Our Directors and Specialists

Wesley Minton, PT, DPT

Anchorage Midtown

Wesley is originally from the state of Alabama and received his Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Alabama State University in Montgomery, Alabama. He enjoys treating people of all ages, but specifically older adults and the modern functional fitness athlete. He specializes in the management of neck and back pain but also excels in the treatment of the shoulder, elbow, hip, knee, and ankle for post-op rehabilitation, preventative measures, or just to optimize how your body functions. Whether you need increased mobility, flexibility, strength, neuro-muscular education, mechanics training, gait training, joint mobilization/manipulation, myofascial massage, or even problems with vertigo, he enjoys finding the reasoning behind your specific deficits and developing a plan for improvement based on your goals. In his free time, he enjoys spending time outside skiing, running, fishing, camping, snow machining, and exploring all that Alaska has to offer. As an athlete and outdoorsman himself, he understands the specific needs that each activity requires and can help you return to the activities that you love.

Sarah Hess LMT, CMLDT

Anchorage Midtown

Born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, Sarah has been practicing Massage Therapy since 2006 where she graduated from The Alaska Learning Institute of Massage she went on to teach there in 2010. Sarah has always had a passion for looking at health of the body as a whole, which motivated her to receive her Bachelor of Science in Nutrition from UAA in 2013 and become a Certified Health Coach from IIN in 2014. Sarah specializes in myofascial release, prenatal massage, Graston Technique™, Manual Lymphatic Drainage and craniosacral therapy. With her passion for both body work and nutrition, she likes to help patients achieve wellness from the inside out.
When Sarah is not massaging, she loves spending time with her family and 6-year-old son. Sarah enjoys learning, camping, traveling, exploring, baking, eating tacos and Pilates.

Brian Malone MSPT, ATC, Owner

Anchorage Midtown

Brian is a 2002 Des Moines University graduate, where he received a Master of Science degree in Physical Therapy. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from South Dakota State University in Athletic Training in 1999. Brian is a Certified Athletic Trainer who enjoys working with all types of patients, especially the athletic population, with an interest in running-type injuries. He has ten years of experience treating professional, college, and high school level athletes. In his spare time, Brian enjoys spending time with his wife and two sons, hiking, and camping.

Tanya Smith PT, ScD, FAAOMPT

Anchorage Midtown

Tanya Smith is a skilled physical therapist with high academic honors and is a recognized leader in the field of orthopedic manual physical therapy. After receiving her Master of Science in Physical Therapy in 1994 at the University of the Pacific, Tanya completed an orthopedic manual therapy residency program in Perth, Western Australia in 2000. Shortly afterward, she received her certification in orthopedic manual therapy for both the spine and extremities from the IAOM-US. Tanya continued her formal education and ultimately obtained a Doctorate of Science in physical therapy from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in 2006. She later completed a fellowship in orthopedic manual physical therapy in 2015 further refining her expertise in physical therapy. She acts as a mentor of students, colleagues, and fellowship candidates.
Tanya continues to contribute to her profession through the publication of original research, clinical commentaries, and case studies as well as editorial and review work for professional publications.
As a fellow of the American academy of orthopedic manual physical therapy, Tanya treats all orthopedic related injury: back/spine, upper and lower extremities, TMJ/TMD, headaches, pain dysfunctions and sports medicine

John Yeaton DPT

Anchorage Midtown

Hi there, I’m John. I have been a travel PT since 2018 all over the country prior to taking the job with Denali PT. This is the 3rd time I have lived up here, and I love Alaska more and more every day. I enjoy using my free time to get lost in the mountains and do every sport available to me. After spending a large portion of my life in physical therapy myself for a huge variety of injuries, it’s important to me to use every day as a good one. I have practiced in almost every setting as a physical therapist and I enjoy helping people to enjoy their lives to the best of their ability in a pain-free manner. I look forward to working with you in order for you to return to all the activities you love and manage your day in a pain-free manner.

Sam Lucas, DPT

North Anchorage Clinic

Born in the UK, and growing up in suburban New York, Sam moved to Alaska with his cat and fiancée in September of 2020. He left behind his love of New York City bagels and pizza. He has a passion for vegetarian cooking, as well as baking. If not in the kitchen, he can usually be found trekking up a mountain on any given day.

Sam received his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 2020. He has experience in, and a passion for working with patients with a variety of conditions, such as vestibular dysfunction, neurological injury, and outpatient orthopedics.

Sam completed clinical rotations at both outpatient neurological and orthopedic clinics, as well as inpatient stroke and traumatic brain injury rehabilitation units. Sam has also worked with a variety of athletes, ranging from the dancers from Pittsburgh Ballet, to adaptive athletes engaging in sports such as skiing, sled hockey, and hand cycling. Sam also completed a rotation at a multidisciplinary pro bono clinic providing healthcare services for underserved and underinsured populations.

Vestibular rehabilitation is an area of special interest for Sam. He actively pursues post-graduate training in vestibular rehabilitation, and recently earned a certificate in the field.

Regardless of the underlying condition, Sam enjoys working with patients to help them achieve their goals and restore their function. He cannot wait to join you on your path towards better health and a better life.

Denton Scow DPT Industrial Rehab Manager

North Anchorage Clinic Manager

Denton was born and raised in rural Idaho. He completed his undergraduate work at BYU-Idaho with a Bachelors's in Health Science. He continued his education and earned his Doctorate of Physical Therapy at A.T. Still University in 2009. Since then, Denton has had the opportunity to work in many aspects of physical therapy including hospital care, home health, outpatient therapy, rehabilitation centers, and work injury-specific rehabilitation programs and testing. Denton currently treats all orthopedic injuries while also overseeing the Work Hardening Program and Functional Capacity Evaluations at Denali Physical Therapy with a primary goal of helping injured workers gain their capacity to work again, while simultaneously improving their daily lives through functional improvement.

Denton became interested in physical therapy because of his love of sports, desire to help, and opportunity to work where he can still be a “people person”. He has a deep interest in orthopedic physical therapy as well as work/industrial rehabilitation. He loves to meet new people and says that his favorite part of physical therapy is developing friendships while helping people return to work, sport, and life as quickly as possible.

Denton and his wife have four children. He loves spending time with his family, painting with Bob Ross, and playing whatever the latest fads of the time are with his kids. He enjoys anything the Alaska outdoors can throw at him, especially skiing, fishing, and hiking.