Elise Pletnikoff, MD

Dr. Elise Pletnikoff is a Board Certified Family Medicine Physician and has been practicing at KANA since September 2013. Dr. Pletnikoff was raised in Kodiak.
She spent her summers commercial fishing on the Alaskan Peninsula and Shumagin Islands when she was young and she enjoyed fishing with her dad as a teenager. She left Kodiak to pursue her medical education through the University of Washington School of Medicine, followed by training at the Swedish Cherry Hill Family Medicine program. She enjoys seeing patients of all ages at KANA and at Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center.
Dr. Pletnikoff aims to provide high-quality family medicine through a patient and community centered approach with special interests in Alaska Native health, Elder care, hospital medicine, women's health and addiction medicine.

Evan Jones, MD

Dr. Evan Jones is a Board Certified Family Medicine Physician and has been practicing at KANA since September 2014.
Dr. Jones attended the University of Washington School of Medicine and completed the Providence Family Medicine Spokane Residency Program in 2014.
Dr. Jones has developed strong ties to Kodiak, having worked at the Kodiak Baptist Mission from 1997 to 2006 before attending medical school. Dr. Jones has made it a practice of serving others. “I think mankind was created to serve one another," Dr. Jones said. "My goal is to truly listen to people and figure out the best way to serve them.”

Katie Gray, MD

Dr. Gray received her Doctor of Medicine from Medical University of South Carolina in 2017 and completed her Family Medicine residency at Mountain Area Health Education Center in Asheville, NC in the summer of 2020. She grew up in a small town in South Carolina, enjoys biking, and taking hikes with her dog. She has interests in women’s health and pediatrics.
Dr. Gray spent a four-week rotation at KANA in September 2019 and, after her time at KANA, decided tribal and community health is her passion. She is excited to be a part of a team so dedicated to the health and quality of life of their patients.

Sam Chelmo, MD

Dr. Chelmo received his Doctor of Medicine from Sanford School of Medicine of the University of South Dakota in 2008. He then “left the prairie to pursue the Alaska dream” and completed his Family Medicine residency through the Alaska Family Medicine Residency program in 2011.
Dr. Chelmo joined the KANA medical team as a KANA Family Medicine Physician in 2011. After serving for 8 years he left to work in rural New Zealand for five months. He rejoined the KANA team full time in November, 2020.
Dr. Chelmo feels very fortunate to be raising his two boys in Kodiak and enjoys mountain biking and back country hunts. He believes medicine is most effective in the setting of a long-term doctor-patient relationship and feels privileged to serve KANA’s patients.

Derek Bowers, MD

Dr. Bowers joined the KANA team in October 2020. He received his Doctor of Medicine from Southern Illinois University of Medicine in 2013 and completed his Family Medicine residency through the Alaska Family Medicine Residency program in 2016.
Dr. Bowers spent his first year out of residency as a volunteer Physician in the Republic of Georgia, and worked in a locum capacity for BBAHC and clinics in the lower 48 from 2017 until 2020.
Dr. Bowers has a passion for health and wellness. He enjoys running and hiking but will settle for reading by the fire when the Kodiak rain happens to be coming down sideways.

Greg Walter, APRN, FNP-C

KANA added a Family Nurse Practitioner in October 2019. Greg Walter is a certified FNP with the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. He graduated from Yale in 2018 as a FNP with a specialty in Diabetes Management. Prior to graduating as a FNP, Greg was a Social Worker for six years and still uses those skills to help ensure he is treating the whole person.
Together with his wife, Greg pursued a dream of moving to Kodiak. “I feel very lucky to be living here, exploring the island and getting to know the people.” Greg finds it rewarding in helping patients reach their goals. “KANA’s mission 'to elevate the quality of life of the people we serve' fits perfectly with the reason I do this work. It is a testament to the positive impact the staff at KANA have all across the island."

Karen Millstein, PA-C

Karen Millstein is a Physician Assistant certified with the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. Karen has been working at KANA since 1994. Prior to working at KANA, Karen worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife for 8 years in field camps all over Alaska. Karen provides clinical oversight to the Kodiak Child Advocacy Center. Karen completed her Master of Health Science in Physician Assistant Studies from Duke University Medical School in 1992.

Alison Starr, PA-C

Alison Starr is a Board Certified Physician Assistant (PA). She joined the KANA Medical Team in 2018.
Alison received her Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and Gerontology from Kansas State University. She then went on to complete her Masters in Physician Assistant from Wichita State University, where she specialized in Rural Primary Care. Together with her husband, Alison moved to Kodiak in 2018 following their dream of living closer to nature. “We wanted to live somewhere that provided access to the activities we love most," says Alison. "We get to live our dream every day in Kodiak.” She brings to KANA a great desire to help those in need and to better the health and wellness of the community. She aims to improve and bring about positive patient outcomes and give her absolute best to those she serves.

Paige Buer, PA-C

Paige Buer joined KANA’s Medical team in October 2020. A Board Certified Physician Assistant (PA), she specializes in Family Medicine.
She received her Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Fort Hays State University in Hays, KS. Following her undergraduate studies, Paige ventured out west to Pocatello, Idaho where she graduated with a Master of Physician Assistant Studies Idaho State University.
Her PA clinical rotations consisted of Family Medicine, Psychiatry, OB/GYN, Pediatrics, Emergency Medicine and Trauma, General Surgery, and Internal Medicine.  Prior to starting her PA program, Paige served as a Patient Care Technician on an acute care floor at Hays Medical Center from 2015 to 2017.   Paige has a passion for rural health care and looks forward to providing well-rounded, patient-centered care that will enable her patients to pursue the lifestyles they desire.

Nick Kesling, PA-C

Nick Kesling is a Board Certified Physician Assistant with interest in family and internal medicine. Nick completed the University of Washington MEDEX Northwest Physician Assistant program in the fall of 2020, and spent a 4-month clinical rotation with KANA in 2019. Before starting PA school, Nick was a Lab Assistant and Phlebotomist for Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center, a Medical Assistant for Kodiak Community Health Center, and the Mountain Rescue Team Leader (volunteer) for Kodiak Island Search and Rescue.
He believes KANA offers an unparalleled opportunity to give back to the community while collaborating with a caring and dedicated team.