical Center in Fort Lewis Washington.
Dr. Allen is a member of many professional societies to include the American Urological Association and the Society of Government Service Urologists. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Urology and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He is a recognized expert in pediatric urology and pediatric reconstructive surgery. He has extensive clinical and surgical experience, has participated in many national clinical research trials and has published numerous papers in peer reviewed professional journals and medical texts.
As an academic urologist, Dr. Allen has been privileged to work closely with nationally and internationally renowned urologic surgeons. In addition to his many years in academic urology and a tour in Iraq performing combat trauma surgery he has performed many humanitarian medical missions which have further enhanced his surgical skills and post-operative outcomes.
We welcome Dr. Allen and Alaska Institute Surgical & Medical Specialties bringing quality, compassion, and excellence into the Kenai Peninsula.
VEIN CARE
Corey Johnson, MD was certified by the American board of Phlebology (ABPH) in July 2008. This was the charter class for the ABPH making Dr Johnson one of only 248 physicians nationwide to be granted this credential as a specialist in Phlebology. To become board certified an applicant must complete the requisite training and experience qualifications, meet the continuing medical education requisites, and pass a stringent certification examination. Dr Johnson, who is also board-certified in Family Medicine, received specialty training in Phlebology in 2006 in North Carolina working with Dr Ty Bell and Dr Laura Ellis. Dr. Ellis is a published author and pioneer in the field who also sits on the editorial advisory board of Vein Therapy News.
The field of Phlebology is relatively new, receiving status as an independent specialty by the American Medical Association in 2005. Consequently, formal residency training programs have not yet been created by medical schools or universities and board certification was not offered until the exam became available in May of 2008. The recent explosion in interest in Phlebology by physicians and patients has been in large part due to advances in ultrasound diagnosis and laser therapy-which have dramatically simplified and improved the results of treatment of varicose vein disease.
Deanna Williams is the Clinic Site Manager and Registered Nurse of Alaska Vein Care. She works alongside Dr. Johnson to provide excellent care and service to our patients, assisting with treatment procedures. Deanna is trained to perform sclerotherapy (spider vein treatments) and venous disease screening. Deanna graduated with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire in 1994. While in school, she gained valuable experience working as a research assistant for Dr. Marjorie Bottoms, the Dean of the School of Nursing. This experience helped to fuel her lifelong love of learning. Deanna completed her Master of Science Degree in Nursing in 2011. Her studies included a focus on leadership and management skills. Deanna is currently pursuing her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Walden University.
Deanna began her nursing career as a staff nurse in hospital settings from 1994 to 2002 gaining experience primarily in Pediatrics, Labor and Delivery, Mother Baby Nursing, and Nursery Care. She started her first nursing leadership job in 2002. She has worked as a nurse leader over her 10-plus years of management experience in large hospital settings such as Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, Sherman Health, Rush University Health Systems, and Providence Health and Services. Deanna takes great pride in being a supportive and transformational leader with a heart and desire to help staff members grow in their skills and confidence while providing high quality care to patients.
PHYSICAL THERAPY
Leon Richard, Doctor of Physical Therapy is actively heading up our Physical Therapy Department. Leon Richard earned his Doctorate in Physical Therapy with Honors from Husson College in Maine. Through many of his life experiences in firefighting, law enforcement, weightlifting, martial arts and many other strenuous physical activities, Leon gained an appreciation for the human body and a passion for thoroughly understanding how it works. We are proud to state that there are many patients and providers that would willingly give excellent testimonials on the success he and his patients have had together in improving their physical lives. Being that he works in the health industry, he is a firm believer in working himself out of a job. If he doesn’t feel that you are improving with his services, he’ll be the first to bring it up and suggest a change. Leon is results oriented when it comes to your health and at the same time gentle enough to help ensure a comfortable, fast recovery.
HEALTH AND WELLNESS EDUCATOR
Becca Richardson, Health and Wellness Educator and Director of Health and Wellness grew up on the Kenai Peninsula and graduated high school from Nikiski high. She then went on to receive her Bachelors in Exercise and Wellness from Brigham Young University. During her educational experience she had the opportunity to go outside of her conventional learning and be taught be world-renown leaders of functional and integrative medicine, such as: Mark Hyman MD, Kristi Hughes ND, Jeffery Bland PHD, and Alex Vasquez DC, ND, DO. From training to conferences, she has been taught how to look at the body as a whole. Her passion is nutrition. Since she was little she loved being in the kitchen trying new recipes and creating new concoctions. At the age of seven she was baking bread and selling it. It was in college that she combined her love for cooking with nutrition. As an avid believer of preventative medicine, and with her love for health and exercise, she has a deeper knowledge of how important nutrition is and wants to share it with everyone. She loves teaching and motivating others about nutrition and helping people regain their health.
This experience makes her an optimal MediCenter care coordinator working under the direct observation of providers. She conducts follow-up with the patients to gather information by adhering to a protocol created and assigned to the individual patient by our providers, after patients have been seen by a provider. Becca is a patient centered medical home coordinator in practice!
Becca also loves the outdoors, exercise, and sports. Her favorite is basketball. She played in high school and still continues to play regularly today. She is always looking for adventure and getting others involved is one of her strong points. Her commitment to you is excellence, she knows how hard it can be to change the way you eat but believes that it will change the way you feel and if you can do that, life is limitless.
“It is the most rewarding job to see people change their lives, getting rid of disease and becoming a healthy individual full of life and making a difference in the world every day.”