“I am a recovering alcoholic. I can help you with this journey.”

I'm Dr. Tomlinson. I am a recovering alcoholic and an expert in addiction medicine. I can help you with this journey. Let's do this!

My Story

I attended Occidental College in Los Angeles, earning a BS in biochemistry with honors. I then completed graduate studies in exercise physiology at Hahnemann University in Philadelphia before earning my MD from Tulane University School of Medicine in 1986. During my orthopedic surgery residency at Tulane, I trained under Dr. Jack Hughston, widely regarded as the father of sports medicine. I followed this with a sports medicine fellowship at Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in Los Angeles under Dr. Frank Jobe, pioneer of Tommy John surgery. I then spent a year in private practice at the Southern California Orthopedic Institute with Dr. Stephen Snyder, a leader in shoulder arthroscopy. This training gave me expertise in advanced arthroscopic techniques for knee and shoulder injuries. In 1993, I relocated to Arkansas and established a practice as a board-certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in knee and shoulder reconstruction. I published research, lectured nationally and internationally, and invented medical devices. I also founded the Physician Specialty Hospital in Fayetteville Arkansas as the Medical Director of the Orthopedic Institute (1994–2010).

Despite these accomplishments, I struggled with alcoholism and addiction, which led to incarceration and significant personal and professional losses. Reaching rock bottom led me to commit to recovery and achieve lasting sobriety. My experience with addiction drove me to focus on helping others with opioid use disorder. As a recovering alcoholic and physician, I now lead the Suboxone Recovery Center of Arkansas, providing medication-assisted treatment with Suboxone to reduce cravings, manage withdrawal, and support drug-free lives. Recovery works, and no one has to do it alone.

Why this matters for you

Every patient here is seen by that physician — not a rotating staff, not an answering service, and not a video screen. He answers his own phone at any hour, because he remembers exactly what it felt like to need someone to pick up.