Laurence H. Altshuler, MD – Internist
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“In my 32 years of practice, I have never experienced any hospital or staff more caring and dedicated to the patients as CTCA,” says Dr. Laurence Altshuler, a board-certified internist at CTCA at Southwestern Regional Medical Center.
Dr. Altshuler earned a medical degree from the University of Oklahoma, where he served as president of the senior class. Subsequently, he completed an internal medicine residency at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City. Dr. Altshuler earned a bachelor’s degree from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, where he graduated magna cum laude.
Prior to joining CTCA, Dr. Altshuler was affiliated with various hospitals in Oklahoma City, including St. Anthony Hospital, Mercy Health Center, Integris Baptist Medical Center, and Deaconess Hospital. He also served on the faculty at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine.
Dr. Altshuler is certified in acupuncture, hypnosis and interactive imagery. He also has expertise in Western and Chinese herbology. Dr. Altshuler has given numerous lectures on topics including chronic pain, chronic disease, neuropathy, stress, diabetes management, Parkinson’s disease, acupuncture, and complementary medicine for cancer.
In addition, Dr. Altshuler has published articles in several medical journals, including the Journal of Surgical Research and the Journal of the Oklahoma State Medical Association. In 1999, he earned the Charlotte S. Leebron Memorial Trust Fund award for best scientific publication.
Dr. Altshuler has also published magazine articles, including the fall 2007 article in Health Oklahoma titled “Combining Conventional and Alternative Medicine to Effectively Treat Pain and Chronic Diseases.”
Additionally, Dr. Altshuler authored the 2004 book Balanced Healing: Combining Modern Medicine with Safe and Effective Alternative Therapies. This book earned him the USA Book News national award for the “Best Health Book of 2004.”
Since joining CTCA, Dr. Altshuler says he appreciates being able to provide patient-centered cancer care. “CTCA is unique among hospitals. Patients here are truly treated as individual people, not a number. The entire staff is devoted to helping patients in whatever way they can. CTCA also provides hope for patients long after most other hospitals have given up,” says Dr. Altshuler.
At CTCA, Dr. Altshuler works within a multidisciplinary team, including oncologists and complementary medicine clinicians, to provide whole-person cancer treatment. “My goal for patients is to provide them with all the skills and expertise I can provide—in both conventional and complementary treatments—in order to obtain the most caring and healing environment possible,” he says.
Furthermore, Dr. Altshuler adds, “It is a joy to work at a hospital in which, no matter how serious the patient's condition, there is always hope and optimism that we can improve their quality of life.”
Dr. Altshuler is a member of several professional organizations, including the Oklahoma State Medical Association, the American Medical Association, and the American College of Physicians. He is also the Director Emeritus of the National QiGong Association and a Charter Member of the American Botanical Council.
Other Internists at Southwestern
- Don King, MD, ACP, ACPE
Medical Internist
