The Preventionist

About The Preventionist

In the summer of 2023, reporter Dyan Neary received a tip about a problematic doctor in Pennsylvania. Families were claiming that when they sought medical care for their children, this pediatrician falsely accused them of abuse, and their children were taken away from them. The Preventionist traces this doctor’s decades-long career across multiple states, and explores the rise of a new and powerful kind of specialist, the “child abuse pediatrician” — whose decisions can be incredibly difficult to challenge.

Publisher

Serial Productions & The New York Times

Category

news · true crime

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

14 Oct 2025

Latest episode

30 Oct 2025

Latest episodes

3 of 4 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   30 Oct 2025TRANSCRIPT

   Episode 3: Better Safe Than Sorry

   What’s the harm of “better safe than sorry” in cases where abuse is ambiguous? One mother’s story is our answer to that question.

2. 

   30 Oct 2025TRANSCRIPT

   Episode 2: The CAP Will See You Now

   One pediatrician’s path to Pennsylvania, and the rise of a powerful new field in child medicine.

3. 

   30 Oct 2025TRANSCRIPT

   Episode 1: Creative Financing

   The story of how this extraordinary situation in the Lehigh Valley came to light — because it almost didn’t.

4. 

   14 Oct 2025

   Trailer

   In the summer of 2023, reporter Dyan Neary received a tip about a problematic doctor in Pennsylvania. Families were claiming that when they sought medical care for their children, this pediatrician falsely accused them of abuse, and their children were taken away from them. The Preventionist traces this doctor’s decades-long career across multiple states, and explores the rise of a new and powerful kind of specialist, the “child abuse pediatrician” — whose decisions can be incredibly difficult to challenge. Eligible Times subscribers can listen to the show right now on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. So head there to subscribe, or listen anywhere October 30.

Inside a recent episode

Episode 3: Better Safe Than Sorry

Published 30 Oct 2025 · Transcript excerpt

[…] There are water bucket pranks, and marshmallow fights. As she plays the videos, Amanda is not just smiling. She laughs with her whole body, throws her head back, holds her stomach. It's notable because it's the first time I've seen her laugh like this, bulls in the video, and next to me in real life. […]

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

3.2 / 5

707 ratings

Spotify

4.1 / 5

79 ratings

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