ABOUT US

James J. Kramer M.D., Ph.D.

Although born in South Bend Indiana in 1947, Doctor Kramer moved to Southern California soon after his first birthday. He grew up with his parents and older brother in the town of Corona 60 miles east of Los Angeles. After his parents divorced at the age of 13 he moved with his mother and brother to Newport Beach in Orange County California. Shortly after this move his brother, Robert, began a series of acute schizophrenic episodes that eventually led to a chronic schizophrenic state. Robert now lives with Dr. Kramer in Madison.

Doctor Kramer completed his undergraduate work at the University of California, Irvine with a double major of Biological Sciences and Chemistry finishing number one in his class. Since his childhood he has had an interest in research. He therefore chose to stay at UC Irvine and complete a doctorate program in Molecular and Cellular Biology. His research focused on Cellular Immunology.

Dr. Kramer then entered Medical School at Loma Linda University, which lays half way between Los Angeles and Palm Springs. Once again he finished first in his class and received several awards for both clinical and academic excellence. He completed a Residency in Internal Medicine in 1980, and subsequently was Board Certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Dr. Kramer continued at Loma Linda University as an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine in the School of Medicine. He continued as an academic faculty member until 1987 and as a clinical professor until leaving California in 1991.

As a teenager Dr. Kramer had his first experience with alcohol, which quickly led to a dependency on alcohol and drugs that plagued him for most of his adult life and nearly destroyed his life and career. In September 1985 Dr. Kramer entered his first treatment for chemical dependency. Over the next six years he was involved in 33 months of treatment on seven different occasions. During his second treatment at the Ridgeview Institute in Atlanta Georgia, Dr. Kramer worked as a therapist in a women’s prison for two months, one of his most rewarding experiences in his journey to achieve sobriety. He successfully started a group on relationships while at the women’s prison which started him on a path to do the work he does today. While living in San Diego he worked with Dr. John Milner at Rancho L’ Abri who encouraged him to pursue a career in Addiction Medicine. Dr. Kramer was certified by the American Society of Addiction Medicine in 1988 and again in 1996. He was involved with the Credentialing Committee for the American Society of Medicine from 1993-1998.

After completing his final treatment in Mississippi in 1991 he has worked as a clinical assistant and counselor for 2 ½ years at COPAC, a treatment center in Brandon Mississippi while waiting to obtain a Mississippi Medical License. Subsequent to graciously being granted a license to practice medicine in Mississippi he has worked as Associate Medical Director of COPAC (1995), a staff physician at Jackson Recovery Center in South Jackson (1995-1997), and Medical Director of the Dual Diagnosis Program at Charter Behavioral Health in Jackson (1997-2000). Since the closure of Charter, Dr. Kramer has been involved in an active private practice in Addiction Medicine in Ridgeland Mississippi. While in private practice he has worked as Medical Director of Jolimar in Summit Mississippi (November 2000-June 2002) and as Program Director for the Dual Diagnosis Program at Brentwood Behavioral Health of Mississippi, a free standing psychiatric hospital (2002-2005). He was Director of Addiction Services for Three Oaks Behavioral Health in Ridgeland Mississippi, a Partial Hospitalization Program, from 2001 until 2007 and was instrumental in creating their addictions program. He has been Medical Director of Harbor House of Jackson since 1995 (1992-1995 worked under Dr. Lloyd Gordon as Medical Director), where he developed the first physician driven program of its kind in Mississippi. Currently he is Medical Director for A Bridge to Recovery, an Intensive Outpatient Program in Ridgeland Mississippi and consults for The Turning Point, an Adolescent Intensive Outpatient Program also in Ridgeland Mississippi. While working at COPAC He co-authored a research paper on sexual dependency in chemically dependent physicians with Dr. Gordon and Dr. Patsy Fargeson. Doctor Kramer is married and is the proud Grandfather of three wonderful grandchildren. His wife, Ginger, is a gift from Mississippi as well as his Office Manager. He is active in 12 step programs as well as his church. Doctor Kramer lives with his wife and his brother who was part of his inheritance when his mother passed away in 1999. He enjoys his dogs, his step-daughter Dawn and her family, and is an avid photographer.