Nominee Mike McNamara tells Senate committee he needs more experience on gender‑affirming care; senators press on board politics and geographic representation

Michael (Mike) McNamara, an orthopedic surgeon appointed by Governor Dunleavy, testified April 30 before the Senate Health and Social Services Committee during his confirmation hearing for the State Medical Board. McNamara described his training, long Alaska practice and leadership at the Alaska Surgery Center and said he has served on the board about five months.

McNamara told the committee the board's principal work is vetting clinicians and adjudicating complaints and discipline. "A big part of the job on the board is vetting new docs ... and then docs and PAs that have made some bad decisions and choices," he said. He identified workforce access in remote communities, possible interstate compacts, and regulatory oversight of provider conduct as likely challenges the board will face.

Senators pressed McNamara on his clinical experience in fields raised during board deliberations, including endocrinology and reproductive medicine. McNamara said he had "no experience in endocrinology" and that he had only a short time on the board to date. A senator noted McNamara had signed a letter challenging national standards of care related to gender‑affirming treatment and parental‑rights questions; McNamara said he supported the board's prior decisions at the time he signed and acknowledged he needs to "understand more" about the issue.

Members also emphasized the State Medical Board's quasi‑judicial role and cautioned against boards taking political positions. "These aren't political decisions," one senator said, urging McNamara to weigh the appropriateness of political opinions in adjudicatory contexts. McNamara replied that major political stances had been rare during his time on the board and that deliberations typically incorporate Department of Law advice and public input.

A senator cited Alaska statute (as read in the hearing) directing geographic distribution of licensed physicians on the board and observed that current membership was concentrated in urban hubs; McNamara agreed that adding representation from remote areas would improve the board's perspective. Public testimony on the nomination was opened and closed with no speakers present. The committee concluded the hearing and adjourned; the transcript does not record a confirmation vote during this session.