Blind Eye: How the Medical Establishment Let a Doctor Get Away with Murder

by James B. Stewart, James B. Stewrt, Stewart

Book Overview

A medical thriller from Pulitzer Prize-winning author James B. Stewart about serial killer doctor Michael Swango and the medical community that chose to turn a blind eye on his criminal activities.No... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0684854848
• ISBN13: 9780684854847
• Release Date: August 1999
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.34 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.4" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

Well written and thorough

Well written and extremely thorough, both in suspected crimes and in relevant personal life. A bit of a frustrating read, but only because he should’ve been caught way sooner. Recommend!

Gives Certain Groups Well Deserved Thrashing

If this were a novel I would probably not have finished it, if I had I would have dismissed it with one star and as much sarcasm about an incompetent author I could think of. The horror is that this book documents a serial killer who killed his victims in hospitals around The United States and overseas. He killed these people, many who were his own patients, and others because they were convenient. He killed because it allowed him to act out his fantasies and because he enjoyed committing murder. And at least part of his thrill was that he knew that the system of which he was a part would go out of its way to rationalize or knowingly deny the truth. And it was this mentality that lead him from state to state killing as he went.This book is so disturbing because of the scope and the number of parties who allowed this killer to continue to kill. If these crimes had been committed in one hospital a finger could be pointed and those responsible punished. But he worked his way through Illinois, Ohio State University Hospitals, South Dakota, New York, Zimbabwe, and finally back to the US when he was arrested. He was not arrested for murder, and at the time he was caught he was passing through to his next job in Saudi Arabia.The string of events and the years they occupy will leave you shaking your head. This man poisoned 6 coworkers and was sent to prison, this little event did not even slow him down when pursuing his next hospital post. You will even read of at least one member of the medical community that said even with this conviction they would still hire this man. And the truth is many more than one employer did. And many of those who could have stopped this person very early on remain in their professions today, and many of them hold positions of much greater authority.How can this happen? The observations of nurses need to be dismissed along with victims who survived this serial killer together with roommates that witnessed his actions. Those in the hospital administration need to refuse to cooperate with investigators, and they must put their potential liability ahead of the bodies this man left in his wake. The process is simple; discredit anyone who may have something damaging to say, whine about how hard it is to prove a murder when effected by a doctor, and then write endorsements and recommendations of the killer that will not raise an eyebrow with the next employer. The goal is to push the guy out of your hospital without the killer or his victims suing, and then let the next hospital deal with him.This guy is now serving three consecutive life sentences. This number is at least several dozen short of the number he killed. That he was finally charged and convicted had precious little to do with the hospitals he worked at. From what I was able to find he was convicted of murder at a Veteran's Administration Hospital, which would find it much harder to ignore the Federal Government.At a minimum there are a dozen or so cells that should be

Gripping Page-Turner

"Blind Eye" is a very disturbing book. There were several times throughout the book that my stomach was literally in knots due to the overwhelming revulsion and shock that a man like Swango might become a free man this month and return as a member of our society. This is a man who upon his release from prison would most likely have no problem poisoning other individuals that he just doesn't like. Or even poison individuals he doesn't know, just because he can.I've read all 62 reviews and what I find most interesting is that one of Stewart's themes in the book is how doctors protect their fellow doctors. Of these 62 reviews many of the one-star ratings are posted by individuals who work in the medical field, or are doctors themselves. The five-star reviews are mostly written by people that have no professional relationship to medicine. OBVIOUSLY Swango's situation is unique, and OBVIOUSLY not all hospitals cover-up their internal indiscretions. But what some reviewers seem to be missing is that the point of this book is not to slander the medical industry. "Blind Eye" is the story of a serial killer who happens to be a doctor. While it's unfortunate that several hospitals acted irresponsibly, hopefully this book will open the eyes of administrators who might implement stronger screening guideline and more honest investigations of internal affairs.While I did not "enjoy" reading this book, I found it an incredible piece of investigative journalism. Stewart is an excellent writer and this is a very important book.

Coming Soon To A Hospital Near You!

I don't know who is worse. Is it the doctor, the subject of this book, an alleged murderer of 35 or more hospital patients, or is it the arrogantly stupid physicians who let him get away with it in not one, but at least five hospitals? Michael Swango is a licensed physician who seemingly has a compulsion to kill people. Possibly a narcissistic psychopath he evidently enjoys injecting poisonous substances into hospital patients, friends and co-workers. Slipping arsenic into the ice tea of fellow paramedics is what got him his first prison sentence. He first started his alleged killing spree during a residency at Ohio State University Hospital. He evidently continued his bizarre activities after prison during residencies at the University of South Dakota, and at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. Why does a physician felon convicted of poisoning people continue to obtain medical residencies? Here's why. The physicians conducting the admissions programs are too incompetent to properly screen his application, even though he admits to being an ex convict. Then after patients die left and right, and nursing staff turn him in to the medical staff, the doctors refuse to believe their testimony. One key witness was a student nurse. It was quickly agreed by medical staff, as they all rolled their eyes, that no one should really accept what a student nurse has to say. One doctor conducted an egregiously incompetent investigation of Dr. Swango's activities. Another was equally negligent in screening Dr. Swango's admission to a residency program. What punishment has been meted out to these two physicians? They both are now working for the Association of Medical Colleges in Washington, D.C. where they oversee the application process of all medical school residents in America. Isn't that wonderful? Dr. Swango now moves on to work in African hospitals where the death toll continues to rise. Suspended from one hospital for his suspected murder of several patients, he secures another position at a hospital nearby while the police investigate charges against him. Returning to the USA he is arrested, tried and convicted on a fraud charge. He will be released from prison any day now, and presumably might join the medical staff at a hospital near you.I normally don't read true-crime books, but, having spent my entire career in hospital management, the topic intrigued me. It reads like a thriller, and believe me the behavior of the doctors (excluding Dr. Swango) in the book didn't surprise me at all.

Excellent Read

As a Medical Staff Coordinator for a large hosptial I first heard of this book through an annual conference. I ordered the book and found the accounts of Michael Swango completely disturbing. I work in a profession that is responsible for researching physicians and making sure that they never enter our medical establishment. I have shared this book with my hospital administrators and Chief of Staff, it has become a required reading text for all incomming medical staff leadership. Thanks to James Stewart for bringing this issue to the American Public, with this kind of publicity, Michael Swango will never practice medicine again.

Absolutely Spellbinding!

After having seen a segment about this person on TV, I ran out and got the book. I bought it the day after Thanksgiving and finished it the next night! I stayed up till all hours both nights. I just couldn't put it down. It was well written, no typos in it (great job!) and kept me interested from start to finish. I plan on reading more from this author and hope they are just as good. I am an avid reader of true crime and this is one more author to add to my list. Please come out with more like this one! Thank you for a great book and great entertainment!Pat McCamy