James McKinney isn't just a skilled physician who thrives in dynamic healthcare settings. His encyclopedic memory, coupled with his gentle and empathetic approach, often endears him to patients who experience the greatest difficulty interfacing with the medical complex. His joy for ‘nerding out’ and his proclivity for creating a safe learning environment is evidenced by the nursing team he works with, who save their questions for when they can summon Dr. McKinney to the dry erase board for an impromptu lesson.

James grew up between New Mexico and Montana where he earned his BS in Neuroscience from MSU while climbing in the Gallatin Valley, ski patrolling for Big Sky, and specializing in scientific expedition medicine, accompanying researchers in Peru and Nepal. While working on a research project funded by NASA, his passion for understanding the biological impact of extreme environments extended beyond his work in high altitude research, where he contributed to the development and testing of the effect of microgravity on the virulence of pathogenic organisms, and the immune potential of human monocytes and macrophages. Fun fact, the microgravity testing unit he helped develop was on the first successful Space X rocket to dock with the International Space Station.

James was stoked to match with his first choice of residencies, the Family Medicine Residency of Alaska, because of the program’s reputation for broad spectrum medicine, especially in remote villages and wilderness settings. After finishing residency, James and his wife Katelyn went on an epic series of adventures, rock climbing, mountain biking, backpacking, visiting friends, gardening, tending to ill and dying loved ones, reading in hammocks, cooking beautiful meals, and taking the occasional locums contract until the perfect opportunity brought them back to their favorite place, Southeast Alaska.

With open acknowledgement of the weight of practicing modern medicine, James is excited to join his wife Katelyn in co-founding Mountains and Medicine LLC. With her expertise in therapeutic backcountry expeditions, his medical nerdiness, and their shared capacity to attract brilliant, full-hearted, educators at the cutting edge of their fields, he couldn’t be more excited about their offerings. His intention in this work is to craft a space for reprieve, be it high mountain adventure or peaceful retreat, combining healthcare education and wellness modalities to provide physicians and their loved ones an opportunity to feel nourished, inspired, and accompanied.