Philadelphia doctor, 68, will retire after multiple families sued her, claiming she falsely accused them of abusing their children in chilling echo of Netflix documentary Take Care of Maya

A doctor in Philadelphia is set to retire at the end of the month after she was sued by multiple families over claims she falsely accused them of abusing their children.

Dr Debra Esernio-Jenssen, 68, worked as a pediatrician within the Lehigh Valley Health Network after joining in 2014.

But nearly 50 plaintiffs, mostly parents and their children, have launched a class action lawsuit over alleged child abuse misdiagnoses. 

Families have claimed that Esernio-Jenssen falsely accused them of abusing their children and regularly misdiagnosed cases of rare Munchausen syndrome by proxy.

This is a psychological condition where a person fakes or induces illness in a person under their care, such as their child.

Philadelphia doctor Debra Esernio-Jenssen is set to retire at the end of the month after she was sued by multiple families over claims she falsely accused them of abusing their children

The 68-year-old worked as a pediatrician within the Lehigh Valley Health Network after joining in 2014

The Lehigh Valley Health Network announced on Friday that Esernio-Jenssen has 'decided to retire from the organization effective March 31, 2024', according to The Morning Call. 

'As Dr. Jenssen steps into retirement, it’s a pivotal moment for us to embrace change, enhancing how the county protects our families and children,' Lehigh County Controller Mark Pinsley said. 

'This is an opportunity to innovate and strengthen our community’s health and safety protocols.' 

It comes after Esernio-Jenssen left her position as head of the Lehigh Valley Health Network's Child Advocacy Center in September. 

Parents’ Medical Rights Group, which was set up in the wake of the alleged wrongful claims of abuse, welcomed news of the doctor's retirement but said it would still work towards getting justice.

'While we are pleased to see movement towards making the community safer, allowing years of widespread harm to children and families is unacceptable,' it said in a statement. 

'PMRG will continue to pursue and support accountability in all areas that contributed to the irreparable damage. 

'We encourage all those in leadership roles to stop staying silent and to start using your voice, as these children and families did, to protect our community from ever having this widespread harm happen again. No More Silence.' 

A class action lawsuit was filed against Esernio-Jenssen and the Lehigh Valley Health Network in which she is accused of separating families and causing reputational harm.

Around 30 residents have appeared before the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners to speak about their experiences with the doctor.

It is a chilling echo of the Netflix documentary Take Care of Maya which detailed how Maya Kowalski (pictured) was ripped from her parents aged 10 when the hospital wrongly accused her mother of Munchausen-by-proxy syndrome

Maya (left) was 10-years-old when she was taken from her family after doctors mistakenly believed her parents were faking her symptoms. Her mother (center) killed herself due to the stress of the hospital's decision, a jury ruled 

Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St Petersburg, Florida, filed for a retrial, but had the motion rejected in the same ruling that saw the amount it is ordered to pay to Kowalski and her family reduced 

Families have protested outside Lehigh Valley Hospital against the alleged child abuse misdiagnoses and demanded for Esernio-Jenssen to be fired. 

Sisters Hazel and Willow Feeney told WLNE-TV they were removed from their family's custody in 2021 when they were 11 and 17.

'I was terrified,' Hazel said. While Willow added: 'My parents my whole life had done the best they could to take care of me and my sisters and there was no way that could ever possibly be true.'

The families accused of child abuse say they were never interviewed by Esernio-Jenssen before her Munchausen syndrome diagnosis.

'It impacted me mentally, physically, financially,' Stacy Feeney said after she was accused. 'You're afraid to go anywhere. To talk to family. There is nothing to say.'

Willow and Hazel's father Michael Kwiatkowski called for action to be taken against Esernio-Jenssen.

He said: 'We got to make sure there's no more families that get tortured by her.'

It is a chilling echo of the Netflix documentary Take Care of Maya which detailed how a 10-year old girl was ripped from her parents aged 10 when the hospital wrongly accused her mother of Munchausen-by-proxy syndrome.

Maya Kowalski was imprisoned by medics for months and in November a jury found the hospital's actions had driven Maya's mother to commit suicide in 2017. 

But after the family won their bombshell lawsuit against the hospital, Johns Hopkins filed a motion for a retrial - claiming the jury foreman's wife had tainted the trial by sharing 'inside information' to social media.

Judge Hunter Carroll rejected that motion but also ruled for Kowalski's staggering $261 million payout be slashed by $47.5 million. 

DailyMail.com has contacted the Lehigh Valley Health Network for comment.