SUB-HEADING: :="Advocating for Reform and the Lehigh Valley Parents' Case."
GIST: The recent multimillion-dollar judgment against Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in Florida has sparked a growing outcry among parents in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania.
These parents, like Maya Kowalski's family, have also experienced the traumatic separation from their children due to allegations of Munchausen syndrome by proxy (MSBP) made by staff at Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN).
This article delves into the case, highlighting the role of child abuse pediatrician Debra Esernio-Jenssen, MD, and the need for reform in child abuse protocols.
Dr. Debra Esernio-Jenssen was hired by LVHN 2014 as a child abuse pediatrician. She introduced a screening protocol called "Every child, every time" and was crucial in establishing LVHN's John Van Brakle Child Advocacy Center (CAC) in 2015.
The CAC received significant grant funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services but has yet to receive full National Children's Alliance accreditation.
Since 2021, Jenssen's team has medically evaluated almost every child abuse report in Lehigh and Northampton counties, leading to numerous separations of children from their families.
Concerns about Jenssen's professional record and a higher rate of MSBP diagnoses in the region prompted Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley to investigate the situation.
His findings revealed a need for changes in child abuse protocols to prevent harm to innocent families and ensure the proper allocation of resources.
The Lehigh Valley Parents' Case:
In June 2022, a family temporarily separated from their children during CAC evaluations contacted a local paper, which published an investigative series on the accusations.
This prompted other families accused of MSBP to come forward and form the Parents' Medical Rights Group (PMRG).
They shared their experiences of unjust family separations and pointed to Jenssen as a central figure in their cases.
Controller Pinsley recommended several changes, including seeking a second opinion from a medical specialist outside LVHN before removing a child from their home and bringing in a third party to assess Office of Children and Youth Services (OCYS) processes.
LVHN initially supported Jenssen but later reassigned her to a different role within the organization.
The Lehigh County Department of Human Services committee meetings to discuss potential changes were initially scheduled.
Still, they were later canceled due to the possibility of lawsuits against LVHN and the county.
The PMRG continues to advocate for reform and corrective actions to prevent false allegations of child abuse.
They argue that delaying these actions only leads to more families being harmed.
The Lehigh Valley parents' case has shed light on the need for a comprehensive review of child abuse protocols and the importance of ensuring the health and safety of children while protecting innocent families.
The growing outcry over the Pennsylvania Child Abuse Pediatrics Program and the Lehigh Valley parents' case highlights the urgent need for reform.
Advocates are calling for changes in child abuse protocols to prevent unjust family separations and ensure a fair and thorough evaluation process.
As the discussion continues, it is crucial to prioritize the well-being of children while protecting the rights of parents and families involved in child abuse investigations."
The entire story can be read at:
https://original.newsbreak.com/@adam-tabriz-1587406/3240382490514-outcry-grows-over-pennsylvania-child-abuse-pediatrics-program
PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue/resource. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic" section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith. Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at: http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com. Harold Levy: Publisher: The Charles Smith Blog;
SEE BREAKDOWN OF SOME OF THE ON-GOING INTERNATIONAL CASES (OUTSIDE OF THE CONTINENTAL USA) THAT I AM FOLLOWING ON THIS BLOG, AT THE LINK BELOW: HL
https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/120008354894645705/47049136857587929
FINAL WORD: (Applicable to all of our wrongful conviction cases): "Whenever there is a wrongful conviction, it exposes errors in our criminal legal system, and we hope that this case — and lessons from it — can prevent future injustices.
Lawyer Radha Natarajan;
Executive Director: New England Innocence Project;
—————————————————————————————————
FINAL, FINAL WORD: "Since its inception, the Innocence Project has pushed the criminal legal system to confront and correct the laws and policies that cause and contribute to wrongful convictions. They never shied away from the hard cases — the ones involving eyewitness identifications, confessions, and bite marks. Instead, in the course of presenting scientific evidence of innocence, they've exposed the unreliability of evidence that was, for centuries, deemed untouchable." So true!
Christina Swarns: Executive Director: The Innocence Project;
------------------------------------------------------------------
YET ANOTHER FINAL WORD:
David Hammond, one of Broadwater’s attorneys who sought his exoneration, told the Syracuse Post-Standard, “Sprinkle some junk science onto a faulty identification, and it’s the perfect recipe for a wrongful conviction.
https://deadline.com/2021/11/alice-sebold-lucky-rape-conviction-overturned-anthony-broadwater-123488014\
