The Preventionist

An official in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley made a troubling discovery about the county’s Office of Youth Services. Workers were taking action against a large number of families based on the diagnosis of a hospital specialist…diagnoses that were frequently proven wrong. He argued money was wasted and lives were destroyed by an overabundance of caution from one doctor. Dr. Debra Jenssen made a career in multiple states finding signs of abuse others hadn’t found, and strong-arming authorities to take action against unsuspecting caretakers. Parents, social workers - and even judges - claimed the specialist too often misdiagnosed illness or accident as trauma, rejected contrary evidence, and upended families in a misguided effort to protect children. The podcast “The Preventionist” from Serial Productions and The New York Times explores the rise of a powerful new field in medicine and the consequences of its “better safe than sorry” application by one doctor. Host Dyan Neary also highlights the story of a family trying to piece itself together after authorities took action on a questionable diagnosis of child abuse.OUR SPOILER-FREE REVIEWS OF "THE PREVENTIONIST" BEGIN IN THE FINAL 10 MINUTES OF THE EPISODE. For exclusive podcasts and more, sign up at Patreon.Sign up for our newsletter at crimewriterson.com.This show was recorded in The Caitlin Rogers Project Studio. Click to find out more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.