Benjamin “Ben” Bearnot, MD, MPH, FASAM
Candidate for Director-at-Large
Benjamin “Ben” Bearnot, MD, MPH, FASAM is a primary care physician and addiction medicine specialist at Middlebury Family Health in Vermont. He earned a BA in neuroscience from Amherst College and an MD from NYU School of Medicine. He then completed internal medicine–primary care training and fellowships in community health leadership and addiction medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. After serving on faculty at MGH and Harvard Medical School, he moved with his family to Rutland County, Vermont. Dr. Bearnot mentors health professionals-in-training and advises addiction-focused startups and nonprofits. Outside work, he enjoys trail running, skiing, cooking, and time with family and friends.
Candidate Questionnaire Responses
1. How would your election to the ASAM Board of Directors benefit ASAM and the field of addiction medicine?
My demonstrated commitment to caring for people who use substances, as well as my efforts to improve systems of care for substance use at broader policy and public health levels, will benefit the ASAM Board of Directors. As a first-term board member, I will bring new perspectives as a PCP in community practice who seeks to integrate addiction care into primary care. Importantly, I am experienced working in team settings and committees to build consensus, while ensuring everyone’s perspectives are heard before moving forward. My personality is friendly and approachable, but I also balance that with efficiency in keeping my teams on task and redirecting tangential conversations in settings where everyone has set aside valuable time to convene.
2. Candidate Statement
I am honored to apply for a Director-at-Large position on the ASAM Board of Directors and appreciate your consideration. I am a primary care and addiction medicine physician at Middlebury Family Health in Vermont, where I care for many patients with moderate and severe substance use disorders and am expanding this aspect of my practice. I remain actively engaged in medical education through clerkships and trainee mentorship. I currently serve as Chair of the ASAM Ruth Fox Scholars Selection Committee, leading one of the organization’s flagship scholarship programs.
I am board-certified in Internal Medicine (ABIM) and Addiction Medicine (ABPM). Prior to relocating to Vermont in 2023, I was a clinician-investigator at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. There, I led substance use disorder-focused research teams, co- founded the multidisciplinary Drug Use-associated Endocarditis Team (DUET), and contributed clinically and educationally to the Addiction Consult Service.
Since being selected as a Ruth Fox Scholar in 2019, I have served on multiple ASAM committees. I joined the selection committee in 2021 and became chairperson in 2025. I was thrilled to welcome the 2026 cohort at the national conference this year. I am eager to deepen my contributions through service on the ASAM Board and engagement with addiction policy at both regional and national levels, including through the Northern New England chapter.