Lehigh Valley Health Network physician accused of falsely diagnosing ‘medical child abuse’ retires
Parents in Lehigh Valley accused Debra Esernio-Jenssen of diagnosing them with a rare condition of abusing children through fake medical diagnoses. Esernio-Jenssen will retire March 31.
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A Lehigh Valley Health Network physician who has been accused by parents of misdiagnosing them with ‘”medical child abuse” will retire at the end of the month, the health system said.
Debra Esernio-Jenssen is being sued for allegedly mistaking complex medical issues for abuse by parents, leading some to lose custody.
Esernio-Jenssen diagnosed parents with a rare condition called Munchausen syndrome by proxy. The condition can cause a parent to lie or falsify medical information — or even harm a child — to make a child seem sick. Children subjected to this form of “medical child abuse” unnecessarily undergo procedures or take medications.
Munchausen syndrome by proxy has been the subject of multiple high-profile cases, including an over $200 million verdict against Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in Florida that was popularized by the Netflix documentary Take Care of Maya.
» READ MORE: Parents in Lehigh Valley say a local doctor falsely diagnosed them of ‘medical child abuse’
Esernio-Jenssen was the medical director of the health network’s child advocacy center, which investigates cases of suspected abuse.
Kim Steltz, an Leigh County mother, temporarily lost custody of her two children after Esernio-Jenssen falsely diagnosed her and her husband with the rare condition. The case unfolded over more than a year and the couple eventually regained custody of their kids.
Steltz founded Parents’ Medical Rights Group, an advocacy nonprofit that has been pressuring authorities to investigate Esernio-Jenssen.
In August, Lehigh County controller Mark Pinsely issued a report documenting the disproportionate rate of “medical child abuse” diagnoses at the Lehigh Valley. Northeast Pennsylvania accounted for 40% of the Munchausen syndrome by proxy diagnoses in Pennsylvania between 2017 and 2021, despite having only 11% of state’s children.
The health network replaced Esernio-Jenssen at the helm of the child advocacy center in September, following months of complaints and the Lehigh County controller’s report.
Esernio-Jenssen is facing multiple civil lawsuits brought by parents she diagnosed with “medical child abuse.”
Lehigh Valley Health Network declined to comment on the retirement, but said in a statement that diagnosing medical abuse cases can be difficult.
“Early recognition of abuse can be lifesaving and our clinicians remain committed to caring for and protecting the children in our community,” said Brian Downs, a spokesperson for LVHN.
Esernio-Jenssen’s last day will be March 31.