Evidence Driven.
Human Centered.
Designing systems that make recovery possible at scale.
Dr. James Besante is a board-certified internist and addiction medicine specialist whose work bridges medicine, leadership, and systems design. As Chief Medical Officer of the Santa Fe Recovery Center—one of the largest addiction treatment providers in the Southwest—he leads efforts to expand access to care, integrate behavioral health across service lines, and build innovative programs that close critical gaps in treatment.
Areas of Practice
Addiction Medicine & Behavioral Health
Dr. James Besante is a board-certified addiction medicine physician specializing in the treatment of substance use disorders and co-occurring behavioral health conditions. He integrates medication management, evidence-based therapy, and system design to deliver coordinated, whole-person care.
As Chief Medical Officer of one of the largest addiction treatment providers in the Southwest, Dr. Besante has led initiatives that expand access, improve outcomes, and align behavioral health with medical services. His work focuses on building effective, sustainable systems that treat both the physical and psychological dimensions of addiction.
Internal Medicine
As a board-certified internist, Dr. James Besante brings deep expertise in managing complex chronic diseases across hospital and outpatient settings. His clinical background includes leading inpatient addiction consult services for acutely hospitalized individuals, ensuring safe, evidence-based care for patients experiencing medical and behavioral health crises simultaneously.
Dr. Besante’s unique integration of internal medicine and addiction medicine allows him to design and oversee systems that care for individuals with serious medical needs in detoxification and residential treatment environments. By embedding medical excellence within behavioral health settings, he ensures that patients receive comprehensive, coordinated care that addresses both the physical and psychological dimensions of recovery.
Clinical Innovation
Recognized for advancing new service lines and clinical innovations, Dr. Besante has built and launched programs that bridge technology and treatment delivery. His initiatives include hospital-based addiction consult services, telehealth-enabled recovery platforms, and remote patient engagement models. As a medical advisor to early-stage companies such as Sonara Health and Monument, he has helped pioneer digital solutions that expand methadone and alcohol treatment access nationwide.
Media Appearances
Dr. James Besante is a nationally recognized addiction medicine expert featured in broadcast media for his leadership in transforming behavioral health systems. His interviews highlight how evidence-based innovation, compassion, and system redesign can expand access to recovery and redefine how communities approach addiction care.
“Every system is perfectly designed to get the results it gets.”
– W. Edwards Deming