Today we’d like to introduce you to Lew Little.
Hi Lew, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was raised on a quiet lake in the pine barrens of southern New Jersey, the youngest of nine. My parents were devoted and hardworking — my father ran a catering business, and I pitched in by delivering pizzas. Between stops, I’d crack open chemistry books under the glow of my car’s dome light, chasing answers in the dark. From an early age, I was drawn to the complexity of the human body — not just its mechanics, but its capacity to endure, adapt, and heal.
While my father hoped I’d follow him into the military, I felt pulled toward healing, toward understanding. I chose the academic path, starting in community college and earning dual degrees in chemistry and pre-med before completing my M.D. with a focus on anesthesiology and pain medicine. That journey took me from the classrooms of Grenada to the hospital corridors of New York, and through fellowship training at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel in Boston.
I’ve always believed that chronic pain is one of the most misunderstood and under-treated conditions in medicine. It can quietly dismantle a person’s identity, their livelihood, their joy. Today, I work with compassion and purpose — helping patients in underserved communities regain functionality, and supporting those of working age to reach a level where they can continue doing what they love. Pain shouldn’t define a person’s life. My goal is to restore movement, dignity, and possibility — one patient at a time.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It hasn’t always been a smooth road — but I wouldn’t trade the journey. Coming from New Jersey, I started out in community college, working hard to prove myself academically and financially. That foundation propelled me to Stockton University (formerly The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey), where I advanced my studies and graduated Cum Laude with dual Bachelor of Science degrees in Chemistry and Pre-Medical Studies. Those years were rigorous, but they deepened my scientific understanding and sharpened my resolve to pursue medicine.
From there, I took a leap of faith and enrolled in St. George’s University School of Medicine in Grenada. The experience was transformative — not only did it offer a global perspective on healthcare, but I was also honored to receive a partial scholarship through the Peace Corps Eastern Caribbean partnership, which supported my commitment to service and cross-cultural engagement. Medical school challenged me to earn respect in a competitive field, and it taught me the value of resilience and adaptability.
Residency in New York was intense — long hours, high stakes, and constant pressure to perform. But those experiences shaped me. They taught me discipline, empathy, and the importance of showing up for people in pain. One of the biggest challenges has been serving patients in underserved communities, where resources are limited and chronic pain is often dismissed or misunderstood. Helping people regain functionality — especially those of working age who just want to keep doing what they love — requires more than clinical skill. It takes compassion, persistence, and a willingness to fight for every inch of progress.
That’s the road I’ve chosen, and I walk it every day.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about St. Anthony Health Care?
St. Anthony Health Care was founded on a simple but powerful belief: pain shouldn’t define a person’s life. We’re a multidisciplinary practice based in Southwest Florida, offering comprehensive pain management that’s tailored to each individual. Our services include pharmacotherapy, physical therapy, massage therapy, medical cannabis, and interventional procedures — all designed to restore functionality and improve quality of life.
What sets us apart is our commitment to treating the whole person. We don’t just manage symptoms — we listen, adapt, and build care plans that reflect each patient’s goals, whether that’s returning to work, caring for family, or simply enjoying daily life again. Our team includes multiple providers who bring diverse expertise and a shared dedication to compassionate, evidence-based care.
We’re especially proud to serve patients who often fall through the cracks — those facing financial, geographic, or systemic barriers to care. Helping people regain mobility, independence, and purpose is what drives us. Our brand stands for access, empathy, and results. We’re not a pill mill. We’re a place where people come to heal, move forward, and reclaim what matters most.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
There are a few meaningful ways people can work with me, collaborate, or support what we’re building at St. Anthony Health Care. First and foremost, if you’re a provider — whether in primary care, physical therapy, behavioral health, or specialty medicine — we welcome referrals and interdisciplinary collaboration. Chronic pain doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and we believe in treating the whole person through coordinated care.
If you’re part of a community organization, nonprofit, or outreach program serving populations with limited access to pain management, we’re always open to partnerships that expand care and education. We’ve seen firsthand how early intervention and compassionate treatment can change lives — especially for those who’ve been overlooked.
For those who want to support our mission more broadly, sharing our work, advocating for responsible pain care, and helping patients understand their options goes a long way. We’re proud to offer alternatives to the pill mill model — including medical cannabis, physical therapy, and interventional procedures — and we want that message to reach as many people as possible.
Whether it’s through clinical collaboration, community outreach, or simply amplifying our voice, we’re here to build something that restores functionality, dignity, and hope. That’s the road we’re on — and we welcome anyone who wants to walk it with us.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lewlittle.com
Image Credits
Staff at St. Anthony Health Care
