Gov. Jerry Brown, seen in 2013.Beck Diefenbach/Associated Press Gov. Jerry Brown wants to add some firepower to the crackdown on fraud in California’s drug and alcohol rehabilitation program for the poor. The governor’s budget proposal for the next fiscal year, officially announced today, includes $2.2 million for 21 new positions to help health officials with […]
Christina Jewett
Reporter
Christina Jewett is a reporter for Reveal, covering labor and workplace issues with a focus on the workers' compensation system. With reporting partner Will Evans and CNN, she exposed widespread fraud and failed government oversight of California’s network of addiction treatment centers for the poor. The stories led to the defunding of more than 200 rehab clinics and changes in state law. The Emmy-nominated series won the 2013 broadcast award from Investigative Reporters and Editors. Jewett – as part of California Watch, a project of The Center for Investigative Reporting – won the 2011 George Polk Award for medical reporting with Lance Williams and Stephen K. Doig. The series exposed outsized rates of rare but lucrative medical conditions at a rapidly growing hospital chain and spurred a federal investigation. She was also a Livingston Award finalist in 2010. Previously, Jewett worked at ProPublica and The Sacramento Bee, where a story she broke about contracting malfeasance led to arrests and convictions. She and a colleague also chronicled jail abuse and medical mistreatment, spurring countywide policy reforms. Those stories were honored with awards from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the National Council on Crime and Delinquency. Jewett is based in Sacramento, California.
Calif. rehab clinics recruit group home residents to pad client lists
Los Angeles-area clinics bus in group home residents to fill client lists, regardless of whether they have addictions.
As rehab operators fight to reopen clinics, criminal pasts come to light
Steven Proshak was naked and furious when police arrived at his North Hollywood home. His girlfriend, who had called 911 for help, was slumped on the floor. Proshak yelled expletives at the officers. He told them to get “out of my house” and made obscene threats, court records say. A Los Angeles jury convicted Proshak […]
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Rehab clinics cut off for questionable billing still reaped federal funds
The offices of Goretti Health Services were in this building in Lawndale, Calif. The drug rehabilitation clinic’s Drug Medi-Cal contract was canceled in 2008, but it kept itself afloat with a second taxpayer-funded program, receiving 0,000 in federal Access to Recovery grants.Richard Hartog/For The Center for Investigative Reporting Days after a Los Angeles County inspector […]
L.A. County audit finds failures in oversight of drug rehab clinics
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors commissioned the report looking into taxpayer-funded drug rehab clinics. Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky offered the resolution calling for the audit.Alex J. Berliner/ABImages via AP Los Angeles County authorities have let problem drug rehabilitation providers run away with millions of dollars in public money and failed to follow through on […]
Director apologizes after lapses lead to Medi-Cal fraud at rehab clinics
Karen Johnson, chief deputy director of the Department of Health Care Services, and Director Toby Douglas testify at a state Assembly oversight hearing about fraud at rehab clinics.Will Evans/The Center for Investigative Reporting UPDATE, Sept. 26, 2013: This story updates to include new details from the hearing and the extent of suspected Medi-Cal fraud. The director […]
California lawmakers order audit of taxpayer-funded drug rehab program
Sen. Ted Lieu, a Los Angeles County Democrat, called for the Drug Medi-Cal audit along with Democratic Assemblyman Adam Gray, chairman of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee.Randy Allen/The Center for Investigative Reporting SACRAMENTO, Calif. – California lawmakers ordered an audit today to examine the extent of fraud in the state’s taxpayer-funded drug rehabilitation program and […]
Rehab fraud investigation prompts Assembly hearing, call for audit
Richard Pan (center), chairman of the Assembly Health Committee, said he will examine disclosures of fraud in taxpayer-funded drug rehabilitation a hearing in September.Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press UPDATE, Aug. 2, 2013: This story updates with additional clinic suspensions. A California lawmaker has scheduled a hearing to examine disclosures of significant fraud in taxpayer-funded drug rehabilitation by […]