What does it take to put a doctor in prison for what he did in the operating room?

In this powerful episode of AdvoKAYte: Holding Healthcare Accountable, host Kay Van Wey sits down with Michelle Shughart, the lead prosecutor in the infamous “Dr. Death” case — the criminal trial that sent neurosurgeon Christopher Duntsch to prison for life.

Michelle pulls back the curtain on how a case unlike anything the Dallas DA’s office had ever seen became a historic prosecution.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

1. Michelle’s path to the Dr. Death case

• From handling everyday felonies and white-collar crimes to taking on a serially harmful surgeon with a trail of devastated patients.

2. Why this was truly a criminal case

• How the team dug through medical records, patient stories, and surgeon testimony to prove that what happened in the OR was far beyond “complications.”

3. Inside the mind of Dr. Death

• The chilling “stone cold killer” email
• Wildly abnormal surgical “complications” that “just don’t happen”
• A surgeon who didn’t know what structure he was operating on — and still thought he was doing a great job
• How narcissism, possible sociopathy, and drugs collided in the worst way

4. The victims and the numbers

• How subpoenas revealed that almost every patient he touched was harmed — and why it’s a miracle he was stopped before building an even bigger practice.

5. The hospital records you never see

• How Michelle used criminal subpoenas to access peer review files and internal documents that called his work “terrible” and “inexcusable.”

6. The defense strategy

• Why no doctor took the stand to defend his care, and how the defense tried to shift blame to hospitals and training programs instead.

7. The turning point in court

• How Dr. Randall Kirby and Dr. Robert Henderson raised the alarm — and how Dr. Mark Lazar’s testimony finally forced Dr. Death to confront what he’d done.

8. Where the story goes from here

• Why Michelle, Kay, and the rest of the team still work together to push for systemic change so this never happens again.

About Our Guest – Michelle Shughart

1. Felony Chief at the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office
2. Lead prosecutor in the Dr. Death criminal case
3. Now in the Crimes Against Children unit, which she calls some of the most meaningful work she’s ever done
4. Mom of two young kids, fighting every day for the most vulnerable

About the Podcast

AdvoKAYte: Holding Healthcare Accountable, hosted by medical malpractice attorney Kay Van Wey, uses real cases like Dr. Death to expose how the system fails patients — and what must change to make healthcare safer.

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How did “Dr. Death” Christopher Duntsch keep getting hired by hospitals… even after maiming and killing patients?

In Episode 6 of AdvoKAYte: Holding Healthcare Accountable, medical malpractice attorney and host Kay Van Wey talks with Dr. Robert “Bob” Oshel, former senior leader at the National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB), about how a system designed to catch dangerous doctors failed to stop Dr. Death.

Using the Dr. Death case as a roadmap, Kay and Dr. Oshel break down:

1. How Duntsch was able to move from hospital to hospital despite catastrophic outcomes
2. How hospitals can quietly push out problem physicians without triggering NPDB reporting
3. The legal tricks (like 29-day suspensions) used to avoid filing reportable actions
4. Why only about half of U.S. hospitals have EVER reported a clinical privileges action
5. The stunning reality that 1.8% of doctors account for half of all malpractice payouts—yet most never face serious discipline
6. Why patients cannot access NPDB data on their own doctors
7. What would have to change—legally and politically—to prevent “the next Dr. Death”

You’ll also learn:

1. What the National Practitioner Data Bank is and why Congress created it
2. How hospitals, medical boards, and insurers are supposed to use it
3. Why weak enforcement, loopholes, and money incentives keep patients in the dark

This episode will change the way you think about hospital accountability, “bad apples,” and the illusion that “someone must be watching.”

About Our Guest – Dr. Robert Oshel

1. PhD in Government, specializing in public law and research methodology
2. Former director-level leader at the National Practitioner Data Bank, overseeing research and secretarial review of disputed reports
3. Longtime volunteer with Public Citizen’s Health Research Group, analyzing national malpractice and disciplinary data to expose patterns of danger and inaction

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New episodes weekly with Kay Van Wey, digging into real cases like Dr. Death and exposing how the system fails patients and how we can fight back.

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Tell us in the comments: Should the Dr. Death case have pushed Congress to make doctor discipline data public?

How do dangerous physicians slip through the cracks—and even thrive—in our healthcare system?

In Episode 5 of AdvoKAYte: Holding Healthcare Accountable, host Kay Van Wey talks with credentialing and peer review expert Anne Roberts, a 29-year industry veteran who has worked with hospitals nationwide to improve physician oversight, prevent patient harm, and strengthen safety culture.

Anne’s work spans nearly three decades across academic medical centers, rural hospitals, and major health systems. She trains physician leaders, oversees onboarding, evaluates competency, and investigates red flags long before a doctor ever touches a patient. After the Dr. Death case, Anne and Kay connected through a shared outrage—and a shared mission: no more preventable patient harm.

In this eye-opening conversation, Anne breaks down:

1. Credentialing 101: how hospitals are supposed to vet a doctor’s training, competence, and background
2. The red flags that should stop a physician from being hired
3. Why shortcuts happen—and how financial pressure leads to dangerous decisions
4. The truth about board certification and what it does (and doesn’t) mean
5. How recredentialing and continuous monitoring really work
6. The secret world of peer review—and why patients rarely get access to outcomes data
7. What patients can do to protect themselves when choosing a doctor
8. How business leaders sometimes override clinicians—and why that puts patients at risk

Anne also shares how she won the Icon Award for her leadership in reforming credentialing standards, and why she believes transparency, training, and better oversight are the only way forward.

If you’re a patient, a healthcare professional, or someone who wants to understand how the system failed in the Dr. Death case—and how to prevent the next one—this conversation is essential.

Listen to more episodes & access resources:

https://www.vanweylaw.com/advokayte-podcasts/

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What happens when a neurosurgeon is so dangerously unskilled that other surgeons question whether he’s even a real doctor?

In this episode of AdvoKAYte: Holding Healthcare Accountable, Kay Van Wey sits down with respected neurosurgeon Dr. Martin Lazar for one of the most candid conversations yet about Dr. Death, residency failures, and why the system meant to protect patients simply didn’t.

Dr. Lazar shares how he first heard the “hair-raising” stories about Christopher Duntsch, what he saw when he reviewed the cases, and why the complications weren’t just bad outcomes—they were profound negligence no trained neurosurgeon could ever justify. From wrong-level surgeries to damaged spinal cords and preventable deaths, he explains exactly where things went catastrophically wrong.

Kay and Dr. Lazar also dig into the bigger questions:

1. How did a neurosurgical residency graduate someone so dangerously unprepared?
2. Why did the Texas Medical Board fail to act for so long?
3. What forced the American Board of Neurological Surgery to change its rules?
4. And why hasn’t the rest of medicine followed?

This is a deeply personal, eye-opening episode about accountability, culture, and the urgent need to reform residency training and patient-safety systems. Dr. Lazar’s message is clear: there’s unfinished business—and lives depend on fixing it.

00:38 – Introducing Dr. Martin Lazar

02:00 – Dr. Lazar’s career and passion for neurosurgery

04:25 – How Dr. Lazar first heard about Christopher Duntsch

07:10 – Early warnings ignored by the Texas Medical Board

10:05 – Reviewing the cases: “Profound negligence” vs. bad outcomes

13:45 – Wrong-level surgeries, misdiagnoses, and catastrophic harm

17:00 – The cervical case where Duntsch reamed the spinal cord

19:40 – Anatomy mistakes no neurosurgeon should ever make

22:05 – Preventable patient death from a lacerated iliac artery

24:40 – The residency program: conflicts of interest & failed training

29:15 – How the Duntsch case forced neurosurgery to change its rules

32:50 – Why other specialties haven’t followed suit

35:30 – The broken National Practitioner Data Bank

38:00 – Why major reform needs patient-led pressure

41:10 – Media attention vs. real systemic change

43:00 – Dr. Lazar’s experience testifying at the criminal trial

46:30 – Why he’s still fighting for reform: “Unfinished business”

Listen to more AdvoKAYte episodes & resources:

https://www.vanweylaw.com/advokayte-podcasts/

If this conversation moved you, please like, subscribe, and share.

Every patient deserves a safe doctor—and informed patients help change the system.

Welcome back to AdvoKAYte: Holding Healthcare Accountable. In Part Two of this riveting episode, Kay Van Wey continues her conversation with Dr. Robert Henderson as he shares the aftermath of his decision to speak out about Dr. Christopher Duntsch.

Despite enormous resistance, Dr. Henderson persisted—filing reports, contacting medical boards, and ultimately helping bring a dangerous surgeon to justice. This episode dives into the consequences he faced for blowing the whistle, the failures of peer review systems, and the systemic flaws that allow unsafe physicians to continue practicing.

In This Episode (Part 2):

1. Why Dr. Henderson documented and reported his findings
2. The institutional pushback he received—and how he handled it
3. The failures of hospital and medical board oversight
4. The ongoing need for credentialing reform and accountability
5. A call to action for healthcare transparency and patient protection

Dr. Henderson’s story reminds us of the power of moral courage in a system that too often protects itself over its patients. His experience fuels the growing demand for reform in how we ensure safety in healthcare.

Subscribe for more episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@Vanweylaw Learn more about Kay’s work: https://www.vanweylaw.com/ Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms

Courage. Duty. Accountability.

Welcome back to AdvoKAYte: Holding Healthcare Accountable. In this powerful episode, Kay Van Wey sits down with Dr. Robert Henderson—the spine surgeon who took a stand and helped expose one of the most shocking medical scandals in modern history: the Dr. Death case.

Dr. Henderson shares his firsthand account of how he became involved in the case of Christopher Duntsch, what he discovered during the revision surgery that changed everything, and the moment he realized he had a duty to speak up—no matter the cost.

Despite immense pressure, personal risk, and a system designed to protect physicians over patients, Dr. Henderson chose truth and transparency. His courage not only protected future patients, but helped ignite a national conversation about medical oversight, credentialing failures, and the urgent need for reform.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. How Dr. Henderson became involved in the Duntsch case
2. What he uncovered during the revision surgery—and why it was alarming
3. Why he documented and reported his findings, despite resistance
4. The personal and professional risks of speaking out against another physician
5. The failures of hospital peer review and medical board oversight
6. The continued need for reform in credentialing and accountability

Dr. Henderson’s story is a reminder of the power of moral courage and the responsibility of medical professionals to protect patients—even when the system won’t.

Subscribe for more episodes: https://www.youtube.com/@Vanweylaw
Learn more about Kay’s work: https://www.vanweylaw.com/
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms

Together, we can demand better, safer care. Because patient safety starts with accountability.

#AdvoKAYte #KayVanWey #PatientSafety #DrDeath #HealthcareReform #Whistleblower #MedicalMalpractice #DrRobertHenderson #HealthcareAccountability

Why This Podcast? Why Now?

Welcome to the very first episode of AdvoKAYte: Holding Healthcare Accountable! Hosted by nationally recognized medical malpractice attorney Kay Van Wey, this podcast is dedicated to empowering patients, families, and caregivers to navigate today’s complex healthcare system.

In this episode, Kay shares her personal journey—from her small-town roots to becoming a leading advocate for patient safety. Best known for her role in the infamous Dr. Death case, Kay opens up about why she’s spent over 40 years fighting for justice and why this podcast is her next step in making healthcare safer for everyone.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

1. Why Kay became a lawyer and how her passion for justice began.
2. The challenges of medical malpractice law and the systemic issues that harm patients.
3. Why AdvoKAYte exists and what you can expect in upcoming episodes.

Kay’s mission is clear: to expose the cover-ups, profit games, and preventable errors that put all of us at risk—and to empower YOU to protect yourself and your loved ones.

Subscribe for more episodes: [https://www.youtube.com/@Vanweylaw]
Learn more about Kay’s work: https://www.vanweylaw.com/
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more!

Together, we can demand better, safer care. Because every patient matters, and every story matters.

#AdvoKAYte #KayVanWey #PatientSafety #HealthcareAccountability #DrDeath #MedicalMalpractice