Joseph Brennick’s brain injury rehab center – the Florida Institute for Neurologic Rehabilitation, also known as FINR – sprawls across nearly 1,000 acres of gator-infested swampland in Wauchula. Credit: Laura Starecheski/Reveal

Lakeview NeuroRehabilitation Center originally was part of a national chain of brain injury rehab centers called New Medico, owned by Charles Brennick of Boston. Nursing-home abuse investigator Sue Bessette teamed up with former New Medico patient Lucy Gwin in the early ’90s to uncover fraud and abuse across a $10 billion industry – leading to an FBI investigation.

We look for answers about why and how the Brennicks are still in business, heading to the swamps of Wauchula, Florida, to visit with Charles’ son, Joseph, at his brain injury rehab center, the Florida Institute for Neurologic Rehabilitation.

DIG DEEPER

  • Interactive: Meet the Brennicks and see the pivotal roles they played in the private neurorehab industry.

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Julia B. Chan worked at The Center for Investigative Reporting until June, 2017. Julia B. Chan is a producer and the digital editor for Reveal's national public radio program. She’s the voice of Reveal online and manages the production and curation of digital story assets that are sent to more than 200 stations across the country. Previously, Chan helped The Center for Investigative Reporting launch YouTube’s first investigative news channel, The I Files, and led engagement strategies – online and off – for multimedia projects. She oversaw communications, worked to better connect CIR’s work with a bigger audience and developed creative content and collaborations to garner conversation and impact.

Before joining CIR, Chan worked as a Web editor and reporter at the San Francisco Examiner. She managed the newspaper’s digital strategy and orchestrated its first foray into social media and online engagement. A rare San Francisco native, she studied broadcasting at San Francisco State University, focusing on audio production and recording. Chan is based in Reveal's Emeryville, California, office.