Lance R. Keck, PA-C
Cardiothoracic surgery physician assistant. Founder, Clarion Surgical LLC.
Lance Keck has practiced exclusively in cardiothoracic surgery since 2008 — eighteen years without a detour into another specialty. That continuity is deliberate. Cardiothoracic first assist is a skill built through volume and repetition, and it degrades when practice is intermittent.
His clinical background spans high-volume cardiac and thoracic programs across the Pacific Northwest, most recently at the Pulse Heart Institute at MultiCare Health System in Tacoma, Washington, where he practiced full-spectrum cardiac and thoracic surgical care and served as Director of Advanced Practice — leading a group of more than forty advanced practice providers across cardiothoracic surgery, cardiology, electrophysiology, advanced heart failure, structural heart, and vascular surgery.
Since 2018, he has served as West Coast First Assist Course Chair for Intuitive Surgical, responsible for the design and delivery of robotic thoracic surgery first assist training — didactic curriculum and hands-on cadaveric and porcine laboratory instruction — and co-hosts surgeon training courses at the TR200 through TR400 levels.
He formed Clarion Surgical LLC in Washington State in 2024 as the professional entity through which he provides cardiothoracic surgery advanced practice services. The company is also registered in Texas.
He currently provides cardiothoracic surgery advanced practice coverage on assignment.
Multi-state licensure.
Current physician assistant licensure status by state.
| State | Status |
|---|---|
| Washington | Active |
| Texas | Active |
| Virginia | Active |
| North Carolina | In process |
| Georgia | In process |
| Kansas | In process |
- Physician Assistant — Certified, NCCPA
- Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers
- Physician Assistant Certificate — MEDEX Northwest, University of Washington School of Medicine 2008
- Bachelor of Clinical Health Sciences — University of Washington 2008
- Biology / Molecular Biology — Pacific Lutheran University
- American Academy of Physician Assistants — Fellow 2005–present
- Association of Physician Assistants in Cardiovascular Surgery 2008–present
- Society of Critical Care Medicine 2009–present
- Washington Academy of Physician Assistants 2005–present
Full clinical history and procedure detail available on request.