Joseph L. D’Orazio

Dr. D’Orazio, you are the Director of the Division of Medical Toxicology & Addiction Medicine at Temple Health. Could you tell us about your path to these roles and what your day-to-day looks like? 

I worked as an Emergency Physician and Medical Toxicologist since graduating residency in 2007 and 2009. When I arrived at Temple University Hospital in 2016, my career took a surprising turn as I found an opportunity to make an impact in our community by starting up Addiction Medicine at the epicenter of the opioid crisis for Philadelphia. While managing overdose and withdrawal was commonplace in my previous role as a medical toxicologist, I accidentally found my passion for caring for patients with substance use disorder when I started at Temple. Improving and innovating compassionate care for patients with opioid use disorder has consumed me over the last 7 years and I’m thankful to be able to help so many patients recover. 

While I stopped working in the emergency department a little over a year ago, I’m still heavily involved in the department. My day-to-day role is a mix of bouncing between an inpatient medical toxicology and addiction medicine consulting service, and outpatient addiction medicine office (TRUST Clinic), and a low-barrier access mobile unit managing opioid use disorder for individuals in the Kensington area of Philadelphia.  

What first interested you about becoming a Fellow at the College?  

As a lifelong Philadelphia physician, I learned about The College of Physicians early in medical school. It was an institution that I revered and enjoyed visiting on occasion. When I got married and my wife wanted to have our reception at The College of Physicians (how cliché!), I fell in love with the history of the organization. When I was nominated to join as a Fellow, I jumped at the opportunity. 

You were interviewed on the Narratives of North Broad Podcast – Stories From Temple Health podcast back in 2020 and mention your work with the Begin the Turn mobile clinic. Could you speak about how you started the clinic with Dr. David O'Gurek and what Begin the Turn is doing today?  

When I arrived at Temple in 2016, I learned so much from David O’Gurek about outpatient management of opioid use disorder. He helped me get started and together we dreamed about what an Addiction Medicine program could look like at Temple. Creating a low-barrier access mobile unit for people experiencing homelessness was an early goal for us. Instead of waiting for people to come to Temple, we metaphorically and physically wanted to meet patients where they were to engage in substance use treatment. It has been a rewarding endeavor engaging with the community on the streets and I have learned so much from the people.   

What role(s) do you hope to see the College fill within our community in the coming years?  

Helping young people of Philadelphia engage with their dreams of becoming a physician. I see potential in the youth of Philadelphia, and I love that the College supports the underrepresented minorities in medicine. 

Tell us about one of your favorite items in the Library or Museum, or your favorite aspect of the College.   

I love seeing everything the Historical Medical Library has to offer when they rotate books in their exhibition cases. From the registry of deaths in Philadelphia from the 1700s to the Hippocratis Coi Aphorismi tiny book, I love them all. It’s fun to explore all the history of medicine that the Library has to offer. 

We recently asked several Fellows in our FY22 Annual Report if there is a book, podcast, or documentary that offered them a new perspective or best captured working in public health or medicine. Is there something you have watched, read, or heard that you would recommend? 

I’m a big fan of two podcasts – Radiolab and Freakonomics. I listen to them religiously. Radiolab is an investigative podcast that explores science while Freakonmics questions everything you thought you knew about how the world works (I should have been an economist!). They are both so applicable to my day-to-day, and I love learning new science. 

Who is a peer or colleague whose work you admire? 

I admire all my friends and colleagues who work at Prevention Point Philadelphia for promoting health and safety for communities affected by drug use and homelessness. I don’t know where we would be without them.