Monthly Archives: September 2010

More than a Quarter Million New York Dollars

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If, for some odd reason, you recently found yourself thinking bureaucracy couldn’t get any more dysfunctional, think again. Despite hard economic times, New York state officials entered into a contract that will funnel more than a quarter million hard-earned New York State tax dollars into a project even though they are fully aware that the implementation of the contract includes the widely discredited Timothy J. Feeney.

As the several thousand regular readers of this blog know, Feeney is the person who continues to tromp about claiming to be Timothy J. Feeney PhD or Dr. Timothy Feeney when he no more has a valid doctorate than Fred Flintstone does (apologies to Mr. Flintstone). Feeney doesn’t have a valid masters degree either.

Nonetheless, New York State decided to go ahead an enter into a contract with the Southern Tier Independence Center (STIC) in Binghamton which in turn will give Timmy a major role in the lives of brain injury survivors, their families and health care providers, all of who face enough challenges as it is, much less having to face the unwanted challenge of dealing with dishonest man who is part of a contract that with drain more a quarter million from state coffers.

While it is unclear (though we can guess) what went into the decision to funnel more than a quarter of a million dollars into a contract that empowers a fraud, there is one thing that clearly did not play a role in the decision; a sincere desire to provide the best services to people who live with brain injuries, their families, and the honorable providers that day in and day out try to provide the best services possible.

Responding to a Reader about Feeney’s Work

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A blog reader recently wrote in asking about the quality of Tim Feeney’s work with brain injury survivors. In short, not impressive. In fact, I consider Feeney nothing more than a clinical predator.

This writer and others have received numerous reports of assessments not being done by Feeney and his staff, assessments done in a haphazard fashion, and a seeming reluctance to put much of anything in writing.

One family set up a meeting with their attorney and their son who lives with a brain injury specifically so Feeney could attend. Not only did Feeney not attend, he didn’t even bother to call them. They set up a second meeting with the same result. Another example would be when Feeney spent 10 minutes with a man with a brain injury, claimed it was an assessment, and proclaimed the man unfit for the waiver.

This writer has heard Feeney refer to himself as ‘the angel of death” referencing his ability to close a waiver provider, stop admissions or refuse to allow a survivor on the waiver or, in some cases, toss a survivor off the waiver. Moreover, several providers, good providers, have talked about how Feeney and his group would place demands on providers that placed unnecessary economic strain on their pocketbooks while at the same time, did not translate into particularly effective care.

I can tell this reader, and others pondering the same question this person asked, that back when I first exposed Feeney’s false credentials I offered to sit down and talk with him about the situation, and offer he began to accept until I told him we needed to record the conversation so neither of us would have to worry about the other making false claims. As soon as he heard this, he declined to talk.

I would sit down with Feeney any time – in an open forum  – which allowed survivors, families, members of the media and others to attend and ask questions; give him a chance to explain why it is okay to go around the state, the country and, for that matter, the world, telling people in real need of help, people with brain injuries, children with autism and more, why it is okay for him to say he is Dr. Feeney or Tim Feeney PhD when he is neither.

A Tarnished STIC Brings Feeney Back

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The New York State Department of Health has signed a contract with the Southern Tier Independent Living Center (STIC) in Binghamton New York giving it the neurobehavioral project for the state’s traumatic brain injury waiver.  Even though STIC Executive Director Maria Dibble knows Timothy J. Feeney misrepresents his credentials to people with disabilities (including children!), the very people she, STIC, and Feeney claim to serve, the neurobehavioral project will once again be handed to Feeney.

While the contract still needs to go through a review by New York’s attorney general and comptroller for approval, sources say it is unlikely the contract will be voided.

Any advocate or advocacy group that does not openly voice its disapproval of Feeney’s presence in the mix, is, by default, part of the problem. It’s like claiming to be a civil rights organization and then keeping your mouth shut when people are being made to ride in the back of the bus. Any provider who allows Feeney anywhere near their program clearly doesn’t think much of the people they claim to serve.

What would be interesting would be to have a public debate between myself and Mr. Feeney (he’d have to find some backbone) at which he can explain why it is okay to mislead people with disabilities and lie about his credentials.

In the meantime, I am urging all advocates and interested parties to file complaints with the government fraud division of the State Comptroller and the state attorney general’s healthcare industry task force. There are other investigations under way now into Feeney that I cannot talk about.

You can also file your concerns and complaints with the Kahrmann Advocacy Coalition at kahrma1(insert at sign)gmail.com

No human being deserves to receive their healthcare services or have their healthcare services influenced by someone who misrepresents his credentials. Imagine your family members receiving care from a doctor and then you find out the doctor is not a doctor at all.

Feeney and those supporting him ought to be doubled up with guilt, but that’s not happening.  It’s hard to feel guilt when you don’t have a conscience.

Is Tim Feeney a Liar?

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A friend of mine recently wrote to me wanting a closer look at the details surrounding Timothy J. Feeney’s bogus claim in an email to my blog readers that he was awarded a legitimate masters degree and doctorate by  a now defunct diploma mill called Greenwich University. The short answer is, he wasn’t. However, let’s look at the facts.

Feeney’s unsolicited email to my blog readers says Greenwich “functioned as an unaccredited institution in the US, moved it’s physical location to Australia, received legal accreditation in Australia for a two year period – period of time that my doctorate was conferred – and then lost that accreditation and closed.”

First of all, Greenwich was never given legal accreditation by the government of Australia – never.

In fact, according to the Australian Federal Government’s Department of Education, Science and Training, “Between 30 June 1998 and 2 December 2002, Greenwich University (Norfolk Island) degrees were lawfully awarded under legislation approved by the Norfolk Island Government (not the Australian Government), using its powers of self-government. While the Commonwealth Minister for Territories assented to legislation, this does not mean that Greenwich University awards were ever recognized by the Federal Government of Australia.” In fact, in January 1999, Greenwich actually sought accreditation under the  Australian Qualifications Framework. The Australian government set up a review committee that, after review, ruled that Greenwich would “not be listed on the registers of the Australian Qualifications Framework because the standard of its courses, quality assurance mechanisms and its academic leadership fail to meet the standards expected of Australian universities.”

But, for the moment anyway, ‘let’s go back to Feeney’s claim that his “doctorate” (note that he omits reference to the “masters”) was awarded during the time Norfolk Island allowed Greenwich to issue degrees: June 30, 1998 to December 2, 2002.  However, there is a rather critical document that stands in the way of Feeney’s claim. In fact, it disproves it.  It is a document, I dare say, that Feeney himself would  a tough time arguing against, mostly because the document is his resume. His resume says he was awarded his “masters” in 1992 and his “doctorate” in 1996, six years and two years respectively before the time period Norfolk Island allowed Greenwich to award degrees.

And just so we leave no stone unturned, in a January 27, 2009 email to me written by Douglass  Capogrossi, the former president of Greenwich University no less, Mr. Capogrossi writes that Feeney received his “masters” from Greenwich on August 27, 1993 and his “doctorate” on June 14, 1999. So was Feeney lying in his resume when he claimed 1996 as the year he received his “doctorate”? Hmmm, lob pitch anyone?

Having said all this, here is the bottom line. Neither document awarded Feeney by Greenwich is recognized as a valid college degree anywhere in the world and, more importantly, anywhere in the United States, including my home state of New York. The dates he cited in his email to my blog readers were and are disingenuous.

So what does this all mean, other than Feeney continues to knowingly misrepresent his credentials. It means that any business, health care provider and  or government agency who knowingly does business with him has in some way decided it is okay for him to lie about his credentials and mislead survivors of brain injury, their families, children with disabilities, healthcare providers and more.

I would urge any and all to refuse to work with Feeney or any entity he is involved with until Feeney openly acknowledges his dishonesty.