Anika Alvanzo, MD, MS, FACP, DFASAM
Candidate for Director-at-Large
Anika Alvanzo, MD, MS, FACP, DFASAM graduated from George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, has a master’s in biostatistics from Virginia Commonwealth University, and is board certified in Internal Medicine and Addiction Medicine. She is a Physician Principal at Health Management Associates, where her consulting has focused on supporting states, jurisdictions, and providers in improving behavioral health service delivery and advancing culturally humble and equitable addiction treatment. Dr. Alvanzo is a Distinguished Fellow of the Â鶹ÊÓƵ (ASAM), Immediate Past Chair of the ASAM Annual Conference Program Planning Committee and is Secretary of ASAM.
Candidate Questionnaire Responses
1. How would your election to the ASAM Board of Directors benefit ASAM and the field of addiction medicine?
If elected, I would bring broad professional experience, proven leadership, institutional knowledge, and a strong record of collaboration across organizations. I have held local and regional leadership positions, managing multidisciplinary teams in the delivery of high-quality addiction treatment across the ASAM Criteria continuum of care. Currently, as a Physician Principal at a national healthcare consulting firm, my work focuses on optimizing behavioral health service delivery, with a focus on equitable, high-quality addiction treatment. This work allows me to bring to the ASAM Board of Directors (BOD) a national perspective on challenges faced by addiction medicine providers, along with practical insight into innovative care models and sustainable funding strategies that support clinicians, patients, and families. Lastly, my recent and current experience on the ASAM BOD and Executive Council will provide valuable institutional knowledge and continuity at the BOD level as new leaders take the helm within the organization.
2. Candidate Statement
I am an addiction medicine physician, educator, researcher, and consultant with decades of experience caring for largely underserved populations across the full ASAM Criteria continuum of care. I currently serve as a Physician Principal at a national healthcare consulting and research firm, where I help states, local jurisdictions, and providers advance equitable, evidence-informed behavioral health services. I also maintain a clinical practice in a comprehensive primary care setting serving Medicaid-insured patients with high healthcare utilization.
An active ASAM member since 2008, I served six years as Region V Director on the Board of Directors and have served as Secretary on the Executive Council since 2022. I chair the Constitution and Bylaws Council and previously chaired the Annual Conference Program Planning Committee for six years. My additional service includes contributions to the ASAM Criteria Fourth Edition, Principles of Addiction Medicine, Pocket Addiction Medicine, the Alcohol Withdrawal Management Guideline, and ASAM’s racial justice policy series. Across clinical, consulting, and governance roles, I have led multidisciplinary teams and collaborated across disciplines, practice settings, and viewpoints. I would bring the Board institutional knowledge, continuity, a national perspective on provider and system challenges, and practical expertise in innovative care models and sustainable funding strategies. I am committed to servant leadership and to advancing ASAM's mission with integrity, openness, compassion, innovation, and inclusive leadership.