Zufall Health Physician and Addiction Medicine Consultant Michael Ganon, DO, didn’t always plan to become a doctor. Fascinated by complex systems and how interconnected parts work together, he was certain he would pursue a career in electronics engineering.

That changed when, at age 16, he volunteered with a first aid squad and witnessed an emergency physician resuscitate a man who had suffered a heart attack and cardiac arrest.

“That experience pretty much cemented my interest in becoming a physician,” Ganon recalls. “I realized I could use many of the skills applicable to electronics engineering to save lives.”

After beginning his career in family medicine, he moved on to emergency medicine before discovering addiction medicine—a field that demands the systems thinking that first captured his interest as a teenager. Recovery happens not through a single intervention, but by addressing multiple health and social factors at the same time.

Ganon built an independent addiction medicine practice in Newton, NJ, just one mile from Zufall’s office in town. While he valued the work, he knew his patients needed more than he could provide alone. Zufall’s integrated care model—bringing together behavioral health, dental care, pharmacy services, and supportive programs—offered a more comprehensive approach. In 2024, he joined Zufall, where the number of patients receiving treatment for opioid and/or alcohol use disorders has since doubled, excluding those who transferred from his previous practice.

Ganon also trains and mentors Zufall providers in addiction medicine, work that has already increased clinical capacity for treating substance use disorders across the health system more than twentyfold.

Keenly aware of what is at stake for people living with substance use disorders, Ganon believes that while significant progress has been made, more can still be done.

“The challenges my patients face are many, and they have experienced tremendous stigma,” he says. “I want more people to know that effective treatment is available and that when they walk through our doors, someone is genuinely in their corner.”

Michael Ganon, DO, is board-certified in Family Medicine and Addiction Medicine. He earned his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine.

Above: Recovery often begins outside of traditional care settings. Supported by Sussex County Opioid Settlement Funds, Ganon and the Zufall Health Mobile Medical team bring substance use disorder care and other essential services directly to patients.