William Anthes, MD and
Vicky Malurkar, MD

Ketchikan, Alaska

Healthcare has changed drastically in Ketchikan since William Anthes and Vicky Malurkar started their medical practices in 1980. Then, critical patients needing care in Seattle flew Alaska Airlines—with a doctor, a nurse and six seats on the plane. The transport wasn’t private, and didn’t allow for the best care. Situations like this forced the physicians to put their ingenuity to the test, often modifying their equipment to fit challenging situations. Dr. Anthes once altered an adult ventilator to fit an infant, allowing the baby to be safely transported. When Airlift Northwest took flight in 1982, this improvised medical air travel ended. “Under the supervision of Dr. Copass, Airlift Northwest has provided exceptional care in emergency medivacs,” says Dr. Anthes. “Dr. Malurkar and Dr. Anthes care about their patients and the community,” says Shelly Deering, director of clinical operations for Airlift Northwest in Alaska. “Dr. Anthes has been key in developing the emergency medical system in Ketchikan, serving on the SEREMS board and acting as medical director for the Ketchikan Fire Department. We owe them our gratitude and thanks.”