Dr. Susan Holman, medical director for Pavillon, is among the first physicians in the United States certified by the American Board of Addiction Medicine, (ABAM) an independent medical specialty board. &bsp;

Pavillon is a non-profit, fully accredited residential center for the treatment of alcoholism and other addictions. It is located in Mill Spring on 140-acres.

Having joined Pavillon in 2004, Dr. Holman provides patient education on the medical aspects of addictions, brain chemistry and medication management. She is further involved in and oversees the professionals&squo; program.&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp; &bsp;

Dr. Holman received her doctor of medicine at Emory University. She is board certified in internal medicine. She is a member North Carolina Society of Addiction Medicine. Having joined Pavillon in 2004, she provides patient education on the medical aspects of addictions, brain chemistry and medication management. She is further involved in and oversees the Professionals&squo; Program there.&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp;&bsp; &bsp;

She has served on the faculty of the Department of Internal Medicine for Carolinas Medical Center and as clinical assistant professor in the department of internal medicine at the University of North Carolina School Of Medicine. She has also served on the board of directors for the North Carolina Physicians&squo; Health Program.

Created in 2007, with the assistance and encouragement of the American Society of Addiction Medicine, ABAM offers a rigorous certifying examination that was developed by an expert panel and the National Board of Medical Examiners, as well as a maintenance of certification examination to ensure that ABAM-certified physicians maintain lifelong competence in addiction medicine. &bsp;

Previously addiction-related board certification existed only for psychiatrists. ABAM sets standards for physician education, assesses physicians&squo; knowledge, and requires and tracks lifelong continuing education.

&dquo;Physicians are often at a loss for what to do about substance use and addiction issues, and may even misdiagnose the problem,&dquo; said Kevin B. Kunz, MD, president of the American Board of Addiction Medicine. &dquo;We hope to change this by creating a cadre of thousands of specialized physicians across medical specialties.&dquo;

&uot;Studies show that fewer than one in five physicians consider themselves adequately prepared to diagnose alcoholism or other drug use disorders. Physician training is sorely lacking. Separate courses in addiction medicine are rarely taught in medical school, and there are no addiction medicine residencies among the 8,200 ACGME-accredited residency programs in the nation&squo;s hospitals.

&dquo;The American Board of Addiction Medicine will provide assurance to the American public that Addiction Medicine physicians have the knowledge and skills to prevent, recognize and treat addiction,&dquo; said Dr. Kunz.&bsp; &dquo;ABAM-certified physicians will also be able to address common medical or psychiatric conditions related to the use of addictive substances.&dquo;