Dr. Joseph De Santo
Areas of Focus
- Addiction Medicine
- Medication-Assisted Treatment (Suboxone/Buprenorphine)
- Internal Medicine
- Co-Occurring Disorders
- Medical Detox
About Dr. De Santo
Dr. Joseph De Santo is a board-certified internal medicine physician with more than 25 years of clinical experience, including over 4,000 hours and 17+ years prescribing Suboxone (buprenorphine) as part of medication-assisted treatment for substance use disorders. He has spent recent years focused exclusively on Addiction Medicine, working across treatment centers with medical detox programs, co-occurring disorders, and complex mental health needs.
Dr. De Santo currently owns and serves as Medical Director of his own private addiction medicine practice in Huntington Beach, CA, and has served as Medical Director across multiple drug and alcohol treatment centers throughout Orange County, CA, overseeing medication management and working closely with clinical and operational teams.
Earlier in his career, Dr. De Santo held leadership roles spanning urgent care, hospital medicine, and clinical research — including more than 9 years as a Director of Clinical Trials and Lead Physician/Hospitalist in the Los Angeles region, and additional physician and program leadership roles in Orange County, Los Angeles, and the Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ area.
His broad background in internal medicine, urgent care, and hospital-based practice gives him a medically thorough lens on addiction treatment — one that treats withdrawal management, co-occurring conditions, and long-term recovery as connected parts of the same clinical picture.
Career Timeline
Owner & Medical Director
Private addiction medicine practice — Huntington Beach, CA
Medical Director
Multiple drug and alcohol treatment centers — Orange County, CA
Medical Director, Urgent Care & Urgent Care Physician
West Covina and Newport Beach, CA
Director, Urgent Care Centers
Fountain Valley, CA
Director of Clinical Trials
Los Angeles region
Lead Physician & Hospitalist
Los Angeles region
Urgent Care Physician
Torrance, CA
Director of Physician Programs & Services
Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ
Physician, Private Practice
Culver City, CA
Education & Certifications
Education
- M.D. — State University of New York, Downstate
- Internship & Residency — Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA
- B.A., Biology — Lafayette College, Easton, PA
Certifications & Licensure
- Board Certified, Internal Medicine — American Board of Internal Medicine
- Licensed Physician — Medical Board of California, License #G081151
Getting Started with Dr. De Santo's Team
Begin Care
Your care team, including Dr. De Santo, coordinates your treatment plan.
Begin Your Recovery by the Ocean
Dr. De Santo and the Crystal Cove Recovery team are here to help you take the next step, with medically grounded, compassionate care.