Ketchikan Eye Care Center (KECC) takes pride in the long history of consistent quality eye care provided to residents and visitors of Southern Southeast Alaska by our former and current optometrists.
Erik D. Christianson, OD
Born in Missoula, Montana on December 4, 1959, he was raised in western Montana and graduated from high school in the town of Dillon in southwest Montana. He completed undergraduate studies at Montana State University and Concordia College in Minnesota. He received his Doctor of Optometry degree from Pacific University College of Optometry in 1986 and practiced in Eagle River, Alaska as an associate with Eagle River Vision Center in 1986-87 and in Barrow, Alaska from 1987-90. He purchased the practice of E.L. Craig, O.D. and moved to Ketchikan in 1990. He named his Ketchikan practice Alpine Vision Center and operated on Main Street in the old Catholic Church complex from 1990-1997. In 1997 he became partners with Dr. Swearingen and their joint efforts became Ketchikan Eye Care Center.
Rick D. Swearingen, OD
Born in Jamestown, North Dakota on December 22, 1951, his family moved to Sitka, Alaska in 1953 and then to Juneau, Alaska in 1959. He graduated from Juneau-Douglas High School in 1970. Dr. Swearingen then attended Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon from 1970 to 1976. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in 1974 and his Doctor of Optometry degree from Pacific University College of Optometry in 1976. He began practice in Ketchikan with E.E. Smith, O.D. at the Ketchikan Vision Clinic in September of 1976. He purchased the Ketchikan Vision Clinic from E.E. Smith, O.D. in January 1985. Became partners with Dr. Christianson in 1997 and they combined their clinics into Ketchikan Eye Care.
Marilyn K. Holm, OD
Born in Broken Bow, Nebraska on January 12, 1962, she was raised on a farm in Mason City, Nebraska with her 5 siblings. She graduated from high school in Loup City, Nebraska in 1980 and attended Ottawa University in Kansas. She worked as a medical technologist for 13 years before returning to optometry school. She received her Doctor of Optometry degree from Indiana University School of Optometry in Bloomington, Indiana in 1999. Dr. Holm practiced in Kansas from 1999-2012. In December 2012, she joined Alaska Eye Care Centers in Wasilla and Anchorage, Alaska. In 2014, she opened her own practice inside Vista Optical in Soldotna. From 2018-2019, Dr. Holm worked with Prism Optical, providing vision services to several villages in Alaska. She joined Ketchikan Eye Care Center in July 2019. Her full scope of experience is a valuable addition to our busy practice and enables us to better care for our patients.