FAIRBANKS, Alaska (May 13, 2026) — After more than 40 years in orthopedic surgery and sports medicine, Dr. Cary Keller has retired, closing a career that helped shape how athletes are cared for across Interior Alaska.

Keller founded Sportsmedicine and Orthopaedics Fairbanks in 1986, bringing specialized orthopedic and sports medicine services to the community at a time when access was limited. Foundation Health Partners later integrated the practice in 2018, expanding on the program he built.

Much of Keller’s work took place outside a traditional clinical setting. For nearly 40 years, he served as team physician for the Alaska Goldpanners, and in recent years worked with the Fairbanks Ice Dogs, providing care for junior hockey players competing at a high level and working toward college and professional careers.

He also spent more than three decades with the University of Alaska Fairbanks, serving as team physician and medical director for Nanook athletics from 1990 to 2022. During that time, he helped expand athletic training services, ensured medical coverage at home competitions, and traveled with teams, including postseason hockey.

In 1985, Keller worked with the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District to establish what became Alaska’s first high school sports medicine program. The model paired athletic trainers with high schools and included physician coverage at higher-risk events. Keller served as medical director for more than 30 years. Research tied to the program showed reductions in injuries and medical costs, and similar approaches were later adopted in other parts of the state.

Keller also contributed to athlete safety at the state level. As chair of the Alaska School Activities Association’s Sports Medicine Advisory Committee, he was involved in efforts that led to the passage of Alaska’s concussion law and spent years traveling statewide to provide education on concussion care for coaches and healthcare providers.

“Over the last 40 years, sports medicine in Alaska has been transformed through the work of physicians, physician assistants, athletic trainers, physical therapists, and strong partnerships with state and national organizations and Foundation Health Partners,” Keller said. “We’re proud to have played a role in caring for this community. What I’ll value most are the relationships built along the way and everything I learned from the people of Alaska.”

Over the course of his career, Keller worked with a wide range of organizations, including local high school programs, university athletics, the North Star Ballet, and Alaska-based wildland firefighting crews. He also trained and mentored athletic trainers and other healthcare professionals, many of whom continue to work in Alaska.

For some, Keller’s influence was personal as well as professional.

“He’s been incredibly influential in my life,” said Jennifer Carlson, clinic operations director at Foundation Health Partners. “I volunteered in his clinic when I was in high school, and that experience is what led me to become a physical therapist. He helped shape who I am as a leader, as a clinician, and as a person.”

Keller most recently oversaw sports medicine outreach efforts at Foundation Health Partners.