European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 14, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday february 14, 1992 the stars and stripes a Page 7 inadequate care alleged at head injury facilities Washington apr for the three months that Christopher Rowan lived at a private rehabilitation Center for brain injured people the Bills hit $83,000. Yet his Mother said a i had to Cut his nails and hair. They did no to even teach him How to do his own personal  Yvonne Rowan told her Story to a House committee which was to Issue a report thursday that is strongly critical of the Little regulated but mushrooming head injury treatment Industry. The associated press obtained a copy of the report. Each year the report says there Are More than 90,000 new head injury cases primarily because modern Medicine is saving people who would have died a decade ago. These victims of car and bicycle accidents of gunshot wounds and Falls need rehabilitation after leaving acute care hospitals. Virtually unheard of a decade ago there Are now about 800 inpatient centers around the country. They offer or say they offer physical occupational and psychiatric rehabilitation. The average Cost $100,000 to $350,000 a year. The House Small business subcommittee says in its report that some facilities provide inadequate and sometimes abusive treatment pay other health professionals for referrals to the centers and overkill insurance companies. Rep. Ron Wyden Dore. And chairman of the subcommittee wrote the Secretary of health and human services Louis w. Sullivan asking for a an immediate investigation of waste fraud and abuse in the head injury treatment Industry. In Rowan Scase the family a insurance company was billed for care through dec. 31, 1988, his Mother says even though she took him Home on dec. 1. The committee says the insurance Bills totalled $83,000. The report by the subcommittee says parents and guardians of head injury victims described a being waylaid at the Hospital by representatives of rehab providers and of being wined and  Robert Brabham executive director of the National from wire reports Mike Tyson a attorneys on wednesday expressed Confidence that the former heavyweight boxing champions rape conviction will be overturned on Appeal. A the trial is but the first step in the process of arriving at the truth a Tyson a attorneys said in a statement issued through his promoters office Don King productions. Tyson was in seclusion in Ohio on wednesday. He was convicted monday in Indianapolis on one charge of rape and two counts of criminal deviate conduct. Each count carries up to 20 years in prison but prosecutors say similar convictions usually result in sentences ranging from seven to 11 years. His sentence could depend on his 18-year-old victim a contestant in the miss Black America pageant when the rape occurred last summer. A input from the victim is going to be important in this Case a said Marion county prosecutor Jeffrey Modisett. Meanwhile a newspaper reported wednesday that Tyson May retain Only a Small portion of the millions earned in his boxing career after Legal fees purchases West Palm Beach Fla. Up a a Man who thought he had been taken to the cleaners at the cleaners when his dry cleaning Bill was $2 More than he thought it would be is getting a full court trial. Frank Speciale took his six shirts to Tropic Square cleaners in response to an advertisement for a 99-cent special. But when the Bill came to $8 instead of $6 he refused to pay and the cleaners refused to give him his shirts. Tropical said one of the shirts required special cleaning. A this is very unreasonable a said Jack Goldberg the former owner of the cleaners during a hearing monday before Palm Beach county judge Howard Harrison. Harrison tried to get the dispute settled through mediation. The two men managed to agree on the $2 matter but were unable to Settle the question of who would pay nearly $50 in court costs. Association of rehabilitation facilities said the group has not received a a single complaint about the head injury facilities. A if there was widespread fraud and abuse we would be inundated. We can show you absolute miracles in head injury  among the report s findings a staff members at acute care hospitals a were on informal commission from rehab providers for giving tips on patients and  a some centers employ questionable treatments such As a coma  the treatment sometimes billed at a hundreds of dollars per hour a includes a such practices As Reading newspapers to patients who for All intents and purposes Are  a employees of companies operating the centers said they were told to submit fraudulent Bills. Rowan now 28, spent three months at the High watch treatment facility in Center Ossipee . The Center is one of 37 owned by new Medico in 15 states according to company spokeswoman Kathleen Rowe. Or. James Wasco director of medical affairs for new Medico based in Lynn mass., said he was a bound by confidentiality from discussing individual patients a and i done to think its a fair thing to  he did say that new Medico holds conferences a on a regular basis with patients representatives of the family and All of the care givers to meet a patient s clinical  but Rowan who had been injured at age eight when his head struck a curb a was unkempt Quot at High watch his Mother said. A they promised us meetings with other families. That never happened. They promised to teach him computer programming and then said this might make him Nave More  she said staffers refused to provide their qualifications or information about her songs daily program. A they never wanted staff to Tell us anything Quot she said. A there was no communication. It was  after three months there she said he regressed. A fall they did was take the Money and taught him nothing a except How to raise rabbits she said. To support his lavish lifestyle and other expenses. The Washington Post said Tyson earned $100 million in Gross purses but retains Only a Small percentage of the Money. Much of the Money has been spent on payments to King and other aides and on extravagances including jewelry and 30 luxury cars. An associated press analysis showed Tyson grossed $75 million to $80 million in purses for his last 15 fights 11 of them championship bouts. Tyson flew to Cleveland with King on wednesday morning then went into seclusion. The Boxer posed for a picture at the Airport with a woman who stepped though a group of photographers to hug him. If Tyson is sentenced to prison he will not be allowed to Box while behind bars corrections officials said. Kevin Moore a member of Indiana a department of corrections said there is a full recreational program in the state prison but boxing is not one of the activities offered. A one of the things we have is the Rule against fighting and we done to want to do anything that will condone that activity a Moore said wednesday. A it would seem that reasonable men would be Able to Settle this without going to court a Harrison. But court is where they Are going. Harrison scheduled a trial for april 27. A i guess you gentlemen deserve to spend another half Day in court on this a Harrison said. Speciale said Goldberg should have told him when he brought in the shirts that one of them would Cost More because it has an elastic band. A i Felt that the principle of the thing was that this fellow was taking advantage of the Public Quot Speciale said. A you know that he is taking advantage of you and there is nothing you can do about  Goldberg said Speciale should have looked at the claim Check that said one of the shirts was different. A a it a not my fault. Its something he a creating a Goldberg said.  seek patents on human brain genes from wire reports Washington the National institutes of health filed for patents wednesday on newly identified groups of human brain genes a step officials said would Force examination of existing Laws on intellectual property. The announcement was made As researchers published information on 2,375 genes. The work significantly advances research toward improved diagnosis treatment and eventual prevention of genetic diseases. Identifying a Gene and locating where on a particular chromosome it occurs is the first major step toward developing new drugs or other treatments including Gene therapy. The new research May include identification of up to 200 disease genes said Craig Venter the nil scientist who led the Gene identification project. Every person has Between 50,000 and 100,000 genes which contain the blueprint for everything Troni Eye color to disease risk. Gene therapy involves inserting genes with Correct information into cells with defective genes or putting in new genes that carry instructions for production of disease fighting  handler convicted Scottsboro Ala. A jury convicted a Snake handling preacher wednesday of trying to kill his wife by forcing her hand into a Cage of rattlesnakes. The Jackson county circuit court jury deliberated five hours before returning the verdict against the Rev. Glenn Sun Merford 47, pastor of the Church of Jesus with signs following. His trial began monday. The charge carries a sentence of from 10 years to life in prison. No sentencing Date was set. Summerford a wife Darlene testified that her husband forced her hand into a Cage of poisonous snakes in the fall of 1991. She was bitten twice but recovered at a  forces mayor out Jersey City . Mayor Gerald Mccann who refused to step Down after he was convicted of defrauding a Florida Thrift was forced out of office wednesday by court order. The stale supreme court refused to delay a lower court ruling that Mccann forfeited his Post when he was convicted in december on Federal fraud and tax charges. The charges against Mccann 41, stemmed from his venture in 1986 and 1987 with a Florida savings and loan to bid on a Marina project. He Wasny to mayor at the time. The prosecution said Mccann embezzled at least $267,000 from the Thrift and spent it on items that included a luxury car. He faces up to 65 years in  suspect arrested Dillingham Alaska a sniper who allegedly shot and killed a police officer before barricading himself in a hardware store was arrested after an All Day standoff wednesday authorities said. Police and state troopers ringed the store in Dillingham a Bristol Bay fishing Community 325 Miles Southwest of Anchorage and talked the gunman into surrendering late in the afternoon said maj. Glenn Godfrey of the Alaska state troopers. The slain officer Anthony Jones 36, was shot in the head Early wednesday Godfrey said. He was off duty and went to the store when he heard the report of shots fired Godfrey said. I he gunman Wasny to immediately  Appeal rejected St. Paul Minn. A in he Minnesota supreme c ourt has refused to hear an Appeal of a decision that granted guardianship of a brain damaged woman to her lesbian Lover. A lawyer for Karen Thompson who was granted guardianship of Sharon Kowalski said wednesday the decision Means a seven year Legal Battle is Over. Kowalski 35, was left brain damaged and physically impaired after a november 1983 automobile Accident. She lives in a nursing Home. Thompson has had a handicapped accessible Home built. Lawyers say Tyson will win Appeal judge to decide who finally loses shirt