Joan Borsten

Executive Director,
Summit Estate Recovery Center

In 2007 Joan Borsten and her late husband actor Oleg Vidov co-founded with family the Malibu Beach Recovery Center (“MBRC “), a high-end addiction treatment facility located in the hills of Malibu, California. Treatment was based on the principles of neuroscience and included genetic testing, a French low-glycemic diet, the daily practice of kurma yoga, and use of food supplements to raise patients’ chronically low dopamine levels.

Joan served as CEO of MBRC until 2014 when the business was acquired by a medical investment division of Wells Fargo Bank.

During those years she distinguished herself by writing the Malibu Beach Recovery Diet Cookbook with four of the Center’s chefs as part of her commitment to help her alumni, and others struggling with addiction, maintain long-term sobriety.

She also became known in the industry as a leader in the fight for addiction parity, both in the courts and in the California State legislature where together with alumni she helped pass the CURES act.

Since 2018 she has continued her activism as Executive Director of Summit Estate Recovery Center, a well-respected addiction treatment program based in Silicon Valley which serves Silicon Valley.

She currently provides support to eight Summit alumni who have sued United Health Care and Cigna for violating ERISA law and RICO.

Together with Summit’s State Senator and Assembly member, she is currently working to turn SB 999 into law.

The bill requires the health insurance industry to use qualified doctors when doing peer-to-peer utilization reviews.