Joseph M. Nicholson III, DO – Hospitalist / Internist / Intake Physician
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“At CTCA, there is a complete focus on the patient as opposed to a focus on the medical staff or administration. The patient is number one here,” says Dr. Joe Nicholson, an internist at CTCA at Southwestern Regional Medical Center.
He adds: “Patients come here because they are fighters. These are the people who don’t want to give up. And my goal for patients is to be in the fight with them.”
Dr. Nicholson, known by his patients as “Dr. Joe,” earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Evangel College in Springfield, Missouri, followed by the Engineer Officer Basic Course in Fort Belvoir, Virginia. After that, he went on to obtain a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.
He then moved to Tulsa and earned a doctoral degree from Oklahoma State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. During this time, he worked as a hospice nurse.
Following osteopathic medical school, Dr. Nicholson completed an internship at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in Aurora, Colorado. He subsequently served as a field surgeon in emergency medicine at General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital (GLWACH) in Missouri. He served as Chief of Emergency Medicine during his final year at GLWACH.
Dr. Nicholson moved back to Tulsa and completed a residency in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine. During this time, he was elected as Chief Resident and resident “Teacher of the Year.”
After his residency, Dr. Nicholson spent the next seven years as a staff physician for two hospital-owned physician groups in Tulsa. He also served as a hospitalist at a local community hospital, and served many hours in emergency medicine at a local hospital and in rural communities.
In addition, Dr. Nicholson served as a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine’s Department of Family Medicine. He was also an instructor of Advanced Cardiac Life Support at Hillcrest Medical Center.
Prior to joining CTCA in July 2010, Dr. Nicholson spent seven years at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma. His most recent position there was Vice President of Health Care Management and Chief Medical Officer.
Dr. Nicholson says what appealed to him about CTCA is the patient-centered model of care, as well as the focus on evidence-based medicine. “I’ve been impressed with the emotional capacity of the people in this organization. The staff here really cares about the patients,” he says.
He also appreciates the integrated approach to cancer care at CTCA. “To have an integrated approach, that blends nutrition and all of those complementary elements with cutting-edge medical technology—with the entire focus on the patient—makes this hospital very unique,” says Dr. Nicholson.
“This organization doesn’t just talk the talk, it walks the walk. Innovations in technology, like electronic health records, add a true safety net. These checks and balances in the system help to reduce medical errors and improve outcomes,” he says.
He adds: “On a personal level, my son was diagnosed with cancer at age 16. He had a year of chemotherapy and three months of radiation. When I found out about the technology that CTCA had, I brought him here for treatment.”
Dr. Nicholson says he views his approach to caring for patients as a partnership. “I think that helping patients understand the choices in front of them is really important. I want to help patients weigh the pros and cons of those choices and then help them make the best informed decision that they can make.”
When he’s not treating patients, Dr. Nicholson likes to spend time with his family. He and his wife have two college-age children, Max and Molly, and they celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary this year. In his spare time, he enjoys welding and blacksmithing. Dr. Nicholson also keeps in touch with his military colleagues.
Other Intake Physicians at Southwestern
- Laurence H. Altshuler, MD
Director of Oncology Intake Services, Hospitalist & Internist - Petra Jasmin Ketterl, MD
Medical Oncologist & Intake Physician - Robert D. McCullough, II , DO
Hospitalist & Intake Physician
Other Internist/Hospitalists at Southwestern
- Laurence H. Altshuler, MD
Director of Oncology Intake Services, Hospitalist & Internist - Lisa Baldwin, MD
Hospitalist - Bette Bischoff, MD, RD
Hospitalist / Internist - Janet Cheek, DO
Hospitalist - Don King, MD, ACP, ACPE
Director of Hospital Medicine - Robert D. McCullough, II , DO
Hospitalist & Intake Physician
