Meet Dr. Mark Thomas.   Dr. Mark Thomas was born in Omaha, Nebraska and raised in Dayton, Ohio. He went on to attend the University of Dayton for his freshman year and then completed his undergraduate degree in Zoology at Howard University. He attended The Ohio State University College of Medicine from 1978 to 1982 and received his M.D. degree. He completed his residency at Good Samaritan Hospital in Dayton, Ohio in Family Practice in 1985. He was board certified by the American Academy of Family Physicians in 1985. He served as medical director of the R.A. Vogel Health Center from 1985 to 1988 and left there to establish is own private practice. He also started treating drug addicts and alcoholics in 1987 and received his certification in addiction medicine by the American Society of Addiction Medicine in 1990. He served as medical director of the Good Samaritan Hospital Detoxification Unit from 1988 to June 2006 when it finally closed.He served as medical director of Samaritan Hall (1988-1990), the Jacob-Dettmer Residence (1990-1994), and Comprehensive Counseling Center (1996-1998) directing inpatient and outpatient programs. At The Christopher House (1999-2001) and Creekside in Xenia, Ohio (2004-2005), he helped developed subacute detoxification units.   He maintained his private practice of family medicine and addiction medicine at the Family First Care Center in Trotwood, Ohio until February 2008. His practice currently emphasizes primary care in pain management and addiction medicine. He dreams of developing a comprehensive addiction center in the Greater Dayton area. He is married with 3 children. He enjoys music, martial arts, and reading books on religion and philosophy. He recently published a book entitled “The Christian Wedding—Everything you always wanted to know” available at Xlibris.com. It details the spiritual meanings behind the bride, the flower girl, the best man, and so on.