State medical board nominee Samantha Smith questioned on scope of experience during committee hearing

Samantha Smith, a physician assistant practicing in Anchorage, appeared before the House Health and Social Services Committee for consideration for appointment to the Alaska State Medical Board. Smith described her clinical training on the East Coast, graduation from a PA program in 2019 and five years of practice in a regenerative-medicine clinic in Alaska. She said her work focuses on nonpharmaceutical, functional treatments rather than high-volume procedural or pain-management practice.

Committee members asked Smith about her interest in serving on the medical board and about the board’s current workload and complaints process. Smith said she hoped to strengthen patient safety by scrutinizing license applications and improving board responsiveness to complaints; she described recent changes in the board’s meeting cadence and said complaints that implicated patient safety had increased. Committee member Representative Gray asked why she sought the role; Smith cited patient safety and the need to ensure qualified providers are licensed and retained in the state.

Public testimony was mixed. Sarah Hood, a physician assistant with Alaska practice experience, supported Smith’s appointment, saying Alaska needs board members who have worked in the state’s unique environment. Two physician assistants who testified—Wendy Smith and Candice Hickle—urged the committee to reject confirmation, citing concerns about the nominee’s short time practicing in Alaska, limited involvement in statewide PA organizations, and a practice setting they described as nonrepresentative of most Alaska PAs.

Committee members asked for additional time to follow up with the nominee. Given the length of the hearing and outstanding committee questions, the chair invited Smith to return for a future hearing to complete questioning.