As the book Alcoholics Anonymous celebrates its 85th year, experts in the alcohol and substance use disorder field, Mashal Khan, M.D., Weill Cornell Medical Center, Michael McCormick, D.O., Release Recovery, and Amy Swift, M.D., Silver Hill Hospital, reflect on its “Doctor’s Opinion” chapter, which had novel ideas for its era, and give insights into today’s medical and scientific understanding. The Library of Congress considers the 1939 “A.A. Big Book” to be one of the “eighty-eight books that shaped America.” This Bedford Playhouse Let’s Talk Series event is organized by Stepping Stones, the historic home of A.A. cofounder Bill Wilson and Al-Anon Family Groups cofounder Lois Wilson, in Katonah, NY.
Panelists (Scroll to bottom for bios):
- Mashal Khan, M.D., Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry & Assoc. Program Director, Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship, NewYork-Presbyterian, Weill Cornell Medical Center
- Michael McCormick, D.O., Chief Medical Officer, Release Recovery
- Amy Swift, M.D., Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Silver Hill Hospital

Moderator: Sally A. Corbett-Turco, Executive Director, Stepping Stones – Historic Home of Bill & Lois Wilson
Admission: $10. For tickets, click to go to Bedford Playhouse website to purchase. Once there, click the time of the event to get to ticketing page. For those unable to purchase tickets, please inquire about a limited number of scholarship tickets by emailing info@steppingstones.org
Event Details: Dr. William Silkworth (a.k.a., “Silky” or the “Little Dr. Who Loved Drunks”) developed his theories from treating thousands of patients, including Alcoholics Anonymous cofounder and writer of the 12 Steps of recovery, Bill Wilson. Over forty-one million English language copies of the A.A. book, including Dr. Silkworth’s original “Doctor’s Opinion,” have been printed and the book has also been translated into seventy-two languages. At first, Dr. Silkworth’s name was omitted from the A.A. book to protect him from potential ostracization by the medical field for his endorsement of the fledgling A.A. program.
Dr. Silkworth was Bill W.’s doctor at Towns Hospital, and later led the treatment program at Knickerbocker Hospital. The doctor believed recovery was helped by participation in A.A. When Bill W. shared with the Dr. that he experienced a spiritual awakening just days into treatment, the Dr. encouraged him to continue what helped relieve his prior hopelessness.
Promotional partnership provided by: THRIVE Bedford | Lewisboro | Pound Ridge
Stepping Stones’ mission is to foster understanding of alcoholism and to inspire recovery by sharing the historic home, archive, and legacy of Alcoholics Anonymous cofounder Bill Wilson and Al-Anon Family Groups cofounder Lois Wilson. The National Historic Landmark home offers free tours, an online archive, and virtual and in person presentations.
The Bedford Playhouse “Let’s Talk” series is committed to well-being. Come learn about various subjects dedicated to mental health, substance use disorders, and more. Healing begins with shared experiences, honest conversations, and resources.
Panelist Bios:

Amy Swift, M.D., became Deputy Chief Medical Officer of Silver Hill Hospital in New Canaan, CT, in April 2024, bringing two decades of research, education, and clinical experience specializing in addiction. Dr. Swift has a deep understanding of complex mental disorders and co-occurring substance use disorders. She was the Medical Director of Addiction Services at Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital in New York, where she oversaw the daily operations and performance of the clinical staff and the development and quality assurance of the hospital’s programming and worked with complex addiction patients. Dr. Swift is a leader in addiction psychiatry research. At the Icahn School of Medicine, she was a Principal Investigator on a federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) grant that developed an integrated training program to provide medical students with an educational foundation in medication-assisted treatment of opioid addiction. A devoted educator, Swift has published and presented extensively in addiction psychiatry and related fields. She is a graduate of New York Medical College, and her residency and fellowship were with Mount Sinai, Beth Israel, Addiction Psychiatry.

Mashal Khan, M.D. is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine and Associate Program Director for the Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship. As the psychiatrist on the Liver Transplant Team, he evaluates organ recipients and donors and provides them with transitionary care. He utilizes his expertise and understanding of addictions to improve outcomes for individuals with Alcohol Liver Disease. His area of interest and clinical focus include technology-assisted interventions for substance use disorders and management of alcohol use disorder in patients with alcohol liver disease. Dr. Khan is a Xi’an-Jiaotong University School of Medicine graduate and trained at Maimonides Medical Center, where he served as Chief Resident. Following his residency training, he completed a Fellowship in Addiction Psychiatry at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai St. Luke’s-West. He is board-certified in general and addiction psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. His most recent publication was the book “Technology-Assisted Interventions for Substance Use Disorders” for which he served as an editor. In the book “Absolute Addiction Psychiatry Review,” he authored the chapter “Steroids, Dissociatives, Club Drugs, Inhalants, and Hallucinogens.”

Michael McCormick, D.O., is Chief Medical Officer for Release Recovery, which is based in Westchester and New York City and provides addiction recovery and mental health services. Dr. McCormick is a trained surgeon whose passion for helping those with substance use disorders prompted him to switch careers to addiction medicine, where he now has a decade of experience. Prior to Release Recovery, the Dr. had an 8-year tenure at Caron Treatment Center in Wernersville, PA, where he served as Medical Director for Signature Programs, led Caron’s Healthcare Professionals Assessment Program, and served as the physician in charge of the Opioid Treatment Program. When working with patients, Dr. McCormick leads with love, tolerance, empathy, and an absence of judgment.
Disclaimer: The content of the aforementioned September 19th event / panel / presentation is not meant to substitute professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment of your qualified healthcare provider from whom advice should always be sought. Opinions of participants are solely their own and are not meant to be medical advice and are not necessarily the opinions of the organizers.