An Alaskan by birth, Valerie Krozel, M.D., grew up in Texas and attended medical school in Houston. She returned to Alaska to complete her residency training with Alaska Family Medicine at Providence Medical Center in Anchorage. Her first job after completing her formal education was in Wrangell, Alaska, where she was one of only three physicians on the island. After a year of living in Wrangell, Dr. Krozel moved to the Mat-Su Valley and went to work at Providence-Matanuska Healthcare. Most recently, Dr. Krozel worked at Capstone Family Medicine in Wasilla. Dr. Krozel invests a lot of effort in getting to know her patients. Her philosophy of care is that a patient is the expert of themselves and her job is to then bring her knowledge and medical experience to the table to work as a guide in the process. As a family medicine physician who delivers babies, Dr. Krozel feels a special connection to the obstetrics and women’s health side of her job as a healthcare provider. She loves “fresh” babies and still makes deliveries a regular part of her medical practice. Her hobbies include fishing, kayaking, being a mom and generally spending time doing Alaskan things with her husband and four children. She is excited to be part of the Solstice Family Care team and looks forward to bringing her unique specialties to the table – especially in terms of obstetrics and her experience with younger families.