Rehabilitation

The rehabilitation of the Old Towson Jail into an office building was honored by the Maryland Historical Trust last week as part of the organization's 2012 Maryland Preservation Awards The rehabilitation of the historic jail, now known as Bosley Hall, was cited as, "an outstanding example of a public/private partnership undertaken by the Baltimore County government. " The trust gave the project its award under Preservation Partnerships, and noted the collaboration of Baltimore County government; developer Towson Jail Associates, which was created for the rehabilitation project; Azola & Associates Inc.; and others for the project.

The young boys involved in the shooting death of Monae Turnage, whose body they hid under trash bags in an East Baltimore alley, were sentenced in juvenile court Wednesday. The 13-year-old who said he pulled the trigger will be committed indefinitely to a treatment facility; the 12-year-old who helped him move the body will be monitored by the Department of Juvenile Services while living with a relative in Harford County. But the family of Monae — the bubbly 13-year-old who wanted to be a pediatrician — sat outside the downtown Juvenile Justice Center after the hearing, stunned at the outcome.

AFTER reading Marina Sarris' "State is probing Thanos' early release from prison" (Evening Sun, Sept. 19), I realized once again how people are casting a short-sighted view on a very serious problem.John Thanos spent about 25 years in prison, over half of his life, and when he gets released, he is accused of going on a spree of senseless crimes. Like most people, I, too, have a problem with a deranged individual running around committing senseless murders. However, in my mind the question isn't why Thanos wasn't incarcerated a few extra months.

The rehabilitation of the Old Towson Jail into an office building was honored by the Maryland Historical Trust last week as part of the organization's 2012 Maryland Preservation Awards The rehabilitation of the historic jail, now known as Bosley Hall, was cited as, "an outstanding example of a public/private partnership undertaken by the Baltimore County government. " The trust gave the project its award under Preservation Partnerships, and noted the collaboration of Baltimore County government; developer Towson Jail Associates, which was created for the rehabilitation project; Azola & Associates Inc.; and others for the project.

EDWARD T. NORRIS, former Maryland state police superintendent and former Baltimore City police commissioner, was convicted last year of stealing public funds and of filing false tax returns. He was sentenced to and has recently completed serving six months in a federal prison and has returned to Baltimore to begin a court-ordered 500 hours of community service. Mr. Norris' community service obligation is being made a mockery as he has been elevated to the status of a local "personality" by a Baltimore radio station, intent on capitalizing on his notoriety.

Integrated Health Services Inc. said yesterday it has purchased a private Minnesota rehabilitation company and would use it to expand rehabilitation services in its own chain of nursing homes.The Owings Mills company bought Achievement Rehabilitation Inc. of Minnetonka, Minn., for $22.5 million in Integrated Health Services stock, said Marc Levin, senior vice president. He said Achievement Rehabilitation's owners and managers will run a new division that will manage Integrated Health's rehabilitation business.

Elizabeth Hickman Anderson, a retired psychiatric hospital rehabilitation director and Morgan State University benefactor, died May 24 of heart failure at her Cross Keys home. She was 88. Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Elizabeth Hickman Williams earned her bachelor's degree from Hunter College in 1942. For many years until retiring and moving to Baltimore in the early 1970s, Mrs. Anderson had been the director of rehabilitation at Creedmore Psychiatric Center in Queens, N.Y. She had also been president of the National Rehabilitation Association in Washington.

Thomas Eugene Fowlkes, who as a RETURN program coordinator at Sinai Hospital worked tirelessly to help people with brain injuries regain their independence and ability to work, died May 12 of AIDS at his Jessup residence. He was 40.Mr. Fowlkes joined the staff of RETURN, which was established at the Northwest Baltimore hospital in 1986, in 1990 as a facilitator and created the Community Reentry II program, which prepared patients to return to their homes and jobs."He had an enormous amount of patience and empathy, and could help people manage their grief and get them over the rough spots," said Fran Forstenzer, RETURN program manager.

WHEN Congress reconvenes on Jan. 25, it has a chance to do something meaningful about violent crime.The crime bill the Senate passed before the holiday recess is a start; it would provide $22.3 billion over five years for a broad range of anticrime activities, including building new prisons and hiring more police officers.Something else needs to be part of any serious approach to crime, but hardly anyone is willing to advocate it because it is unpopular to appear concerned about convicts.

Washington Bullets forward Juwan Howard entered a plea of not guilty in D.C. Superior Court yesterday to the charge of driving under the influence last month, but in doing so also agreed to attend a 26-class alcohol rehabilitation and education program.If Howard completes the court-monitored course, the drunk driving charges will be dropped. The case was continued, with another hearing scheduled for Feb. 24 and, according to D.C. Corporation counsel Charles Ruff, Howard has until that date to complete the course unless he asks for an extension.

100 Years Ago Lime Green An advertisement in the Times: "Stone lime, oyster shell lime, hydrated lime, ground lime, ground lime stone, rail or water shipments: Robert S. Green, 853 Frederick Ave. Baltimore, Md. " Another ad: "THE NEAL SANATORIUM treats alcoholic cases and drug habitués with better results and in less time than any other institution in existence. For proof and information call The Neal Institute Oakland Ave and York Road 206 Courtland St. Telephone, Tuxedo or St. Paul 2564, Baltimore, MD. " 75 Years Ago Thrown throne In the Times national news section: "Americans in England: Renewed excitement has been aroused in the British isles by the discovery that yet another member of the royal family - this time it's the young duke of Kent - not only shows a regrettable tendency to enjoy himself as any normal natural, healthy youngster might, but, what is even more distressing, has lately been seen in the company of an American woman.

Fort Howard should be a place for military veterans to heal — not the site of new residential and retail development, residents of nearby communities said Tuesday. About 200 people turned out for a community meeting at the North Point-Edgemere Volunteer Fire Hall, and most opposed Fort Howard Development LLC's plans to build a 1,473-unit development on the waterfront site. Many said they wanted the site to be used for a long-term medical facility and housing for veterans only.

In recent years, skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers across the nation have endured billions of dollars in cuts for the care of elder and disabled beneficiaries of Medicare. Here in Maryland, in three of the past five years, payments for the care of Marylanders most in need were cut more than $180 million. Through outstanding public/private partnership, only recently have these cuts been reduced. However, possible additional state cuts loom on the horizon. Now Congress is looking at ways to potentially make additional cuts to Medicare and Medicaid through the Super Committee and by other means.

The federal government has filed a lawsuit against Kernan Hospital seeking $8.1 million because of what is says was improper billing to the Medicare and Medicaid system. The lawsuit filed by the Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Defense accuses the rehabilitation hospital in Baltimore of falsely manipulating its computerized billing system so that it looked like patients had a severe form of malnutrition called kwashiorkor. Hospitals are compensated more for a patient who has a more severe and complex diagnosis.

Et cetera Nats' Strasburg nearing his first rehabilitation start Nearing his full return from Tommy John elbow reconstruction and the end of his stay in Viera, Fla., Stephen Strasburg could make his first minor league rehabilitation start within a week to 10 days, Washington Nationals manager Davey Johnson said. Strasburg's start would come in a home game for Single-A Hagerstown or Single-A Potomac, most likely Hagerstown. Hagerstown will be at home Sunday and Monday before leaving on a road trip, and Potomac will begin a seven-day homestand Monday.

Daniel Brannon fought back tears as he spoke of going from childhood addiction to recovery in his 40s. He recounted those along the way who never gave up on him through countless stints of rehabilitation, homelessness, imprisonment and failed attempts at sobriety. Now sober for nearly five years, Brannon, 48, graduated from Anne Arundel Community College in May with an associate's degree in applied science focused on addiction counseling; he now works at a treatment center. Brannon's triumphs have made him a finalist for the Pearson Prize for Higher Education, a national award honoring college students who serve their communities.

Opherral Persaud gingerly dug plastic pins from a lump of lime-green clay. As the 60-year-old Columbia resident discovered each new pin, she strengthened her fingers and hands.Last October, the great-grandmother of two was hit by a vehicle in Philadelphia that crushed both her ankles and left her with four broken ribs and a blood clot in the base of her brain."I couldn't shampoo my hair, I couldn't get out my own front door," said Ms. Persaud, a lively woman who uses a walker and wheelchair to get around.

A popped ACL starts the athlete on a rough road back to competition. And surgery, athletes will tell you, is not the most difficult part.What's hard begins during several weeks of physical therapy before surgery, simply to prepare the leg for the operation. Plus, you're on crutches to help cope with a bulky, stabilizing brace.The operation itself takes only about two hours in normal cases, after which you go home. Then, the going gets tough -- both physically and mentally.Rehabilitation requires as long as six months, and sometimes more.

As he lay in the gully, unable to get up or scream loud enough to attract help, Matt Courson asked God for a deal. "My whole life, I haven't lived up to my fullest potential," he remembers praying as he watched the moon slowly traverse the Arkansas sky. "From now on, if I get out of here, I'll be the best person I can be. " Just after the sun crept above the horizon on that April morning, a fireman came across Courson and his wrecked all-terrain vehicle....

Community meetings don't usually attract the disinterested or curious. The average person has a busy enough schedule, so such events tend to be packed with vocal opponents of whatever is being proposed. At least that's the kindest explanation available to excuse the recent outbreak of community-based hysteria involving Sheppard Pratt Medical Systems' proposal to turn a Ruxton mansion in an upscale rehabilitation facility to help those under treatment for mental illness make a transition back to living at home.