Today we’d like to introduce you to Starner Jones.
Hi Starner, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in the rural hill country of northeast Mississippi, and I am today a board-certified emergency and addiction medicine physician, as well as the founder of Nashville Addiction Recovery, Belle Meade AMP, and Recovery Now. I’m a graduate of the Emergency Medicine Residency at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and Addiction Medicine Fellowship in the Department of Psychiatry at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. I have treated over 80,000 patients and detoxed more than 1,000 people during my career.
While practicing as a physician, I ran for Congress in 2015, fueled by my passion for medicine and a commitment to meaningful healthcare reform. This pivoted me into my next move: relocating to Texas and co-owning four freestanding ERs. During this time, I established a foothold in entrepreneurship and sensed a calling to work in the field of addiction medicine.
Motivated to help those in need, like my father, who lived the last 12 years of his life sober, I entered the Addiction Medicine Fellowship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. I have seen firsthand that sobriety is life-changing in every aspect of an individual’s life, an experience that sustains dedication to continually support those seeking recovery.
Outside my practice, I advocate for other stigmatized challenges in life. Above all, I’m driven by my devotion to helping others in times of need.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The most important lesson I learned after starting two businesses is that not everyone is for you. Believe it or not, some people (not just competitors) want nothing more than to see you and your business fail. As a business owner, you have to surround yourself with honest and capable people who are genuinely interested in helping you grow your business.
Entrepreneurial medical doctors tend to have a vendetta against corporate medicine and the status quo. My vision was for an addiction medicine and behavioral health practice that removed all barriers between a patient and their doctor.
Both practices had very high burn rates during the first year. I spent more than $325,000 to start the businesses and never considered giving up, because that would require me to reenter the realm of corporate medicine, which prioritizes profit over patients.
Good things happen when we are true to ourselves. Both practices are now thriving. Overcoming setbacks that were part of a difficult childhood gave me the tools I needed to overcome hardships encountered as a business owner.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Nashville Addiction Recovery and Belle Meade AMP are dedicated to delivering patient-centric care that achieves real results. Patients can expect a genuine connection through compassionate, one-on-one concierge medical detox and relapse prevention treatments from a board-certified physician. Our team supports people facing addiction and behavioral health challenges with customized, real-world solutions.
Nashville Addiction Recovery and Belle Meade AMP meet patients where they are in addiction and the recovery journey. Detox options include in-home care with 24-hour physician supervision, luxury hotel suite treatment locations, and in-office services. We approach addiction as a legitimate disease rather than a moral failing, empowering patients with the confidence they need to reclaim productive and happy lives. Our team demonstrates to patients that sobriety is a tremendous source of strength, and they should be proud of the hard work they put into recovery.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
I met my father when I was 28 years old. It was the coldest day of the year in January 2006. He was living in a shack in rural Mississippi that lacked running water and electricity. He was huddled next to a propane heater to stay warm. My father had lost everything because of alcohol addiction. He had 11 DUIs in seven years. The chief of police in his hometown of 2,500 people called my brother and said, “Your father is not doing well. He needs to be involuntarily committed to the state hospital.” My brother said, “Do it.” My father was committed to the state hospital, detoxed by a doctor who saved his life, and never used alcohol again. We had a good relationship after that, as good as it could be given the circumstances.
I am board-certified in emergency medicine and addiction medicine. After seeing the life-changing effect of sobriety in my father’s life, I decided to pursue a fellowship in addiction medicine after working as an ER doctor for 10 years.
The moment I met my father, I realized addiction was a legitimate disease rather than a moral failing. This inspired me to start the practices in Nashville.
Contact Info:
- Websites: https://www.nashvilleaddictionrecovery.com/ and https://bellemeadeamp.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nashvilleaddictionrecovery/ and https://www.instagram.com/bellemeadeamp/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NashvilleAddictionRecovery and https://www.facebook.com/Belle-Meade-AMP-106702148093990/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/starner-jones-md-039049218
