Some occurrences in life feel more orchestrated than accidental. Such is the enduring friendship and professional partnership between Dr. Amber Allen and Dr. Kelly Maloch – two Air Force veterans whose lives have been intertwined since medical school and who now both serve patients at HCA Florida St. Lucie Hospital.
Their story began years ago at Kansas City University College of Osteopathic Medicine. Though both were raised on Florida’s Treasure Coast – Dr. Allen in Port St. Lucie and Dr. Maloch in Jensen Beach, their paths didn’t cross until Dr. Allen advertised for a roommate.
“I found a cute little two-bedroom house but didn’t want to live alone, so I posted an ad,” Dr. Allen recalled. “Dr. Maloch answered, and when we realized we were both from the Treasure Coast, we immediately connected.
“She mentioned her father was an anesthesiologist at HCA Florida St. Lucie Hospital, and I told her I’d volunteered there as a teen. We discovered we’d both spent a lot of time walking those same hospital halls years earlier.”
There was just one rivalry to overcome. “I was a USF Knight, and she was a Florida Gator,” Dr. Allen laughed. “But we got past that quickly and became great roommates and even better friends.”
Their bond deepened when Dr. Maloch mentioned she was applying for a scholarship through the U.S. Air Force. Dr. Allen decided to apply as well.
“We both went for the Air Force Health Professions Scholarship, which allows you to complete boot camp and military rotations during medical school,” Dr. Maloch explained. “My father had gone through the same program, so he helped us navigate the application process. We were both accepted and we ended up going to officer training school together.”
The pair were sent to Montgomery, Alabama, and by a stroke of luck – or fate – were assigned as roommates once again.
“We were lucky the administrators didn’t realize we were already roommates in med school,” Dr. Allen said with a grin. “In officer training school, you’re not supposed to have a support system so they can break you down and build you back up. But we managed to fly under the radar.”
After medical school, the two friends took separate paths for a while. Dr. Allen was deployed to Eglin Air Force Base in Destin, Florida, while Dr. Maloch was stationed at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire, England. Both served three years in the U.S. Air Force before eventually returning home to Florida to begin their civilian medical careers.
For Dr. Allen, coming back to the Treasure Coast was a natural homecoming.
A board-certified obstetrician, gynecologist and gynecologic surgeon, she joined Physicians to Women in 2021, delivering babies and performing surgeries at HCA Florida St. Lucie Hospital.
“My whole family lives here, and my husband’s family does too,” said Dr. Allen. “We have three kids, so having that family support is invaluable. I really like the Physicians to Women group and feel honored to serve women in the same community where I grew up.” Dr. Allen left HCA briefly but returned this year.
Dr. Maloch’s journey also came full circle. After completing her anesthesia residency at the University of Oklahoma, she joined Envision, which provides anesthesia services for HCA Florida St. Lucie Hospital.
“For me, I always knew I’d end up here,” she said. “My father, Dr. Steven Langer, has been an anesthesiologist at HCA Florida St. Lucie Hospital for 31 years, and my mother is a nurse at the surgery center across the street.
“I left the Air Force in July 2023 and started working here that August. I have three children as well, and I wanted them to grow up close to family – so in many ways, Dr. Allen and I are living parallel lives.”
Though their careers took them to different corners of the world, their paths continued to intersect in unexpected ways.
“While I was here in 2021, I actually worked with Dr. Maloch’s father on some surgeries,” Dr. Allen recalled.
“We even took photos to send to her while she was still in England. I always knew she’d come back here, and when I returned this year and saw her working alongside her dad, it felt like coming home to family.”
Recently, Dr. Allen and Dr. Maloch performed their first C-section together –a milestone that seemed almost poetic given their shared history. It’s the first of what they hope will be many collaborations to come.
Some friendships seem to follow a script written by something greater than coincidence. For Dr. Allen and Dr. Maloch, it seems the universe had a plan all along – two women whose lives began on parallel tracks that eventually merged into enduring friendship and professional association.
To connect with Dr. Allen, call Physicians to Women at 772-288-2992. To find a provider at HCA Florida St. Lucie Hospital call 855-790-3627 or visit hcafloridahealthcare.com/
physicians.
Photos provided
