Daniel Lewis, MD – Medical Director

Dr. Daniel Lewis is a board-certified Addiction Medicine physician with over 35 years of experience treating substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health conditions. As Medical Director at Yellow Wood Recovery and co-Medical Director at Transitions Clinic of Sacramento, he oversees all medical aspects of patient care and ensures evidence-based, ASAM-aligned treatment protocols. Dr. Lewis co-founded the Kaiser South Sacramento outpatient addiction program in 1991 and brings deep expertise in medication-assisted treatment, Motivational Interviewing, and serving justice-involved populations.

  • Doctor of Medicine (MD), University of Maryland School of Medicine
  • Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering, Cornell University
  • Internal Medicine Residency, UC Davis Medical Center
  • Board Certified in Internal Medicine, American Board of Internal Medicine
  • Board Certified in Addiction Medicine, American Board of Addiction Medicine (ABAM)
  • Advanced Training in Motivational Interviewing, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
  • Certified in Feedback-Informed Treatment (FIT)
  • Medical Director, Yellow Wood Recovery, Rancho Cordova, CA (2021–Present)
  • Co-Medical Director, Transitions Clinic of Sacramento (2021–Present)
  • Staff Addictionist/Internist, Kaiser Permanente Addiction Medicine and Recovery Services (1997–2020)
  • Staff Physician, Kaiser Permanente Opioid Safety Program
  • Medical Consultant, Adult Intensive Outpatient Eating Disorders Program, Kaiser Permanente
  • Liver Transplant Addiction Evaluator, North Sacramento Valley
  • Medical Director, Chemical Dependency Services, Kaiser South Sacramento (1989–1997)
  • Co-Founder, Kaiser South Sacramento Outpatient Addiction Program (1991)
  • Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers—Train the Trainers graduate (2020)
  • Feedback-Informed Treatment Certified Trainer eligible
  • Selected for physician retreat with Rachel Naomi Remen, MD: “The Role of the Intangible in Medicine”
  • 25+ years developing addiction medicine training and protocols at Kaiser Permanente
  • Chairman, Professional Staff Well-Being Committee, Kaiser Permanente (1997–2020)
  • Chair, Regional Physician Well-Being Chiefs, Permanente Medical Group, Northern California (1993–1997)
  • Committee Member and Chairman, Board of Registered Nursing Diversion Program (1995–2008)
  • Tau Beta Pi, National Engineering Honor Society
  • Comprehensive addiction medicine evaluation and treatment
  • Medication-assisted treatment (MAT), including buprenorphine management
  • Medically supervised detoxification protocols
  • Co-occurring mental health disorder treatment
  • Chronic pain management in recovery populations
  • Motivational Interviewing and Feedback-Informed Treatment
  • Treatment of justice-involved and reentry populations
  • Co-founder of Kaiser South Sacramento outpatient addiction program model (1991)
  • Developed evidence-based addiction treatment protocols for Kaiser Permanente system
  • Contributor to physician well-being and diversion program development
  • American Board of Addiction Medicine
  • American Board of Internal Medicine
  • Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers
  • Tau Beta Pi National Engineering Honor Society

Treatment Philosophy

Dr. Lewis brings a data-driven, patient-centered approach to addiction medicine, integrating evidence-based practices with compassionate care. His expertise in Motivational Interviewing and Feedback-Informed Treatment reflects his commitment to meeting patients where they are and supporting lasting recovery through collaborative, non-judgmental care. Through his work at both Yellow Wood Recovery and Transitions Clinic of Sacramento, Dr. Lewis demonstrates his dedication to reducing barriers to care and advancing health equity in addiction treatment, particularly for justice-involved populations reentering the community.

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