SJ Distinguished Men 2019 – Dr. Joseph Savon, MD

SJ Distinguished Men 2019 – JOSEPH SAVON, MD – He wants to change the way we think about addiction.

A gastroenterologist with more than 25 years of experience, Savon has treated countless patients with liver disease related to alcoholism. But by the time patients came to him, the damage was done – something he found troubling. In an e?ort to help people before their addiction took such a heavy toll, Savon created Life Medical Addictions Services last year.

“I wanted to ?ll space between family doctors and addiction centers,” says Savon, co-founder of the practice. “People tend to hit rock bottom before they receive any substantial treatment, but there are so many opportunities to intervene.”

For Savon, who is board-certi?ed by the American Board of Addiction Medicine and the American Board of Preventive Medicine in Addiction, this work is personal. “It’s my passion,” he says, noting that he treats every patient like family because the only di?erence he sees between himself and his patients is one bad decision.

“It’s so easy to try something – a drug, a substance – one time and quickly lose control,” Savon says.
“But it’s so di?cult to stop the problem in its tracks. Often, patients don’t get treatment because they or their family don’t think the problem is bad enough to get help.”

“Treatment shouldn’t be just for people who have already lost everything,” he continues. Preconceived notions about addiction keep people from seeking treatment, Savon says, but he’s working to break those stigmas.

“The goal is to get people to think about addiction di?erently,” says Savon, who has been recognized as a NJ Top Doc and by the Physicians Advisory Board for Amerihealth. “It’s treatment, it’s medicine, just like you’d receive for any other disease. We aren’t any di?erent than any other physicians you see for other areas of your health.”

The earlier the intervention, he says, the higher the chances of helping patients maintain their lives, families, health and careers during their recovery.

“I want to set a new standard for addiction medicine,” he says. “We may not change the ?eld completely, but we can work to make it better. If I can make an impact on one person, it’s worth it.”

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