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