Florida Detox^® prides itself with having the finest doctors, nurses, physicians assistants and office staff anywhere.

	Dr. Rick Sponaugle - Founder and Medical Director of Florida Detox® Dr. Sponaugle is certified in both addiction medicine, ASAM (American Society of Addiction Medicine) and anesthesiology, ABA (American Board of Anesthesiology). Believing that addiction is a medical disorder, not a choice, Dr. Sponaugle has felt strongly that detox patients should not suffer any more than medical patients. For this reason he has worked diligently to develop less painful and more scientific detoxification techniques for patients who are addicted to drugs and alcohol. Dr. Sponaugle's initial focus was on perfecting the detoxification technique. After treating the first 1,000 patients, Dr. Sponaugle and his medical staff began to focus on integrating the relatively new science of addiction into his program. Hundreds of hours of diligent study over the last five years have been focused on the brilliant research recently produced at national brain science centers. Most recent studies regarding addiction and brain chemistry are currently utilized by Dr. Sponaugle and his team to prevent drug cravings and the subsequent relapse. Click here to view Dr. Sponaugle's Curriculum Vitae
	Dr. John Moritz - Co-Medical Director Dr. Moritz is board certified in internal medicine, ABIM (American Board of Internal Medicine). He has practiced Internal Medicine for over fourteen years and has also held a faculty appointment with the Florida State University College of Medicine. In addition to his active involvement in his community, Dr. Moritz has also served our country as an U.S. Army Reservist Medical Officer since 1989. He was deployed in support of both Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) as well as Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Dr. Moritz has an intense personal and professional interest in addiction medicine. Having worked in and participated in the development of two hospitalist programs in southwest Florida, he has seen first hand the impact drugs and alcohol have on patients and their families. Dr. Moritz attended many such patients in the acute/critical care setting. However, he quickly realized the short comings of this “state of the art” setting in addressing the underlying pathology leading to addiction. Patients, despite their earnest desire to stop, were helpless to do so and time and time again were readmitted to the hospital with complications. Unfortunately traditional medical science has utterly and completely failed these patients. Traditional medicine is wonderful at stabilizing complications of late stage addictions; however “misses the boat” with regard to addressing the true causes of addiction and therefore relapse prevention. Dr. Moritz, like the entire Florida Detox® Team, understands that addiction is not a choice and until the underlying physiology is addressed, sobriety will be difficult to achieve. It is with unbridled enthusiasm that Dr. Moritz applies the latest advances in neuroscience and addiction medicine which encompasses the Florida Detox® treatment philosophy to establish the correct underlying diagnoses and treatment to empower his patients to total wellness.
	Dr. Ed Norman - Chief of Anesthesiology Dr. Edward Norman is Board Certified in Anesthesiology and has served as Chief of Anesthesiology at two different hospitals over the last 20 years. An author of several anesthesia publications, Dr. Norman is also a member of the Florida Society of Anesthesiologists, Florida Medical Society, American Medical Association, American Society of Anesthesiologists, International Anesthesia Research Society, and the Pinellas County Medical Society Board of Trustees. Dr. Norman has a great interest in the advancement of detox treatment and addiction medicine. He has diligently studied much of the innovative research including correlation of personality profile and functional brain scans. He is intrigued with the success experienced at Florida Detox® when patients are detoxed and treated for the underlying cause of the addiction instead of accepting the diagnosis of drug addict of alcoholic. After graduating from Rutgers Medical School, Dr. Norman completed a 4 year residency at St. Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, New Jersey. He then followed up his education at St. Barnabas Medical Center with an Obstetrical Anesthesia Fellowship.
	Dennis Becker - Clinic Nurse Dennis Becker is the Clinic Nurse at Florida Detox® specializing in medication management and follow-up care. Previously a manager of psychiatric units, Dennis is well experienced with patients and addiction. Dennis has worked in the field of addiction medicine and psychiatry for over 15 years. He has previously served as nursing director for inpatient psychiatric care and addiction units in Minneapolis. He brings great medical experience and spiritual guidance to our patients at Florida Detox®. Dennis was raised in the Midwest and felt the "call of God" on his life for ministry during his High School years. In following that call, Dennis graduated on the Dean's List from Crown College with a degree in both Theology and Inter-cultural Ministries in 1978. After completing his formal education at Crown, Dennis began his public ministry with the Christian and Missionary Alliance. While serving in active ministry, Dennis' role included: Sr. Pastor of several growing churches, church planting of new churches and re-development/re-structure of several churches in the Midwest. Dennis also spent a term serving in Mali, West Africa, with the Christian and Missionary Alliance. It has always been Dennis' dream/goal to reach the un-reached people groups of our world!
	Dr. Tom Petit, Ph.D - Counselor Dr. Tom Petit, Ph.D., is a nationally board certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor as well as a Florida Licensed Mental Health Counselor and State Qualified Counseling Supervisor. As a former college instructor, Dr. Petit currently serves as a visiting professor at Reformed Theological Seminary. During his twenty years of private practice, Dr. Petit has developed a unique model that gives individuals, couples and families practical help for living according to their God-intended design. Counseling focuses on redeeming the years spent chasing counterfeit fulfillment with the aim of living out God's original design and personal plan for each person's life. Through his affiliation with Florida Detox®, Dr. Petit offers short-term outpatient intensive and long-term follow up counseling, addressing the personal and spiritual aspects of an addiction. His model of counseling provides Christ centered spiritual direction for a new path for living addiction-free. As a certified IDAK Career Assessment Counselor, Dr. Petit also provides a testing service for clients seeking to identify their natural God- given talents and fitted careers. The IDAK test blends interests, values, experiences, and personality traits to identify natural talents and provide suggestions for career options.
	Florida Detox® Staff

Back row (left to right):
Dennis Becker, Gary Crump, Ryan Sponaugle, Cathy Ultrino, Greg Bulmer, Susan Hofer,
Patty Gingras, Paula Grady, Sheryl Bohlender, Jane Funk, Elaine Hayes, Patricia Jackson,
Kim Sponaugle, Dr. Rick Sponaugle, Dr. John Moritz

Front row (left to right):
Latonya Smith, Crystal Johnson, Dawn Horetski, Anna Henderson, Andreas Pasiourtis,
Stefani Korfias, Michelle Wright, Audra Caputo