Tidelands Health physician and addiction recovery specialist receives statewide award for 30 years of dedicated service
A Tidelands Health physician and long-time addiction recovery specialist has earned statewide recognition for his dedication to battling substance use disorder and helping people recover.
Dr. Victor Archambeau received accolades from Gov. Henry McMaster and the S.C. Center of Excellence in Addiction during the recent Governor’s Opioid and Addiction Summit in Columbia. The award honors Dr. Archambeau for “championing the science of addiction medicine by treating the disease of addiction medically, serving vulnerable citizens of our state and saving lives and families.”
Dr. Archambeau, a physician at Tidelands Health Family Medicine at Pawleys Island, is one of the region’s leading figures in the fight against the opioid epidemic and substance use disorder. His own battle with substance abuse 30 years ago inspired him to help others.
“Helping those struggling with substance use disorder is really a calling for me,” Dr. Archambeau said. “Because of my own journey, I’m able to connect with those struggling, and they can relate to my past experience, which is a key for successful treatment. I feel privileged to be able to help others and am honored to receive this prestigious award.”
For more than three decades, Dr. Archambeau’s ability to relate to and treat those with addiction has transformed lives. In addition to his dedication to treating patients, he has been instrumental in helping develop resources and innovative programs to prevent substance abuse and help those struggling.
He was a founding member of the local chapter of Faces and Voices of Recovery, a group that works to eliminate barriers to substance abuse recovery. Through his relatability, support and inspiration, he’s become known among many in the recovery community as “Doc.”
At Tidelands Health, Dr. Archambeau helped create an innovative and successful peer-recovery program at the hospitals that was expanded again last year. Under the program, patients with a substance abuse disorder are introduced to a peer recovery coach who stays in touch after discharge, helping patients navigate the path toward sobriety.
In addition, Dr. Archambeau has been part of a team at Tidelands Health working on programs to help patients successfully manage their pain without the use of opioid-based painkillers.
Gov. McMaster presented the award to Dr. Archambeau during the 2024 Governor’s Opioid and Addiction Summit, which helps connect experts in health care, law enforcement, government, advocates and more to share insights, strategies and best practices to address addiction. More than 700 people attended the two-day event in Columbia.
