With a goal of providing the highest quality care to the children in our community, Osman Altun, M.D., Ph.D., F.A.A.P., is joining USA Health as a pediatric gastroenterologist. As an assistant professor of pediatric gastroenterology and the medical director of pediatric inflammatory bowel disease, Altun will provide subspecialty care and treat gastrointestinal issues and diseases in patients.
“I have a special interest in pediatric inflammatory bowel disease,” he said. “I want to take the opportunity to learn more about the IBD patient population and explore resources at USA Health to provide the complete care that they may need. I am eager to learn the system and serve my patients.”
One of his goals at USA Health is to collaborate with the pediatric gastroenterology group to build an inflammatory bowel disease program. “An inflammatory bowel disease program may open up multi-specialty care for the most complex IBD patients. A program could also recruit patients to national databases that will provide us with national standards for care. Enrolling our patients in these databases could assure that we are performing at or above national level for inflammatory bowel disease treatment,” he said.
During his residency at the University of Florida, Altun helped treat a young patient with an inflammatory bowel disease that was refractory to the hospital’s treatment options. The complexity of inflammatory bowel disease and the urgency for research and development of patient care piqued his interest in pediatric gastroenterology.
“Despite significant advances in modern medicine, there are many major discoveries to be made to allow us to build personalized care for this patient population,” Altun said.
Altun grew up in Sweden. He earned a bachelor’s degree in medical sciences and a Ph.D. in infectious diseases and clinical microbiology from the Karolinska Institute in Solna, Sweden. He earned a medical degree from Windsor University School of Medicine in Saint Kitts and Nevis.
In 2015, Altun moved to the United States and began a residency in general pediatrics with the University of Florida in Pensacola. In 2018, he was accepted for a pediatric gastroenterology and hepatology fellowship at Yale School of Medicine's Yale New Haven Hospital in Connecticut.
Altun was drawn to USA Health, he said, because of the academic health system’s opportunities in pediatric gastroenterology and the anticipated growth of the program.
He is accepting new referrals at Strada Patient Care Center. Appointments can be scheduled by calling 251-410-5437.
