State health regulators are moving to revoke the license of a well-known Pasadena drug rehabilitation center made famous by the reality television show “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew.”
The Department of Health Care Services temporarily suspended the Pasadena Recovery Center’s license in June after investigating the death of a client and a series of other violations. The agency now is seeking a permanent revocation to protect the clients of the program, according to records filed with the Office of Administrative Hearings. PRC is now operating as a sober living facility, which does not require a license from the state.
Last year, an unnamed client died after being admitted to the recovery program. State investigators determined the client did not undergo detoxification even though the staff had evidence that he or she was under the influence. DHCS also alleges the recovery center’s employees failed to check up on the client every half-hour and did not follow a physician’s orders related to that client.
While the state does not track the numbers of deaths in detox in California, DHCS completed 84 death investigations from 2012 to 2017 at nonmedical rehabs such as PRC, according to an investigation by the Southern California News Group. These types of facilities are not staffed by doctors and do not have stringent medical requirements.
DHCS would not release specific details about the death and heavily redacted its investigative reports. The reports, however, indicate investigators cited the facility again in May for admitting more clients who had used alcohol or drugs within 24 hours and failing to properly monitor detoxing clients. In other violations, PRC allegedly did not offer enough counseling sessions, did not properly test for tuberculosis and was missing files.
An on-site visit uncovered broken dressers, a cracked toilet and mold in the women’s showers. The company also was dinged for advertising itself as a 98-bed facility on its website and in its mission statement when it is licensed for only 88, according to DHCS. The website has since been changed to reflect the lower count.
In a statement, attorney Alison Triessl, who co-founded PRC with her brother and father, said the company is working with DHCS to resolve the matter.
“Pasadena Recovery Center has been operating continuously for nearly two decades and, during that time, it has served thousands of patients in need,” she wrote in an email. “It was recently notified by the Department of Health Care Services of certain alleged deficiencies. We are participating in settlement negotiations with the department and hope to have the matter resolved in the near future.”
PRC allegedly continued to provide detox to clients for more than a week after the suspension on June 8, according to a former client who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of retaliation fears. The clients learned of the suspension in late June and were suddenly discharged.
“We were living in a bubble,” the former client said. “Everybody was shocked.”
PRC has refused to release the individual’s medical records or list of medications, the client said.
The Pasadena Recovery Center’s Yelp page is a mix of five-star and one-star ratings. Some thanked the company for helping them find sobriety, while others accused the ownership of negligence, dirty facilities and questionable billings.
The rehabilitation center is just one of many in Southern California, an area sometimes referred to as “Rehab Riviera.” A months-long investigation into the region’s drug treatment industry by this news group found some centers have exploited lax oversight in California to cash in and likely would not be able to operate in other states.
The Raymond Avenue facility served as the setting for Dr. Drew Pinksy’s “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew” on VH1 from 2008 to 2012. For five seasons, the show featured an assortment of celebrities seeking help with their addictions. Pinsky, an addiction specialist, hosted and oversaw the celebrities’ treatment. Participants over the years included professional wrestler and bodybuilder Joanie “Chyna” Laurer; former Guns N’ Roses drummer Steven Adler; Rodney King; actor Tom Sizemore; and former NBA star Dennis Rodman.
In a 2013 interview, Pinsky said he stopped doing the show because he was tired of getting blamed when a celebrity from the program died, according to Today.
“It’s sad that we’re not doing more shows because people did get help,” Pinsky said at the time. “A lot of people are sober because of ‘Celebrity Rehab’ who wouldn’t have been sober without it.”
At least five of the celebrity patients died after leaving the show, though not all of the deaths were attributed to their addictions.