ALASKA WOMEN'S CANCER CARE - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Nurse Practitioner
- Board - Certified Women 's Health Nurse Practitioner
Amanda "Rae" Wholly is a Board-Certified Women's Health Nurse Practitioner. She has broad experience in general and specialty care. Rae joined the AKWCC team in July of 2023.
Rae and her family chose to come back to Alaska because she loves being in the mountains. She is an avid hiker, kayaker, and quilter. She also loves to read and spends a lot of time listening to books while she quilts.
Job Titles:
- New Patient & Surgery Coordinator
Candy is a lifelong Alaskan, who attended UAA and graduated with honors from the Medical Assisting Program. She has been a medical assistant in Anchorage for more than 30 years. Having the opportunity to make someone smile while building strong patient relationships through communication and trust is important to her. You can probably find her on weekends browsing art galleries and antique stores, or spending time with family and friends.
Chrissy was born and raised in Valdez, AK. She moved to Anchorage in 2007 for nursing school, graduating in 2011 from the University of Alaska Anchorage. Previous work experience includes women's health and oncology. She enjoys spending time with her husband and children in her free time, especially camping, fishing, and soaking up the Alaskan summer.
Chrisy has lived in Alaska for thirty years and has a degree in marketing. Chrisy has 15 years of experience working in medical billing. She is a Certified Medical Coder.
She is committed to working individually with every AKWCC patient to establish financial plans that will minimize economic stressors and maximize focus on excellence in medical care.
She enjoys spending time with her family, biking, and reading mystery novels.
Job Titles:
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker
Diana obtained both her bachelor's and master's degree in social work at the University of Anchorage. She has been providing mental health services since 1997. In 2012, Diana shifted the focus of her work to patients with severe, potentially life limiting illnesses and palliative care needs. She earned a post- MSW certificate in palliative care from the California State University Institute for Palliative Care in 2017.
Diana provides counseling and therapeutic support to patients with life altering illnesses and their family members, utilizing a variety of interventions and practice models such as medical crisis counseling, structured life review, mindfulness-based approaches, cognitive behavioral therapy and guided imagery. Most recently, Diana has been trained in meaning-centered psychotherapy for cancer patients at Memorial Sloan Kettering in New York City.
AKWCC is pleased to announce the addition of Diana's counseling services one day a week at pre-arranged office appointment times.
In her off time, Diana enjoys spending time with her family and four legged companions. She travels whenever possible and enjoys new life experiences.
Dr. Stransky graduated from Stanford University and received his MD from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. Dr. Stransky interned at Swedish Hospital in Seattle and completed his Ob-Gyn residency at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Stransky began his medical career as an airborne battalion surgeon with the US Army and the School of the Americas in Panama. Founded in 1980, his private gynecology practice in Anchorage featured the latest evidence-based medical and surgical treatments. An associate member of the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists, Dr. Stransky joined AKWCC in 2012.
Dr. Mayer Hope is a graduate of Stanford University (B.A. in Economics, 1992), completed her Masters at Antioch University in Ohio (Intercultural Relations, 1997) and received her MD from State University of New York, Brooklyn in 2003 with honors. She completed her postgraduate training at New York University Medical Center including a 4-year residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology, where she served as administrative chief in 2007 followed by a 3-year fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology. She is board certified in both Obstetrics and Gynecology (2009) and Gynecologic Oncology (2011) through the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Job Titles:
- Board - Certified Emergency Medicine Specialist
Dr. Linda Smith is a Board-Certified Emergency Medicine Specialist and Palliative Care Medicine Specialist with a wide variety of health care experience. She joined the AKWCC health care team in February of 2017 and provides: urgent care medicine, surgical assisting, palliative care for symptom management and hospice care for those patients who will not survive their cancers.
Dr. Smith completed her Emergency Medicine Specialty training at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in 1995.She practiced Emergency Medicine and worked as a clinical instructor until she moved to Anchorage in 2000.Initially, she worked at the Alaska Native Medical Center Emergency Department in addition to working administratively and eventually as President of ANMC Medical staff. She helped design and implement several Quality Improvement projects in the ER before transitioning to Providence Alaska Medical Center ER in 2008.
In 2011, Dr. Smith elected to pursue additional education in Palliative and Hospice Care Medicine through fellowship training at Providence Alaska Medical Center. During her Palliative Medicine career, she opened new pathways into neonatal Palliative care and Pediatric hospice care in addition to initiating the development and implementation of the first outpatient Palliative Care Clinic in Alaska.
Dr. Smith now focuses on caring for Oncology patients and their families across the state of Alaska. She has worked to develop integrated care teams across multiple disciplines to assist in support and communication of care for cancer patients. She has been invited to speak locally, nationally, and internationally about her experience in the emerging field of Palliative Care medicine. Most recently, she has added video teleconferencing services as a part of her outpatient services.
Her passions outside of work include spending time with her family, fishing/fly fishing, rafting, mountain biking and hiking with friends.She is an avid swimmer and trains regularly for triathlons.
Job Titles:
- Certified Gynecologic Oncologist and Managing Partner
Dr. Hardesty is a board certified gynecologic oncologist and managing partner at Alaska Women's Cancer Care.
Performing over 300 robotic cases during training and learning from 14 gynecologic oncologists, she has experience in many complex surgical and medical situations. As of 2022 she has performed over 1000 robotic surgeries since completing training. Before completing her fellowship, Dr. Hardesty (formerly Dr. Thrall) worked in rural Arizona close to the Navajo reservation as an OB GYN. She has always been interested in providing medical care to underserved populations, and is privileged to be able to continue to care for the women of Alaska. Dr Hardesty oversees the gynecologic cancer clinical trial program and is the Principal Investigator on many clinical trials available to the gynecologic cancer patients we treat in Alaska. She has academic appointments at the University of Alaska Anchorage, the University of Washington and the Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences and she is actively involved in the education of a future generation of providers on women's health care. Dr Hardesty has appointments on several editorial review boards and is an active member of a number of committees for the society of gynecologic Oncology. Dr. Hardesty is passionate about providing care to the women of Alaska with gynecologic cancers and complex pelvic disorders and ensuring that these women are treated with the highest standard of care.
Education
Dr. Hardesty earned a degree in Biology (BS, Suma Cum Laude) from the University of Southern California in 1997. She graduated from Albany Medical College in 2001 (MD, A.O.A) and she went on to complete a 4 year residency in OB GYN at Magee Womens' Hospital/University of Pittsburgh Health Center in 2005. Between 2005-2009 she worked in Page Arizona as an OB GYN serving a small community near the Navajo Reservation. She also served as Medical Director for Canyonlands Community Health Care from 2007-2009. In 2009 she moved to Seattle where she completed her 4 year fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology. She also earned a Master's in Public Health from the University of Washington in 2011. She is board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology (2007) and board certified in Gynecologic Oncology (2015).
Interests
Dr Hardesty is most happy when spending time with her family and children. Dr. Hardesty loves the outdoors and exploring both on foot, in fins and on skis. She takes many photographs and especially enjoys taking photos of nature and scenery above and below the ocean. She is an avid traveler and hopes to see everything one day. She likes to cook for others and spend time with family and friends.
Dr. Tom Burke has spent his entire career serving the OB GYN needs of Alaska's women. He brings 35 years of clinical and surgical experience to Alaska Women's Cancer Care. Dr. Burke is deeply committed to public health with over 20 years of experience caring for Alaska Native women with gynecologic cancers. He currently splits his time between Alaska Women's Cancer Care and the Alaska Native Medical Center division of gynecologic oncology.
Education
Dr. Burke graduated in 1982 from Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska. In 1982 he completed his Family Practice Residency at Cook County Hospital in Chicago. In 1993 he completed his Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency at Northwestern University in Chicago. He is board certified in both Obstetrics & Gynecology and Family Medicine.
Interests
Dr. Burke is an active Alaskan and enjoys mountain biking and skiing.
He is a dedicated father and humanitarian and he loves rock n' roll music.
Job Titles:
- Certified Medical Assistant
- Certified Medical Assistant, CNA
I was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska. I graduated from Alaska Career College in 2012.
Before joining the team at Alaska Women's Cancer Care in 2017, I worked at an OB/GYN office. That's where my interest in women's health started. It's a privilege to get to know all our patients and their family and have the opportunity of being a part of the services we provide to all women in Alaska.
When I am not working I enjoy spending time with my partner, Sam our son, Ira and our dog, Bo.
Our office assembles the most experienced team in Alaska for female cancer diagnosis and treatment. Our mission is to provide comprehensive, compassionate, expedient, and outstanding cancer care to all women with gynecologic malignancies in Alaska.
Job Titles:
- Certified Medical Assistant
Linda has lived in Alaska for 47 years. She has 27 years working in the Medical billing and Management field. She enjoys helping patients with any insurance or billing questions they may have.
She enjoys spending time with her husband, children and grandchildren. She enjoys fishing, hiking and camping with her fur babies whenever she can. She enjoys a good Murder mystery, crocheting and cross stitching and cooking.
Our office assembles the most experienced team in Alaska for female cancer diagnosis and treatment. Our mission is to provide comprehensive, compassionate, expedient, and outstanding cancer care to all women with gynecologic malignancies in Alaska.
Job Titles:
- New Patient & Surgery Coordinator
Savanna is a lifelong Alaskan who graduated top of her class from charter college the summer of 2008 after obtaining her certificate as a Nationally Certified Medical Assistant. She completed her 180 hour externship through the Alaska VA healthcare system and has been working in the health care field ever since. Over the last 15 years she has worked in Dermatology, eyecare, primary care, and orthopedic surgery. When she is not working she enjoys spending time with her son Sylas and their two dogs, Benjamin and Ceasar.