Senate panel advances 10 health board nominees to full Legislature

The Alaska Senate Health and Social Services Committee voted Tuesday to forward 10 gubernatorial appointees to health professional boards for confirmation by the full Legislature.

The committee recommended nominees to boards covering nursing, pharmacy, optometry, social work, professional counselors, and the State Medical Board. Several are reappointments with prior board experience, including Sarah Rasmussen to the Board of Pharmacy and Kathleen Rice to the Board of Examiners in Optometry.

Committee Chair Forrest Dunbar read the list of recommended appointees: Damian Delzer, Eliza Ellsworth, Michelle Scott-Webber, Heather Crivello, Michael Collins, Ivy Villani, Jillann Garrity, Norman Walker, Sarah Rasmussen, and Kathleen Rice.

"As a reminder, signing the committee report does not reflect individual members' approval or disapproval of the nomination," Dunbar said.

The nominees bring varied backgrounds to their boards. Delzer, an optometrist in Fairbanks for 33 years, previously served on the Board of Examiners in Optometry and worked with the Legislative Audit Division during a sunset audit. Ellsworth, a physical therapist based in Bethel for 12 years, treats patients at the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta Regional Hospital and specializes in wound care including frostbite treatment.

Collins, seeking reappointment to the Board of Nursing, was elected secretary during his first term that began in November 2023. He manages a financial practice in the Mat-Su Valley and said his passion for quality care stems from growing up with an autistic brother and losing his mother to a brain aneurysm.

"I was previously appointed to the Alaska Board of Nursing in November of '23 and was elected as secretary during that appointment, and it has been a privilege and an honor to do so, and to be in the process of potentially being reappointed again is nothing short of an honor," Collins said.

Senator Cathy Giessel thanked Collins for serving in the public seat on the nursing board, noting such positions are difficult to fill.

"I've served two terms on that board and chaired it for six years, and I know public seats are hard to fill with people who care. So thank you very much for serving in that public seat," Giessel said.

Villani, appointed to the Board of Social Work Examiners in 2025, works as a teletherapist for Headlight Health serving clients across Alaska. She holds active licenses in Minnesota and Alaska and is pursuing licenses in Ohio and Nevada to maintain continuity of care for clients who travel between states.

Walker, nominated to the State Medical Board, is a physician assistant with 27 years of experience who has lived in Alaska three times. He most recently worked in Gustavus and Wrangell and is currently doing locum work while deciding where to settle permanently. Walker said he was recruited to apply because the medical board has struggled with staffing.

Senator Loki Tobin questioned Walker about his relationship with the Alaska Academy of Physician Assistants, noting the organization represents a majority of physician assistants in the state and has had a contentious relationship with the State Medical Board. The board has been pursuing regulatory updates for the last four years aimed at reducing administrative burden on physician assistants, changes that have sparked debate between the board and the professional association.

"There has been quite a tumultuous relationship with the State Medical Board and our physician assistants over the last few years. So I would love to hear a little bit about your input or insight into the regulatory updates that the State Medical Board has been pursuing for the last four years for reducing administrative burden on physician assistants," Tobin said.

Walker said he served on the Montana Physician Assistant Association during similar regulatory changes and is aligned with Alaska's efforts to reduce regulatory burdens on advanced practice practitioners.

Rasmussen, seeking reappointment to the Board of Pharmacy after three years as the public member, said she brings a policy-focused perspective informed by her legislative experience. She highlighted the board's work with the Controlled Substances Advisory Committee, which recently approved a letter to the governor recommending kratom be classified as a controlled substance.

The committee heard no public testimony on the nominations. The full Legislature will vote on the confirmations in a joint session, likely in May.