Sara G. Ptasnik, MD

Dr. Sara Ptasnik is an integrative health physician, triple-board certified in Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, and Integrative Medicine. She completed her medical education at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, followed by her residency at LAC+USC Medical Center. More recently, Dr. Ptasnik completed her fellowship at the UCLA Center for East-West Medicine, where she gained expertise in acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory within a biomedical framework. Her training also included specialized techniques in soft tissue and myofascial pain treatment and understanding the overlap with myofascial trigger points and TCM imbalances.

Dr. Ptasnik’s diverse qualifications enable her to treat patients across all age groups with a comprehensive understanding of both pediatric and adult health issues, integrating conventional Western medical knowledge with complementary therapies and Eastern healing wisdom. As a faculty member at the UCLA Center for East-West Medicine, Dr. Ptasnik is also establishing an integrative pediatric and adolescent program that emphasizes a holistic, family-centered approach to both common and hard-to-treat conditions. Additionally, she is developing an online curriculum aimed at teaching integrative pediatric principles to youth and their families, focusing on mental health support and chronic illness prevention.

Dr. Ptasnik is dedicated to improving access to integrative healthcare for underserved communities through her clinical work at Chinatown Service Center (CSC), a Federally Qualified Health Center. She is actively fostering collaboration between UCLA and CSC to expand the East-West model of care across CSC’s clinical sites in downtown Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley. With a particular interest in mind-body practices, Dr. Ptasnik also teaches qigong at the MPK Hope Resiliency Center through CSC, empowering participants with self-healing practices.