Alan Altman was graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, received his MD degree from the New York University School of Medicine, and then on to Harvard for internship and residency. He maintained a practice for 34 years in Boston where he was appointed Assistant Clinical Professor of Obstetrics Gynecology and Reproductive Biology at Harvard. Medical School. In 2007 Dr. Altman moved to Aspen, Colorado, where his practice specializes in peri and post menopausal care, hormonal therapy and women’s sexual function and dysfunction. A number of years ago, Dr Altman stopped accepting any medical insurance because he felt that his time with patients was being limited and controlled by the managed care restrictions of insurance companies. This has allowed him to spend at least an hour with each patient during the initial consultation so that patients are comfortable and have plenty of time to talk, listen and learn. Follow-up visits are as long as needed, either in person or by phone.. Dr. Altman is a Past President of the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health (ISSWSH), the foremost academic and clinical research society dedicated solely to women’s sexual function and dysfunction. He is an ISSWSH Fellow, a member of the North American Menopause Society (NAMS), a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), and a member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). In 2000, Dr. Altman’s first book was published, “Making Love the Way We Used to…or Better; The secrets to satisfying mid life sexuality.” Dr Altman has been well known throughout his career as an educator both of patients, medical students, residents and physicians including gynecologists, gynecologic nurse practitioners and primary care providers. He is an internationally known lecturer, still very actively lecturing and teaching throughout the country. Dr Altman is also well known for providing “telemedicine” phone consultations for women around the country who do not have access to a specialist like himself.. Dr Altman is considered among the top ten to fifteen experts in menopausal medicine in the United States. He has been at the forefront of educating gynecologists and menopause practitioners for more than 15 years. He was one of the first menopause experts to decry the way that the WHI study was first misrepresented to the American public by the study directors and then the media. He has been a leader in calling for the correction of this misrepresentation and is gratified to see that this is finally being done. Over the past year, data from the WHI study and further studies out of the Stanford University Medical School point to prevention of heart disease and decreased risk of dying from any cause when the appropriate postmenopausal hormone therapy is begun at the appropriate time in a woman’s life. This data is in agreement with the large number of studies that preceded the WHI study years ago.. His other strong point is his interaction with patients. One patient who had been searching for a female gynecologist kept hearing that she should see Dr. Altman. When she finished the hour consultation, she looked at him and said, “Dr. Altman you are a female gynecologist.” He has the ability to listen, hear what is being said, empathize, and give patients more than enough time to tell their stories. His answers to questions and his patient education is done in a way that patients can easily understand so their options become clearer and they can make better healthcare and lifestyle decisions. Dr. Altman is extremely proud of his participation in and guidance of the full length feature documentary movie “Hot Flash Havoc,” that was initially released two years ago. “Hot Flash Havoc” has won numerous awards and exposes the misrepresentation of the Women’s Health Initiative study (WHI) which frightens millions of women into throwing their hormones down the toilet. Dr. Altman was one of the first menopause thought leaders in the country to publicly decry this misrepresentation.
