Meadowlands hospital neuroscientist fired over controversial autism treatment

[Guest guest]

http://blog.nj.com/ledgerupdates_impact/print.html?entry=/2012/01/meadowlands_ho\

spital_neuroscie.html

Published: Tuesday, January 10, 2012, 7:30 AM

By K. Livio/Statehouse Bureau

Mills/The Star-LedgerPhilip DeFina, the former director of the

Neuroscience Center at the Meadowlands Hospital is shown in this file photo.

DeFina was recently fired over questions about his treatments of autism.

SECAUCUS — The neuroscientist who would have overseen a controversial therapy

for children with autism has been fired by Meadowlands Hospital Medical Center

in Secaucus and, in a separate action, his nomination to a state commission on

brain research has been delayed.

Philip DeFina was part of an ambitious plan by Meadowlands to offer hyperbaric

oxygen therapy to children diagnosed with autism. The therapy, typically used to

treat burns and other wounds by energizing dying tissue, required approval from

the state Department of Health and Senior Services. Meadowlands would have been

the first hospital in the state to offer the experimental treatment.

But the application ran into strong opposition, and questions were raised in a

Nov. 27 Star-Ledger article in which traditional medical and psychological

experts said the treatment offers families false hope while draining bank

accounts because the experimental therapy is not covered by insurance. Some

families say it has helped their children, and argued that if a method is safe

and seems to be effective, it should be given a chance even if it hasn't been

thoroughly vetted through research.

The article also described DeFina's doctorate in clinical psychology from

Fielding Graduate University. The school, a mainly online university with

monthly in-person sessions, is the only one to receive national accreditation

from the American Psychological Association. DeFina's experimental treatments

with neurologist Fellus for coma and brain injury have fetched as much

as $100,000 from the families of patients who have not improved using

traditional means. Fellus remains at Meadowlands.

Meadowlands withdrew the application to treat autism using hyperbarics on Nov.

30. Without elaborating, hospital spokesman Bill Maer confirmed last week that

DeFina was terminated Dec. 2.DeFina was vice president for rehabilitation at

Meadowlands and the scientific adviser for its Rehabilitation Institute and

Neuroscience Center.

RELATED COVERAGE:

• Questions, risks surround hyperbaric chamber treatments for autistic children

• Meadowlands Hospital Medical Center pulls out of request to use controversial

autism treatment

DeFina's troubles continued last week when a state Senate panel poised to vote

on his nomination to the New Jersey Commission for Brain Injury Research was

delayed by its chairman, as well as Gov. Christie's administration, which

tapped him for the unpaid post. DeFina said he was unaware his nomination to the

commission was put on hold.

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Scutari said he delayed the vote on

DeFina's nomination to the brain injury research commissioner last week because

he was " concerned about the information in the article. I want to delve into it

more. "

Scutari said a Christie official requested the nomination be pulled from the

agenda. The governor's office did not return a call or an e-mail seeking

comment.

The commission reviews and funds research funded by a $1 surcharge on motor

vehicle offenses.

Sen. ph Vitale (D-Middlesex), vice chairman of the Senate Health, Human

Services and Senior Services Committee, said he had no knowledge of DeFina's

dismissal. But he questioned why the administration asked to table its own

appointment. " Who nominated him, and why? " Vitale said.

Meadowlands needed a license from the state Department of Health and Senior

Services to use two hyperbaric chambers it bought last year, and would have

needed state permission to use it to treat autism, a use not approved by the

U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

In rescinding its application to treat autism, Meadowlands " felt that it was

more appropriate to focus on receiving approval for hyperbaric chambers for the

use as part of the creation of a wound care center, " Maer said, noting its

service area " has one of the highest prevalence of diabetes and peripheral

vascular disease in New Jersey. "

© 2012 NJ.com. All rights reserved.