The High Watch Recovery Fellowship

ACGME-Accredited 1-Year Addiction Medicine Fellowship

The Addiction Medicine Fellowship at High Watch Recovery Center is a comprehensive training program designed to equip physicians with the skills and knowledge needed to become leaders in addiction medicine. Situated at one of the premier detox facilities in the U.S., the fellowship provides an unparalleled clinical experience by combining a robust detox management program with extensive residential care.

Give Us a Call Today. 860.927.3772

Program Highlights

90 Guest Census - Consistent patient volume for comprehensive training

ASAM 3.7 Level of Care - Medically monitored intensive inpatient services

24/7 Professional Care - Round-the-clock clinical supervision

Since 1939 - Rich history as the world's first 12-step treatment center

A Focus on Detox and MAT Tapers

Fellows at High Watch are immersed in a high-volume, high-complexity detox environment. You'll gain hands-on experience in managing a diverse range of withdrawal syndromes and medical pathologies. The program emphasizes the use of all types of Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) tapers to safely and effectively guide guests through withdrawal. You'll learn to tailor these tapers to the specific needs of guests with a wide variety of medical and psychiatric comorbidities.

A Continuum of Care: Residential Living

Beyond detox, the fellowship offers a unique opportunity to manage a large population of guests across a full continuum of care. With a consistent census of 90 guests, you'll be actively involved in the management of individuals in our residential, partial hospitalization (PHP), and sober living facilities. This exposure allows you to develop expertise in long-term recovery management, relapse prevention, and addressing the complex psychosocial needs of guests.

Medically Managed High-Intensity Inpatient Treatment

High Watch Recovery Center is uniquely positioned to offer fellows the best possible training in an ASAM 3.7 level of care facility, which refers to medically monitored intensive inpatient services. This is a highly structured environment with 24-hour professional care, ideal for guests with severe biomedical and psychosocial issues who don't require an acute hospital setting. Our multidisciplinary team approach is a cornerstone of this training, with on-site collaboration with psychiatrists, social workers, and other addiction specialists. This teamwork provides a rich learning environment and ensures you graduate with a comprehensive understanding of care from all angles.

Excellence in Training

The fellowship at High Watch provides an exceptional opportunity to train in a dynamic, collaborative, and evidence-based environment. You'll be well-prepared to manage the complexities of addiction and lead in the field of addiction medicine.

Our Medical Faculty

Andrew Rizzo, DO

Fellowship Director

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Residency: St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center, NJ - Emergency Medicine

Work Experience: Associate Program Director and Addiction Medicine Fellowship Director at South Brooklyn Health.

Why Addiction Medicine?: For over a decade as an Emergency Medicine physician in NYC's public healthcare system, I saw firsthand the devastating impact of addiction and the systemic failures in its treatment. The mismanagement and stigmatization of patients fueled my determination to earn board certification in Addiction Medicine. My goal was to provide every patient with the highest standard of care.

After serving as an Associate Program Director in Emergency Medicine for eight years, I transitioned to a new role as the Addiction Medicine Fellowship Director at the same hospital in 2023. This shift led to a pivotal connection with Dr. Boris, the Medical Director at High Watch. Working there part-time, I discovered the powerful synergy of an abstinence-based 12-step program combined with medically assisted therapies.

In July 2025, I embraced the opportunity to become full-time as High Watch's Fellowship Director. This career pivot has been immensely rewarding. Witnessing the longitudinal journey of recovery—from a patient's first day to their completion of the residential program—brings me profound joy and reinforces my commitment to being the best physician I can be.

Interests: Hockey (go Devils!), hiking/trail running, gardening (native-plant advocate), things that are competitive and mindful (MTG, boardgames, etc…), all the carbs, my cats (x4) + wife.

Dr. Gregory Boris, Vice President of Medical Affairs

Gregory Boris, DO

Medical Director - High Watch

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Residency: Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center. Bronx, NY - Emergency Medicine

Work Experience: 25+ years in the emergency department, 5+ years at High Watch.

Why Addiction Medicine?: It provides me the opportunity to help the numerous people I have seen suffering with SUD in my many years working in the ED.

Interests: I am a wizard on the tennis court, Mets, Jets, Islanders- let's go! I also enjoy Dr Rizzo's Journal club

Kyle Fistner, MD

Medical Director - Alina Lodge

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Sarah Williamson, MD

Director of Psychiatry

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Joseph Flynn, MD

Core Faculty

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Residency: Yale School of Medicine, Adult Psychiatry

Work Experience: Medical Director – Greenwich Hospital Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health

Staff Psychiatrist – VA Connecticut Healthcare System

Why Addiction Medicine?: As a psychiatrist, addiction treatment has always been a part of training and practice. However, it was not until I started providing coverage for a colleague at the Addiction Recovery Center at Greenwich Hospital that I became more focused on it as a specialization.

Interests: running, reading, time with family, guitar (still a beginner, but it’s never too late to start!), baseball (NY Yankees, of course)

Bridget Dugan

Fellowship Coordinator

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Why High Watch: I found sobriety at High Watch in 2022 and have had the privilege of working in the Admissions Department since 2023. During my time as a guest, I witnessed firsthand the many approaches that come together to provide individuals with the best possible chance at recovery: the 12-step program, clinical care, psychiatry, and comprehensive medical support. Today, it is an honor to contribute to the place that saved my life and to support the exceptional medical team that once cared for me in my time of need.

Interests:Baking for my coworkers, running on the beautiful trails in the northwest corner, reading, playing guitar, and board game nights with friends.

Meet Our 2025 - 2026 Fellows

Banya Win, MD

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Medical School: University of Medicine 1 Yangon Myanmar

Residency: Griffin Hospital, CT - Internal Medicine

Why Addiction Medicine?: As an internist and an addiction medicine physician, I am particularly dedicated to the holistic approach of treating patients, combining medical care with psychosocial support. I am interested in deeply understanding the biopsychosocial dimensions of addiction which will enable me to provide comprehensive care, helping individuals not only to reclaim their lives but to thrive to their fullest.

Interests: Traveling, Broadway shows, Watching reality TV, Everything Family Guy related

Tara Holmes, MD, MBA

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Medical School: Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University

Residency: Mount Sinai West, NY - Emergency Medicine

Why Addiction Medicine?: As a High Watch alumni, it has been my professional goal to return and become a part of the medical team that helps people like me find and reconnect with their true selves again. Being trained in Emergency Medicine, I treat patients with substance use disorder regularly but very often feel frustrated by the lack of resources and scarcity of adequate addiction medicine knowledge that is required to help patients with substance use disorder in the long term. I look forward to learning how to integrate my personal experience with the diverse addiction pathology seen at High Watch in order to be well equipped to help patients both in the ED and private practice settings.

Interests: Tennis, Travel, being outdoors (but not camping), bingeable TV series, hanging with my family, pasta.

Fellowship FAQs

What makes a 3.7 ASAM criteria facility different from other types of inpatient or outpatient facilities?

An ASAM 3.7 facility provides medically monitored intensive inpatient treatment for individuals with substance use disorders. This level of care is designed for patients who need 24-hour medical and nursing supervision due to the severity of their symptoms but don't require the full resources of a hospital.

Key Characteristics of a 3.7 Facility:

24-Hour Medical Care: The facility has nursing staff on-site 24/7 to provide continuous observation, monitor vital signs, administer medications, and manage withdrawal symptoms. A physician or advanced practice provider is available on-site or on-call to respond to urgent medical or psychiatric issues.

Structured Treatment Program: In addition to medical care, patients receive a daily regimen of addiction treatment services. This includes individual, group, and family therapy, as well as educational sessions on addiction and health-related topics.

Focus on Stabilization: The primary goal of a 3.7 facility is to medically stabilize the patient so they can safely begin their recovery journey. Once stabilized, the patient is transitioned to a lower level of care, such as a residential treatment program (ASAM 3.5) or an intensive outpatient program (ASAM 2.1).

Not a Hospital: While medically intensive, a 3.7 facility is generally not a hospital. It is a residential setting, often in a freestanding building or a specialized unit within a hospital, that focuses on a holistic approach to both medical and addiction treatment.

What does the yearly schedule look like this year?

What does a weekly schedule look like?

Can you go into more detail about the weekly educational conference?

Are there opportunities to moonlight as a fellow?

What are some of the added benefits of being a fellow at HighWatch?

Any anticipated upcoming changes to the program?

Where do most staff live?

Kent, CT, is in the heart of Litchfield County (Conde Nast Traveler 2025 ‘Best Places To Travel In The US’ partly due to the abundance of scenic towns and outdoor activities), located near the northwest corner of Connecticut. High Watch is a 45-minute drive to Danbury, CT, and Poughkeepsie, NY. 1hr 15mins to the Berkshires and Hartford. 1hr 30mins to New Haven, CT. 1hr 45mins to Manhattan, NY. Most staff live within a 1-hour radius of High Watch.

For additional information or questions please email Bridget at bdugan@highwatchrecovery.org.