Steve L. Hayes was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas, where, inspired partly by the fact that his father was the County Sheriff, he seemed destined to find his life’s work in helping and protecting others. He graduated with Honors from the University of Arkansas and then with Honors from the University of San Francisco Law School.

Over many years of private law practice, Steve had occasion to help people who were themselves victims of what he considered to be unscrupulous medical practitioners. He also witnessed the collusion of big pharma and the medical establishment in the creation of a public dependence on drugs for every ill or bad “feeling”, all in the pursuit of profits. At the same time, he saw his own father completely change after having been put on pain-killers and numerous other drugs, to eventually become a virtual recluse in his own house.

In 2004, Steve and his wife Paula decided to semi-retire. Steve was looking forward to filling his days with writing and doing media for causes in which he believed. Like most of us, they had seen first-hand the ravages of drug addiction. Alcohol and drug addiction created devastating effects that touched members of their families. Children of their friends became drug addicts. They saw many people who started taking prescribed drugs become dependent and/or addicted. Steve started observing that more and more people seemed to be suffering the debilitating effects of long-term drug use and abuse, not just addicts on street drugs, but perfectly respectable people that one would never dream were drug dependent and finding themselves unable to come off the drugs. He saw that many of these people were unwilling to consider going to even a medically-supervised “detox” because of the fear of being thrown in with heroin addicts off the street in a group situation characterized by a brutal and uncaring medical protocol that was both painful and humiliating.

After researching what was available to help people medically detox from drug or alcohol dependencies and/or addictions, Steve decided to create a facility where professional people would be comfortable. This meant private rooms, first class food, one-on-one personal attention, excellent education, natural options and ways to make someone truly drug-free, with patients that could go on to a rehab that would really help.

In 2006, having found a new calling, Steve and Paula decided to open an inpatient medical detox facility designed primarily for professionals. Two of their friends shared the same vision and together they opened Novus Medical Detox Center of Pasco County, LLC on April 4, 2007. Novus is planning to open a second facility in Arizona or California in 2008.