Serial The Preventionist - Ep. 2
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Oct 30, 2025 Explore the rise of Dr. Deborah Jensen and her controversial role in child medicine. Discover how her findings ignited debates and led to family separations. Delve into the impact of the Elisa Isquierdo case on child welfare practices. Hear about the critical lawsuits against Jensen and the formation of child abuse pediatrics as a subspecialty. Listen to caseworkers challenge her diagnoses, revealing a power imbalance in child welfare. Uncover the evolving uncertainties in diagnosing child abuse amidst a backdrop of intense scrutiny and ethical dilemmas.
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Early Career Battles In New York
- Dr. Jensen rose from a general pediatrician to a child abuse specialist who reviewed over 100 New York cases.
- Multiple families sued her alleging misdiagnoses and unnecessary removals, and judges criticized her testimony.
Creation Of The CAP Subspecialty
- The American Board of Pediatrics created the child abuse pediatrician (CAP) subspecialty to centralize expertise.
- CAP certification elevated certain doctors to singular medical authority in abuse determinations.
Jesse Santiago’s Family Torn Apart
- Jesse Santiago's four-month-old required emergency neurosurgery for brain fluid and then faced an abuse diagnosis from Dr. Jensen.
- His son and daughter were removed, he was jailed for 14 months, and later charges were dropped.