James L. Baker M.D. M.P.H.

Starting on the evening of his son’s death, Dr. Baker decided to share the story of his late son Macky’s struggle with addiction and recovery. A strong advocate for effective addiction treatment, improved education, and legislative reform, Dr. Baker has dedicated himself to preventing addiction and overdose through teaching, writing, and advocacy. Above all, Dr. Baker is dedicated to providing support and hope to fellow parents and family members whose loved ones are struggling with substance use disorder. Through his advocacy and writing, he hopes to provide answers to parents who don’t know where to turn and shed light on real, effective treatments—rather than for-profit rehab and detox centers.

Specializing in pain management and palliative care, Dr. Baker has cared for thousands of patients with terminal illness and supported their families. He has served at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School as faculty in emergency medicine and is now affiliated with UMass Medical School. In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Baker serves as a physician consultant every week to the newly formed Massachusetts Consultation Service for the Treatment of Addiction and Pain (MCSTAP), a state-funded service that provides guidance, free of charge, to all physicians and nurses in Massachusetts who care for patients with addiction or complex pain.