North Texas

N. Texas Clinic Faulted for Unorthodox PTSD Treatment Declares Bankruptcy

A North Texas clinic that claimed to treat traumatized war veterans by spinning them around in a chair declared bankruptcy last week without repaying about $200,000 in taxpayer money demanded after a critical audit.

Cerebrum Health Centers had won a $2 million state contract championed by then-Gov. Rick Perry, a 2015 investigation by NBC 5 and The Dallas Morning News found.

The study focused on whether the unorthodox treatment, which included spinning patients in a high-tech chair called an Ovard, would cure post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.

Some big names, including talk show host Glenn Beck and former Navy Seals, swore by the clinic.

But experts consulted by NBC 5 and the News said there was no reason it would cure PTSD.

And an audit conducted after the stories was highly critical. It found the study did not meet scientific standards. The state demanded the clinic repay $278,000 in taxpayer money, which included billing twice for some of the same patients.

The state agreed to allow the clinic make monthly payments. About $200,000 remains unpaid.

The business, formerly known as Carrick Brain Centers, was originally located in Irving but later moved to Farmers Branch. The Texas Department of Health and Human Services approved the contract.

The clinic simply did not draw enough patients to stay in business, said David Campbell, the Dallas attorney handling its bankruptcy.

In its bankruptcy filing, Cerebrum listed several high-profile North Texans as among its investors, including former major-league baseball player Torii Hunter of Prosper, former Dallas Cowboy Darren Woodson, and Arthur Starrs, the president of Plano-based Pizza Hut.

Hunter said he invested a small amount to help the clinic get started after he sought treatment for a concussion and believed spinning in the chair helped cure his headaches.

He said he is not bitter about losing money.

“You plant seeds,” Hunter said. “When you plant seeds, some grow and some get choked and they die.”

Woodson and Starrs did not return calls and emails seeking comment. Neither did Perry and Beck.

“I hope that state agencies learn from this unfortunate episode that contracts must not be awarded to unproven companies to fund dubious programs,” said state Rep. Chris Turner, who asked for the audit.

Ken Beam, the owner of a shipping company near DFW International Airport, opened the clinic in 2013, also did not return a call seeking comment. The bankruptcy filing said Cerebrum also owed him money.

You can read more from The Dallas Morning News by clicking here.

Scott Gordon is a reporter at NBC 5. Sue Ambrose is a Dallas Morning News staff writer.

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